Chris Rock will address the infamous Will Smith Oscars slap during his live-stream Netflix comedy special Saturday night (March 4), according to sources.
The stand-up special, “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage,” will be streamed live from the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore.
It will be Netflix’s first live global event.
It has been nearly a year since the altercation.
The 2023 Oscars are scheduled to air on March 12.
According to a source, it has been tough for Chris to test out the material.
An insider said, “Most stand-ups like to test out their material in smaller clubs before they tape a special,” but Rock “relied on the help of veteran comedy writers to run his jokes by to make sure they were tweaked, solid and funny.”
Another insider said the Oscar slap material will not dominate the show, but “People need to tune in till the last joke, they will not be disappointed.”
Reportedly, on Monday (February 27), Netflix added pre and post-show specials to the live-stream event, including appearances by Amy Schumer, Jerry Seinfeld, Arsenio Hall, Leslie Jones, David Spade, Dana Carvey, JB Smoove, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Even though Chris is attempting to keep the Oscars slap material on the down low until the Netflix show, he’s reportedly been testing some of the material at comedy venues.
Below is some of the alleged material:
Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face.
Will did the impression of a perfect person for 30 years, and he ripped his mask off and showed us he was as ugly as the rest of us.
The other day, I watched ‘Emancipation’ just so I could watch him getting whipped.
The thing people wanna know … did it hurt? Hell yeah it hurt. He played Muhammad Ali! I played Pookie (in ‘New Jack City’).
Even in animated movies I’m a zebra, he’s a f***ing shark. I got hit so hard, I heard ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears.
Will Smith practices selective outrage.
Who gets smacked by Suge Smith?
It makes sense for Chris, as a comedian, to try to make light of the situation, but it’s going to be interesting to see how people react to him trying to squeeze the funny out of getting smacked on live tv in front of millions of people.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the convo on our socials. (Facebook, Instagram).
Sources: Page Six, New York Post, and The Grio
