Chris Rock new skit materials: "...won't hire women; 'They cry rape for money'"

[Squarehard]

He needs to stick to the jokes he can actually talk about from experience.

Not only that, is he dense, or doesn't understand what climate we're in, or all of the recent events that happened?

 

[riotous]

Sounds like maybe this was his eventual punchline?

"Weinstein f–ked with me by trying to have me star in the worst movies of all time," he said of roles he didn't take.

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Which only adds to the idiotic joke; hah, a "tried to fuck me" reference!

BOO THIS MAN!

 

[Deleted member 2779]

On its own that line is particularly crass and while it's hard to imagine that line sticking for me, I think it'd be worth seeing how it was delivered on the night.

 

[Shroki]

He needs to stick to the jokes he can actually talk about from experience.

Not only that, is he dense, or doesn't understand what climate we're in, or all of the recent events that happened?

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He is joking about real life experience. He was (allegedly) extorted by a woman who claimed he raped her.

 

[ZeroX]

Obviously there's more lines and delivery to the joke. Would have been nice to seen a video here. It wouldn't dismiss the poor taste but greater context is needed here

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It's good there isn't video. It's the Cellar and he was trying new material. Nobody should be filming because it's very much an environment for him to try stuff that needs work or might not fly.

He has a right to tell that joke.

And we have a right to call him out for telling such a poor joke.

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Yeah the audience who was there at the time did that. Comedians are able to read a crowd and reflect on their own material. You don't need to call him out on stuff you were never meant to hear.

 

[BossAttack]

He has a right to tell that joke.

And we have a right to call him out for telling such a poor joke.

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I never said you couldn't, that's how a comedian improves their act. Stand up gives them real time feedback on whether a particular joke is working or needs tweeking. What doesn't help is taking a joke out of context in order to crucify said comedian in the public eye.

He needs to stick to the jokes he can actually talk about from experience.

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No, he doesn't.

 

[Squarehard]

He is joking about real life experience. He was (allegedly) extorted by a woman who claimed he raped her.

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In that case, it's just a really poor time to be trying it now.

 

[Seesaw15]

I'm not going to define what is funny or not but reading a contextless piece of a joke isolated for a sensationalized article seems flawed. I've heard much worse/vile comedic premises used to setup insight jokes or observations. Him working out a bit in a club with no recorders are allowed probably means the joke isn't finished yet.

 

[Easy_D]

He's a comedian and it sounds like it was a joke in his set...

Now you could definitely argue it was a poor joke, and it kind of is given what's going on now, but I don't take comedian's jokes very seriously

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Jokes are supposed to be funny though

 

[Shroki]

In that case, it's just a really poor time to be trying it now.

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Many stand-up comedians don't care or acknowledge the idea that they should be respectful of the climate or tip-toe around. They'd rather find humor in something horrible than avoid those topics all-together.

I understand why people might find that tasteless, but I grew up on Carlin and Bruce. I don't believe there are any lines in comedy.

 

[necrosis]

jesus that's not even a "skit;" just a full-bodied endorsement of sexual assault

"rape is a Funny Thing and women like to lie about it, am i right folks??"

 

[necrosis]

This. It's getting hard for comedians to try out new material when every failed joke ends up a news story.

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yeah it's rough out there for rape advocates these days smh :///

 

[Upright House of Gourds]

It's a shitty joke, but yeah, he's allowed to try it out and bomb in front of an audience. Given it's realtime reaction it's probably going to be rightly shelved.

Appropriateness aside, criticising his comedic chops because of it seems to be at the same level as criticising the draft of a book before it's gone through a round of editing though.

 

[Keldroc]

Rock has always been a little sketchy on the sexism. I remember one of his really early bits from before he became famous at all was entirely about how date rape only happens when a guy spends more than $300 on a date, and could be further avoided if women didn't decide they "liked you as a friend" when their panties were around their ankles. Even for the late '80s/early '90s that was pretty tone deaf, and I remember it to this day as a result.

 

[kevin1025]

It's a shitty joke, but yeah, he's allowed to try it out and bomb in front of an audience. Given it's realtime reaction it's probably going to be rightly shelved.

Appropriateness aside, criticising his comedic chops because of it seems to be at the same level as criticising the draft of a book before it's gone through a round of editing though.

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I don't see how making fun of sexual assault/abuse/rape can possibly go through editing, personally. It should probably not have been written in the first place. It's a topic that is fairly toxic to joke about.

 

[Chamomile]

I mean do you guys also think he is sort of ok with murder?

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Murder is already well-assigned and associated with bad moral behaviors in every single functioning society on Earth. Sexual assault and harassment are everyday problems that women face, and it's not viewed in the same universally negative light as murder.

 

[ZeroX]

I don't see how making fun of sexual assault/abuse/rape can possibly go through editing, personally. It should probably not have been written in the first place. It's a topic that is fairly toxic to joke about.

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That's not up to you.

Sarah Silverman just had a rape joke in her latest special that was very well done. There's a million ways that joke could've gone wrong, but she was given the time/space/freedom to get it there, and she's talked about how tricky it is to navigate but it's certainly not impossible or shouldn't be attempted.

 

[Playco Armboy]

What makes this material incredibly inappropriate and frankly insensitive is the stigmatism of outed sexual violence, where the victim - usually female - is unfairly scrutinized, doubted, and in most cases dismissed altogether as either lying or "wanting attention so she should have known better."

So when Chris Rock jokes that women cry rape for money, it trivializes the urgency of the matter in a time where women are just now summoning the courage to speak of their traumatic experiences. These are victims who still struggle to speak out post-Weinstein, fear alienation, and need encouragement and support whereas Rock's jokes certainty aren't helping worth a damn.

 

[808s & Villainy]

yeah it's rough out there for rape advocates these days smh :///

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Be honest, you don't watch much comedy, do you? Some jokes fall flat. Some try to tip toe around controversial topics and completely fuck up and end up offensive and unfunny. Claiming a comedian is an "advocate" of something based on a joke is a bit absurd. Dave Chappelle literally joked about what if Michael Jackson sucking dick cured AIDS and how he was a hospitable host at his house. I don't think anyone would think he's advocating child sexual abuse because of that

 

[Punchline]

Yiiiikes. I understand the need the work jokes through a audience but this is the kind of stuff that could have probably been vetted out on the writing period. Humor isnt immune to criticism.

 

[smurfx]

i would have to listen to the set before i make judgements.

Yiiiikes. I understand the need the work jokes through a audience but this is the kind of stuff that could have probably been vetted out on the writing period. Humor isnt immune to criticism.

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chris does some edgy material but this doesn't seem like his style which is why i want to listen to it and see him work this material in.

 

[excelsiorlef]

i really hate the rage about comedians trying new shit. everything can be funny if done right. sounds like he didnt do it right.

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There is no way for a man to tell a joke where the punch line and target is bitches cry rape for money and do it well.

Common fucking sense says don't even go there... So yeah we can in fact get angry or criticize.

 

[Cantaim]

Yikes that was quite the miss. Hope if the bit stays it gets refined to better reflect on the Weinstein punchline and not seem like an endorsement of not believing woman when they come out about sexual assault.

 

[Playco Armboy]

Chris isn't an advocate of rape. He's just an idiot.

 

[jviggy43]

Maybe next week he can try joking about getting shot in a church. What a completely stupid joke to bring when were finally seeing women stand up for themselves.

 

[kevin1025]

That's not up to you.

Sarah Silverman just had a rape joke in her latest special that was very well done. There's a million ways that joke could've gone wrong, but she was given the time/space/freedom to get it there, and she's talked about how tricky it is to navigate but it's certainly not impossible or shouldn't be attempted.

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You're definitely right, it's not up to anyone. Comedy will forever be subjective, and for me, joking about this subject makes me look at the comedian differently. I think the Silverman joke was well executed, but I didn't end up laughing at it. They're free to say it, but to take such a personal and devastating thing to happen to someone and, in Rock's case, make it sound like they're making it up for cash, is what I take issue with.

 

[Douche McBaggins The 4th]

This gets booed but smack her with a dick blind the bitch blind the bitch gets a laughing ovation? Perhaps is is a sign of the times? But seeing how comedy works and going to a few comedy clubs experimentation is key. Jokes aren't nt always gold. Npt gonna hold this against him.

 

[Manashima]

Once Columbine happened, he said in Bigger and Blacker that white kids are shooting up all the schools and he stays away from young white teen boys. He took a tragedy, and tried to make it funny. Now that the big story is Weinstein, hes going to give it a go. Unfortunately, he took it from the angle of attacking the abused rather than the abuser like he did with the Columbine shootings, which is usually not successful in comedy. If he went after Rich white guys harassing people, it would have been successful.

 

[excelsiorlef]

People need to stop washing away all responsibility comedians have for the shit they say....

He's just trying out new material... give me a break.

 

[Seesaw15]

I don't see how making fun of sexual assault/abuse/rape can possibly go through editing, personally. It should probably not have been written in the first place. It's a topic that is fairly toxic to joke about.

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Comedians joke about 9/11, priest molesting children,mass shootings,the holocaust, black people getting shot by the police, etc. Comedians go out of their way to take hot button issues and try to find a funny or insightful spin on them. If Rock continues to strike out with this premises it will never see the light of day but if he workshops it into something that works we'll probably see a version of it in 6 months to a year.

 

[sangreal]

This gets booed but smack her with a dick blind the bitch blind the bitch gets a laughing ovation? Perhaps is is a sign of the times? But seeing how comedy works and going to a few comedy clubs experimentation is key. Jokes aren't nt always gold. Npt gonna hold this against him.

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Not seeing the parallel. That was a (good) joke about the ridiculous lyrics in dance music

 

[Deleted member 25323]

Seems like the kinda thing you say when you're concerned that there may be accusations about you coming out soon

 

[Vas]

I don't see how making fun of sexual assault/abuse/rape can possibly go through editing, personally. It should probably not have been written in the first place. It's a topic that is fairly toxic to joke about.

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It's kind of how they work things out. Chris has always tried to step beyond what normal people and comedians would consider acceptable. During OJ, he did a bit that is basically victim blaming Nicole Brown. It's really a cruel and ignorant bit, and probably the hardest I've ever laughed at a stand-up special in my life Christ it's funny, and the fact that it's such a ridiculously offensive point of view that makes everyone feel uncomfortable makes it that much more funny. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNAfvaJEOF4

Honestly, if this is your 'milkshake duck' moment with him, you probably haven't been paying attention to his career much. He has another famous bit that's so dangerous that I don't think it's entirely safe to even describe it on this forum, and it was 20 years ago.

 

[Lord Brady]

Chris what are you doing

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His job. Joke's obviously not working yet, but it'll be interesting to see if he's molded it into something worthy of his upcoming Netflix special by the time it airs.

Seems like the kinda thing you say when you're concerned that there may be accusations about you coming out soon

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Or things a comic who has always pushed the boundaries might say if he were attempting to mine current events for something potentially funny/absurd/shocking.

 

[excelsiorlef]

Saying women cry rape for money is like the least boundary pushing joke you could tell, you're not pushing boundaries you're just restating the patriarchal assumption

 

[kevin1025]

Comedians joke about 9/11, priest molesting children,mass shootings,the holocaust, black people getting shot by the police, etc. Comedians go out of their way to take hot button issues and try to find a funny or insightful spin on them. If Rock continues to strike out with this premises it will never see the light of day but if he workshops it into something that works we'll probably see a version of it in 6 months to a year.

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It's kind of how they work things out. Chris has always tried to step beyond what normal people and comedians would consider acceptable. During OJ, he did a bit that is basically victim blaming Nicole Brown. It's really a cruel and ignorant bit, and probably the hardest I've ever laughed at a stand-up special in my life Christ it's funny, and the fact that it's such a ridiculously offensive point of view that makes everyone feel uncomfortable makes it that much more funny. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNAfvaJEOF4

Honestly, if this is your 'milkshake duck' moment with him, you probably haven't been paying attention to his career much. He has another famous bit that's so dangerous that I don't think it's entirely safe to even describe it on this forum, and it was 20 years ago.

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Thought I would quote both. I'm fine with material that can push boundaries and be offensive and even make someone uncomfortable. But calling sexually abused people out for making it up for cash is just gross.

 

[Deleted member 198]

It's a poor joke and an incredibly poor time to try it out, but that's all. It's just a shitty joke.

 

[Upright House of Gourds]

I don't see how making fun of sexual assault/abuse/rape can possibly go through editing, personally. It should probably not have been written in the first place. It's a topic that is fairly toxic to joke about.

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Joking about it is super toxic, and I agree that it probably shouldn't have been gotten in front of any audience.

But I think there should be a level of acknowledgement that he wasn't necessarily trying to shove this into his next tour, but trying it out and failing. He's made a career out of pushing boundaries, so this seems par for the course, as hamfisted and disgusting as it is.

 

[psychowave]

This. It's getting hard for comedians to try out new material when every failed joke ends up a news story.

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Won't somebody think of the poor misogynistic comedians :(

 

[Rum Diet]

Comedians from the last generation would get social media shamed before they even got off the ground in this day and age. Could you even imagine? People need to lay off comedians.

 

[excelsiorlef]

Guys it's just a joke stopped being an excuse in elementary school.

 

[Rum Diet]

Guys it's just a joke stopped being an excuse in elementary school.

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Um, what? He's a COMEDIAN that's HIS JOB

 

[Transhuman]

Saying women cry rape for money is like the least boundary pushing joke you could tell, you're not pushing boundaries you're just restating the patriarchal assumption

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It's not a joke, that happens. That is literally something that happens in the world. Unless he claimed in the joke that an inordinate amount of rape accusations are false (which would make light of the experiences of a lot of women), I don't think a reasonable person could believe that Chris Rock doesn't empathise with victims of sexual violence.

 

[ZeroX]

You're definitely right, it's not up to anyone. Comedy will forever be subjective, and for me, joking about this subject makes me look at the comedian differently. I think the Silverman joke was well executed, but I didn't end up laughing at it. They're free to say it, but to take such a personal and devastating thing to happen to someone and, in Rock's case, make it sound like they're making it up for cash, is what I take issue with.

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I absolutely agree comedy is totally subjective, and everybody has their own standards of what subjects or jokes or whatever that they find funny.

But to say he shouldn't even write it? Disagree. He's allowed to try. And if he can get it to the point where it kills with the bulk of his audience then great. If he can't? It's his responsibility to cut it. But either way I'm not going to hold it against you for not laughing and neither should he or anyone else.


Of course again, the joke wasn't meant for us. It was just for that audience.

 

[Lord Brady]

Guys it's just a joke stopped being an excuse in elementary school.

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You don't speak for me. Rock doesn't need an excuse for doing what he's been great at his entire career. If he can make the premise funny, it'll make its way into his show. If he can't, it won't. Same way he's done it for decades. Successfully.

 

[excelsiorlef]

It's not a joke, that happens. That is literally something that happens in the world. Unless he claimed in the joke that an inordinate amount of rape accusations are false (which would make light of the experiences of a lot of women), I don't think a reasonable person could believe that Chris Rock doesn't empathise with victims of sexual violence.

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Everything happens.... What's your point?

 

[psynergyadept]

yeesh......what u doin Chris?

 

[Douche McBaggins The 4th]

Not seeing the parallel. That was a (good) joke about the ridiculous lyrics in dance music

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The parallel would be how outrageously sexist it is like this joke. But that was a hell of pf a lot funnier.

Not talkin bout me.

That was a magical time in music. Gladly throw bruno mars to get this type of music back.

 

[excelsiorlef]

You don't speak for me. Rock doesn't need an excuse for doing what he's been great at his entire career. If he can make the premise funny, it'll make its way into his show. If he can't, it won't. Same way he's done it for decades. Successfully.

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Who said I was speaking for you?

 

[kevin1025]

I absolutely agree comedy is totally subjective, and everybody has their own standards of what subjects or jokes or whatever that they find funny.

But to say he shouldn't even write it? Disagree. He's allowed to try. And if he can get it to the point where it kills with the bulk of his audience then great. If he can't? It's his responsibility to cut it. But either way I'm not going to hold it against you for not laughing and neither should he or anyone else.


Of course again, the joke wasn't meant for us. It was just for that audience.

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That's true. It's that people are finally coming forward, and jokes like this can hurt that kind of forward momentum. But for that singular audience and having it bomb, you're right, it'll probably be cut and never heard of again.