Chris Rock: Selective Outrage Review – a pure masterpiece

We review the Live Netflix Stand-up Special Chris Rock: Selective Outrage, which aired on March 4th, 2023. 

Chris Rock’s first comedy special aired on HBO in 1994, titled Big Ass Jokes. He went on to do four more specials for HBO until 2018 he made his Netflix debut with Chris Rock: Tamborine. Netflix made history as they aired Chris Rock: Selective Outrage live on the streaming platform worldwide.

Chris Rock: Selective Outrage Review

Netflix had a pre-show lined up that was hosted by Ronnie Chiang that had guests ranging from Deon Cole, Arsenio Hall, and Jeffrey Ross, to name a few. It was weird to have so many personalities do this montage saying all these great things. Overall, this was fine; some funny moments and not-so-funny moments (JB Smoove bit), but it did serve as a warm-up.

The show opens with a little put-together montage with Rick Ross playing in the backdrop. Then, Rock comes to the stage in all white, and we can tell how live it is as an overzealous fan gets told to shut up by Chris Rock in the middle of his opening. He opens by tackling the world’s “Selective Outrage” and slays with a brilliant breakdown of how people choose what is or isn’t canceled.

When you watch the special, you can’t help but be in awe of watching Rock completely deconstruct his jokes in a matter-of-fact but simultaneously funny. Sure, you could look at some of the things he is saying as “his views,” but they are never forcefully put down your throats like other comedians tend to push on us now. But when you watch this man craft together a story, slowly putting piece-by-piece together to come through with this massive punchline, my goodness, it’s a work of art.

Nobody was off limits, from Megan Markle to the Royal Family to the Kardashians. However, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived within his last joke, as we saw Rock addresses the slap.

Throughout the special, he dropped subtle hints like “the last thing I need is a mad rapper,” but everyone knew it had to be coming. So let’s sit back and think about this for a minute. Rock hadn’t addressed this since it happened, so as a comedian and as a man, Chris Rock knew he had to hit a home run.

Rock not only dissected what happened to perfection, but he buried Will Smith and Jada. He didn’t play the victim, and he wasn’t looking for sympathy.

Instead, he tore apart Will and Jada for their Selective Outrage and the real reason he got on that stage and smacked a man for a joke, and that was Jada’s real-life actions. Yes, he made it funny, but he spoke from the heart. I give Rock all the credit in the world for how he handled this.

Is the stand-up comedy special Chris Rock: Selective Outrage good?

Overall, Selective Outrage was a pure comedy masterpiece. It was one hour of one of the greatest comedians ever to grace the stage, leaving you in tears from laughing.

Rock is a master at his craft, and almost 30 years since his first special, he continues to be at his best.

What did you think of Netflix Stand-up Special Chris Rock: Selective Outrage? Comment below.