Chris RockPhoto: Al Seib (Getty Images)
Of course, Chris Rock would joke about not returning to host the Oscars after The Slap. Of course, Chris Rock’s joke about not returning to the Oscars after The Slap was a little provocative. Nobody really expected anything else from the comedian, but did it have to be this joke?
As a reminder, Rock joked during a set that he turned down hosting the 2023 Academy Awards after being punched by Will Smith on stage because it would be like asking Nicole Brown Simpson to “go back to the restaurant.” to go”, where she left her glasses before she was killed. Online reactions to this joke were mixed. Many bemoaned his bad taste for comparing a slap to murder, some bemoaned Mr.’s continued outdated references “It was a GI Jane joke!” and others bemoaned the fact that it was just a bad punchline.
Speaking to TMZ, Simpson’s sister, Tanya Brown, unsurprisingly sided with the critics. Sure, the joke was “tasteless,” “tacky,” and disrespectful to Simpson’s surviving family members. But in her opinion, the “crack was not just unfunny, it literally makes no sense.” The comparison of the two events is “apples to oranges” and “lacks logic and fundamental connection”.
And yes, let’s break down the comedic math of that for a minute. First, we have to accept, however “disgusting,” that Rock has to compare himself to a famous victim for this joke. Then we must ignore the fact that Simpson is deceased and has nowhere to return. But why compare it to asking Simpson to “go back to the restaurant”? Contrary to his Oscar-stage experience, the restaurant was not the scene of Simpson’s bullying. The math, as they say, is not math.
We tend to agree with Tanya Brown that “that was a complete misfire on his part” on several levels. (Last but not least: will comedians ever stop pretending they’re a protected class?) However, we’ll accept pitches for better punchlines — how is Chris Rock asked to return to the Oscars?