Ready to feel old? Chris Rock’s first comedy special, “Big Ass Jokes,” was released on HBO in 1994. Since then, Rock has skyrocketed to fame and fortune, starring in multiple stand-up specials as well as films like New Jack City, Lethal Weapon 4, and the Madagascar franchise. Now, Rock is back on stage in his first special since the “slap heard around the world,” and he’s once again dishing it out to mostly laughter, a bit of clapter, and one or two crickets.

Chris Rock: Selective Outrage

Critiquing standup is especially challenging since, by its very nature, comedy is completely subjective. Unlike films, which have some objective elements, no one cares about the production value or cinematography of a comedy special. The only thing that matters is, is it funny.

Chris Rock: Selective Outrage is funny…mostly. In the traditions of pre-woke comedians, Rock tackles topics like the hypocrisy of woke victimhood, Megan Markle’s cries of racism, virtue signaling, and more, and it’s really good. However, he’s still Chris Rock and his personal politics poke through a couple of times as he bashes Republicans while only slapping Democrats on the wrist, and dismisses the racism that is currently being directed toward white people because white people own airlines and, therefore, don’t have anything to be angry about. Don’t get me wrong, Rock’s personal wokeness is a very small portion of the special, and only slightly affects its quality, but it’s there.

One of the special’s biggest problems is that Rock’s core shtick of, “black people be like…white people be like,” is a bit tired, and it accounts for a significant chunk of the program. Also, Rock himself seems tired. At nearly 60 years of age, it’s understandable that he wouldn’t have the same energy as he did when he was in his 30s, but he still looks and sounds young, so it’s hard to reconcile as a viewer.

What’s not hard to reconcile is that Rock is a grown man with a family who’s still joking about “p#$$y” like a teenager. In one breath he’s talking about his 20-year-old daughter and what a success she is, and in the next, he’s crassly describing how he’ll lick a butt. It’s a jarring contrast and also feels like something that he should have outgrown by now.

Finally, Rock is a veteran comedian and a legend in the business. Therefore, when he blew the biggest joke of the routine, the closing bit no less, and failed to stick the landing, it was a huge letdown. One of the best things about comedy is not knowing what’s coming, and when Rock telegraphed his last two punchlines in a fumble that he acknowledged as such on stage, it virtually killed all of his momentum. Instead of finishing the special on a high, it was a rather deflated and bittersweet conclusion.

**UPDATE** Apparently, Netflix has edited the mistake out for future viewers.

All in all, Chris Rock: Selective Outrage is funny and not a waste of your time, but, as a whole, it’s not good enough for us to recommend it as Worth it, though parts of it are.

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