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AIBU?

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Original poster

Comedians often offend someone as part of their jokes so aibu to wonder if what Chris Rock said was actually that bad ?

154 replies

MisterRee · 29/03/2022 12:13

Sort of playing devils advocate here, I’m a woman and I would feel humiliated if someone took the piss out of me on any stage let alone a world stage.
However, comedians are hired and/ or sold out because someone, somewhere finds them funny. Ricky Gervais roasted people much worse at BAFTAs etc.
Think of all the successful comedians, they probably don’t actually think the things they say… they do it because it is their job to do.

Maybe we should be angry at the Academy for booking comedians to present awards?

Aibu to think that the joke wasn’t too offensive compared to other comedic acts I’ve seen in the past?

Prepared to be in the wrong, just got me thinking

OP posts:
Samcro · 29/03/2022 12:39

People always seem to excuse this kind of behaviour as "comedy "
Its not funny and its not clever.

knittingaddict · 29/03/2022 12:41

@Sharrowgirl

It’s nastiness for me hinges on whether CR knew she had alopecia or not.
Yes, I'm sure he accidentally picked on the (possibly) only woman in the room with alopecia. Hmm
Suzi888 · 29/03/2022 12:42

Such a weak slap. I can’t believe it was real.

Ponoka7 · 29/03/2022 12:43

It interesting that those behind the Awards stated very quickly that it was an ad lib and not scripted. They distanced themselves from it.
CR did know about the alopecia.

Sharrowgirl · 29/03/2022 12:44

Yes, I'm sure he accidentally picked on the (possibly) only woman in the room with alopecia

No, he picked on the only woman in the room with a shaved head.

WhiteXmas21 · 29/03/2022 12:46

I saw Alan Davies on Breakfast this morning trying to justify it as humour, and humour should push the envelope etc.
But, this was a personal remark, live on air, about a woman’s personal and specific medical condition, a woman & husband who CR has form for insulting.
Will overreacted terribly; but CR is a total dick for calling out Jada’s alopecis.

Defaultuser · 29/03/2022 12:47

I think jokes like this are bullying not comedy and absolutely should be called out (not with violence though). I don't get why anyone would find laughing at people with medical conditions funny, unless they are equally nasty.

SantaCarlaCalifornia · 29/03/2022 12:47

I don't think it was a good joke, or even really a joke at all but there's been much worse.

Most comedians pick on fat people, ugly people, disabled people, everyone is fair game as far as I can see. If I don't like the humour of certain comedians I wouldn't watch. Little Britain is a perfect example. People are offended about it now but I never liked it, it seems to be bottom of the barrel comedy but it used to be apparently loved.

I suppose it's different when the person being picked on is right there in the front row, but I would have thought it was to be expected. Quite a lot of comedy is mean, it's nothing new.

peachgreen · 29/03/2022 12:48

Comedians should punch up, not down. It's as simple as that.

AndAsIfByMagic · 29/03/2022 12:48

Awful thing to say. I can't be too cross with Will. He knows how much it would hurt.

peachgreen · 29/03/2022 12:49

@Suzi888

Such a weak slap. I can’t believe it was real.
It was real, but yes, it was a weak slap. That's because it wasn't intended to physically harm Rock, but to send a message.
WhatAWasteOfOranges · 29/03/2022 12:50

There is no excuse for violence. You cannot go around attacking people cause you don’t like what they say, even if what they’ve said is wrong. There is no justification for violence end of story.
Then having everyone clapping him acting like nothing happened a few minutes later. Twilight zone.

Thoosa · 29/03/2022 12:51

It’s not comedians, per se, it’s the fairly recent idea that everything has to be a bloody “roast” to be funny.

The only one who remotely pulled it off was Gervais, and he’s beyond any formula.

If they want to make award shows more entertaining, they need a rethink.

yellowsuninthesky · 29/03/2022 12:52

@MisterRee

My partner has male pattern baldness and said that men being bald has been the butt of jokes since he can remember.
Yes but that's a general comment rather than a personal attack on someone specific in a very public forum.
Sirzy · 29/03/2022 12:53

Those who are trying to justify such ‘jokes’ especially when publicly aimed at one person how would you feel if a child was making jokes like that about your child’s physical condition?

Ozanj · 29/03/2022 12:54

Rock insulted an actual woman who was in front of him. Not only that he presented a documentary recently about how inportant hair is to black female identity. Yet he still thought it was ok to insult her.

This isn’t however just a black comedy problem. It’s a problem with the comedy of a lot of non-white male comedians. Indian comedians, in grassroots standup, make their names through rape jokes / intensely personal attacks on Indian women for example). It’s almost as if the international comedy scene thrives on the stereotypes of women of colour and sees them as fair came - when, if chris rock had insulted a white actress with alopecia, the media would have had a very different reaction.

Sortilege · 29/03/2022 12:54

@Sharrowgirl

Yes, I'm sure he accidentally picked on the (possibly) only woman in the room with alopecia

No, he picked on the only woman in the room with a shaved head.

This.

I have alopecia, and i wouldn’t be in stitches if someone made jokes about it, but a couple of times I’ve cropped my hair in response to flares and everyone ALWAYS assumes it’s a fashion choice. I can well believe Chris Rock didn’t realise it was medical.

Sortilege · 29/03/2022 12:57

Rock insulted an actual woman who was in front of him. Not only that he presented a documentary recently about how inportant hair is to black female identity. Yet he still thought it was ok to insult her.

Maybe.

OTOH, I can also see how - knowing all about the meaning of hair for WoC, but not knowing about JPS’s alopecia - he interpreted as a derive choice from a strong woman.

I don’t think we know enough to be sure.

BettyOBarley · 29/03/2022 12:57

It's been reported this morning that CR is saying he didn't know JP had alopecia. Not saying that justifies the joke, but if he did know then it was unbelievably cruel of him so I really hope he didn't.

Sandra2010 · 29/03/2022 12:57

I think everyone should take their cues from the individual with the medical condition. I don't joke about my condition because I do have times when I struggle emotionally. A general joke about the condition is fair enough, and if I feel offended that's up to me, but to make it personal and directed at me would be too far and I would be upset. Having said that, physical violence is not justified and Smith was an idiot too.

halvahalva · 29/03/2022 12:58

My view is this. It's true that some people, and therefore comedians, laugh at and tell really dark "jokes". I don't find them funny so I wouldn't choose to watch them, but I wouldn't try to stop others watching them. By going to a comedian's show and being in the audience you have to accept, to a certain extent that they may "use you" as it were, as part of their material. If you are a random person usually it's nothing too personal, but in the case of a famous person the question of how much privacy they can expect comes into play. Maybe it depends on how much they, as individuals, benefit from being in the public eye and how much they also push their private life when it suits them.
I suppose there's a line drawn and in this case some think he probably surpassed it, others not.
I think that the people who organise the event and choose the act ultimately decide what is acceptable through their choice of comedian.

Malibuismysecrethome · 29/03/2022 13:00

Comedians used to be funny. They shouldn’t feel the need to humiliate people. Most so called comedians today are not funny.

hamstersarse · 29/03/2022 13:00

@Thoosa

It’s not comedians, per se, it’s the fairly recent idea that everything has to be a bloody “roast” to be funny.

The only one who remotely pulled it off was Gervais, and he’s beyond any formula.

If they want to make award shows more entertaining, they need a rethink.

I agree with this

Chris Rock just didn't land it right - it was a shit joke. And because it was a shit joke, no one actually laughs and the line between insult and humour is totally lost and liable to be offensive

But no one comes out of this looking good. Will Smith totally over reacted - he could have easily just talked to him afterwards, put a middle finger up, pulled a face - how embarassing to be so out of control in such an environment.

I haven't watched any other part of the Oscars than this one minute clip so I am not sure how Rock's other 'jokes' were going down and whether he had already lost the audience

hedgehogger1 · 29/03/2022 13:05

It seems to be that the hosts are always trying to insult the guests at these award shows. I don't really understand why it's acceptable, don't find it funny at all.

WeDontShutUpAboutBruno · 29/03/2022 13:07

Chris Rock made a documentary about the significance of hair in black culture. He knew what he was doing.

His 'joke' was shit and personal and absolutely unwarrented.

He should have cleared it with her first before drawing attention to someone's medical issue in front of God knows how many people.

Taking the piss out of people who haven't agreed to it is always nasty, but to do it in front of her, on live TV, and in front of an audience was too far, it forced a response of some kind from her, and even that's being picked apart now, many think her response was OTT, but he chose to put her on the spot like that.

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