You think that's an excuse for making an off-colour joke about a medical condition? I really hope not.
No I think his “excuse” for making a tasteless joke is that that is what the Academy has wanted in recent years; “Roast” style presentation, insulting jokes aimed at the stars, because apparently they think that is what pulls in the viewers. I think that’s a misjudgement on the part of the Academy and was only ever going to lead to trouble, but it is the brief they’ve given presenters in recent years.
So I think Chris Rock was fulfilling his brief. Or thought he was. I do also happen to believe he didn’t know about JPS’s alopecia, maybe he should have paid for better research, but it’s by the by, because even if he knew, and was knowingly that offensive, a violent reaction was completely unacceptable.
The Aspergers claim did immediately ring true to me in terms of CR’s very obviously shell shocked reaction over recent days to the whole unfolding debacle. Again, that’s a side issue.