Chris Rock's "Selective Outrage"

Those who get and like Chris Rock's sense of humour, will get and like this Netflix special. Those who were always going to roll their eyes at Chris Rock's humour, will continue to roll their eyes at Chris Rock's humour.

Oh yes, there were jokes made about Megan Markle, The Kardashians, and the infamous Will Smith's Oscars slap. Pleasantly, I found there were also stories about his daughter, his mother, his father and brother -- presented as examples for other jokes and social commentary.

Aside from those mentioned above, he did also make jokes about Snoop Dogg, Jay Z and Beyoncé. There was repeated jokes about "not offending another rapper" -- a jab at Will Smith!

For me, personally, there was awkward laughter every time the "N" word was mentioned. I don't want to offend anyone, and it's certainly not jokes that I would ever repeat out loud. I think we can laugh with him but still have the maturity to understand the full scope and context of the points that he is making.

The jokes he made about women and dating... it was building on his body of work in the early 2000's, he was known for those kinds of jokes about men, women, relationships and dating. Yet now in the year 2023... it's an awkward type of laughter from me. Yes, I can see where his observations and jokes are coming from, but at the same time, it's 2023. Yes there is a tinge of misogyny with those jokes. Yes, his point with this show, it seems, is that not everything has to be that politically correct anyway. (I suppose?)

It's hard to pin point where on the political spectrum Chris Rock lands, and perhaps that is the point. He's a comedian -- sometimes, it's not that deep. Sometimes, it's not that serious. And sure, not everyone will agree.

"Don't tell these jokes at work!" -- he made a very clear point about that with the show. It's hard to even show your real time reaction and laughing with some of these jokes, actually.

If you're going to go in ready to be offended, you will most likely be feeling offended. It's not for the people who've never seen a Chris Rock comedy show before and are simply bored on a rainy day wondering what else to watch on Netflix.

It seems evident to me, that this show is for Chris Rock fans. This show is for those who've been there with Chris Rock and his sense of humour throughout the years. If you get it, you get it. And it doesn't even mean that you have to agree with all of it.

I don't think he set out trying to convert anybody. He has his loyal fan base, and we know him and his humour.

I've already seen some YouTubers' backlash. Some Megan Markle fans offended. That's okay. They have their rights to those opinions. But they were never Chris Rock fans. And you're not going to convince them otherwise.

The fan base is there, they're not going anywhere. And perhaps especially since the Will Smith Oscars slap, the parasocial relationship has solidified itself even more. He's like a funny brother or cousin that we're feeling protective over. He can say what he wants. They're his jokes, not your opinions, even if you're laughing with him about them.

As a Millennial, and someone who's watched Chris Rock's comedy shows since the early 2000's, someone who loved the show Everybody Hates Chris, it felt like familiar territory. Classic Chris Rock. Chris Rock at his best. This show is added to his repertoire. His body of work as a comedian, and it is so "on point" Chris Rock's style. I'm not sure if there is a name for it. I'm not sure if other comedians are going to analyse it. All I can say is, "That is so Chris Rock!" and if you get it, you get it.

My overall rating for this show: 5/5 stars as a Chris Rock fan.