The 2023 Academy Awards have come and gone, with a new group of winners announced in the live telecast. There were also plenty of jokes made about Will Smith, as it was the anniversary of him famously walking on stage and slapping Chris Rock. The comedian recently recalled his own experience in his Netflix special Selective Outrage, and he recently made another crack at the situation. Specifically, Rock joked that Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul is “the only guy who knows how I felt” after the Slap.
There’s been non-stop discourse about the Will Smith slap over the past year, with the public watching as the Oscar winning actor began his comeback tour. Chris Rock has also had a year to process his feelings about being humiliated in this way, and joked about having a kinship with Paul Pelosi, referencing him being attacked in his home by an intruder with a hammer. At the Kennedy Center Honors (via USA Today (opens in new tab)) Rock referenced their common bond, saying:
Paul Pelosi (is) the only guy who knows how I felt. Just me and you, Paul.
Comedy often pushes buttons, and this comment by Chris Rock has the potential to do just that. After all, the 58 year-old actor/comedian wasn’t in nearly as much physical danger as Paul Pelosi was during his home invasion incident. We’ll just have to wait and see if there’s any backlash to this quip by Rock.
Chris Rock made this crack about Paul Pelosi while helping to present Adam Sandler with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (opens in new tab). That’s when he made another joke about the infamous Oscars slap, which will likely be fodder for the comedian for the foreseeable future. After all, it’s a viral event that has been discussed non-stop over the last year.
Of course, Paul Pelosi’s attack was far more harrowing and physically dangerous. That incident occurred on October 28th 2022, where intruder David DePape entered the home of Paul and Nancy Pelosi. DePape would end up striking Pelosi in the head with a hammer, resulting in a fractured skull. He was rushed into surgery, while also being treated for other smaller injuries. This is obviously a far cry from Chris Rock being slapped, however humiliating it was.
Obviously Chris Rock was kidding and presumably doesn’t think that his experience was as serious as Paul Pelosi’s attack. But this latest bit shows that Rock isn’t taking his foot off the gas regarding Will Smith-related content. We waited for almost a year for him to finally add it to his comedy set, and now the gates are open.
Despite the time that has passed, Chris Rock and Will Smith seemingly haven’t communicated with each other directly. The King Richard actor reportedly wasn’t too happy with Rock’s Netflix special, and the way the comedian talked about Jada Pinkett Smith. Is a reconciliation possible? Only time will tell. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
