But if we’re honest, this isn’t the first time Rock has had us shaking our heads—and giving him a major side-eye over what many call anti-Black, highly controversial remarks. That’s why we’re looking back at some of the other times his commentary on Black culture and Black women had us raising an eyebrow. Chris Rock has built a career on pushing boundaries, but the boundaries he keeps crossing tend to fall on the same bodies.
The Time When He Didn’t Bail Out His Best Friend’s Brother
In a new interview with the New York Times, Rock recently detailed a decision he made early in his career concerning a close friend of his. He explained how years ago, he had the means to help his best friend’s brother, Roger Logan, but chose not to pay for him to retain a lawyer. As a result, Logan—whom Rock said he grew up with—spent 19 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. He was eventually exonerated.
At the time, Rock’s friend repeatedly asked him to help, but the “Madagascar” actor steadily declined, citing that paying for lawyers was too “open-ended.” The comedian admitted that the decision “still f*cks with” him because he had the money and could’ve helped, but didn’t. What’s perhaps most jarring is how Rock used the story to talk about the reality of Black men being wrongfully accused, saying that white people societally treat an accusation against a Black person like a conviction.
So if that’s the case, and you clearly understand how easily the criminal justice system can chew up a Black man and spit him out—why didn’t Rock just help his friend out in the first place to potentially bypass that altogether?
The Joke & History With Jada Pinkett Smith That Led Up to the Oscars Slap
Rock’s history with Jada Pinkett Smith goes way back—long before the 2022 Oscars. In 1997, Rock poked fun at Jada’s involvement in the Million Woman March, questioning what the event was actually about. Nearly 20 years later, he took another shot at Jada during the 2016 Oscars, when he mocked her decision to boycott the ceremony over the lack of Black nominees.
All of the bad jokes and digs ultimately culminated at the 2022 Oscars when Rock joked about Jada’s shaved head, comparing it to a G.I. Jane look—despite Pinkett Smith’s recent revelation of her alopecia diagnosis. You know how the rest of the night went after that.
Given their history and Rock’s previous bad “jokes,” the moment landed differently for many who saw it as another jab at Jada, and more broadly, at Black women’s expense. The pattern was impossible to ignore.
The “Good Hair” Documentary
Rock’s 2009 documentary “Good Hair” attempted to tackle the complicated relationship many Black women have with their natural hair and the Eurocentric beauty standards that influence it. The project seemingly had a genuine impetus, reportedly inspired by his daughter asking why she didn’t have “good hair.” But critics questioned whether Rock was exposing the pressures Black women face while also turning those women and their beauty choices into entertainment and fodder for ridicule.
In the aftermath, the documentary raised a pretty fair question for some Black women: How do you spend an entire documentary examining the emotional weight Black women attach to their hair, only to then make a joke about one of those women’s hair loss years later? The contradiction is hard to ignore.
His Views on “Woke Culture”
Over the years, Rock has become increasingly critical of “woke” culture and what he sees as its lack of forgiveness. In his recent New York Times interview, he explained that while he supports giving marginalized people a voice, he feels “wokeness” becomes a problem when it gets institutionalized and leaves little room for people to make mistakes.
He then compared today’s culture to that of the Old Testament and the Salem witch trials, arguing that both lacked forgiveness. But considering Rock’s own history of controversial jokes, his comments invite deeper interrogation. Because maybe, just maybe, the people calling for accountability aren’t always asking for perfection; they’re asking comedians to understand when a joke keeps hitting the same people.
His Black Women Can’t Be First Lady Commentary
During his 2008 “Kill the Messenger” comedy special, Rock had some particularly harsh things to say about Black women while then-presidential candidate Barack Obama was running for office. He joked that Obama had a “handicap” because he had a Black wife and asserted that he didn’t think a Black woman could be first lady. His reasoning? Black women couldn’t “play the background” and would have trouble deferring to their husbands.
He then followed that up with jokes about how Black women were supposedly angry when Black men dated white women. It’s a classic Rock comedy tactic—where he once again uses Black women as targets and exploits years-old, negative stereotypes against them. His jokes feel more like good old misogynoir, just with a weak punchline attached.
★TR★
