In spite of everything I may or may not write out, I’m a fan of Chris Rock. I have enjoyed most every one of Rock’s standups, and I think he’s a step above most other comics out there; dare I say almost on a Seinfeld-like plane in which he makes observations and turns it into material that most people can relate to, but just don’t think about, until presented in a routine.
I don’t view him as “a black comic,” but as “a comic,” and one that is funny, witty, intelligent and genuinely good at his craft. Furthermore, as he’s aged, he’s flexed his creative wings and done some solid writing, as well as being pretty much the token A-list black guy for Adam Sandler (Tim Meadows being the B) films throughout the last few years.
But his choice of material at the Oscars, where he basically made several tasteless jokes towards Asian stereotypes, was pretty pathetic. They reeked of strawman deflection, where Rock attempted to distract attendees and viewers away from the elephant in the room, which is the purported black boycott of the Oscars, and make wise cracks about Asians as a means to draw attention away from the elephant.