Selective Outrage

The primary draw here is a single, heavily anticipated ten-minute block at the end of the set where Chris Rock finally addresses getting slapped by Will Smith at the 2022 Academy Awards. It is the culmination of a year of public silence on the matter, and Rock unloads his frustrations with an intense, loud sequence that details the concept of \”selective outrage\” and explains why he refused to play the victim on talk shows.

Before that final segment, the performance is a standard Rock set with his signature pacing and staccato delivery. Recorded live at the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland, the show made history as Netflix’s first-ever live global broadcast event. Rock steps onto the stage wearing all white, pacing with the restless energy of a veteran, and takes aim at modern culture, woke hypocrisy, Meghan Markle, and the absurdities of spoiling his daughters.

The live format added a nervous energy to the room, especially given that Baltimore is Jada Pinkett Smith’s hometown. Critics were mixed on the performance. Many noted that while the live element and the closing minutes felt like a major cultural moment, some of the earlier segments on trans people, Lululemon, and the royal family felt like a step backward into older, less inspired routines. During the live broadcast, Rock even flubbed a punchline about Will Smith’s filmography, though he quickly recovered and kept pushing forward.