As the Oscars approaches, there are a few comedy specials about the “slap” that was heard around the world. On Sunday, Mar. 27, 2022, Will Smith smacked Chris Rock in the face for making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.
The victim, Chris Rock, made history with his new special “Selective Outrage.” The offering is the first time Netflix had ever live-streamed anything. However, his was not the only comedy commentary on that incident to come out over the week.
Comedian and funny man Marlon Wayans has produced, licensed, and dropped a new special on HBO called “God Loves Me.”
The stand-up concert, filmed in Atlanta, GA, is a love letter to all three parties pointing at all the reasons he admires them, poking fun at each of them in their active or passive roles in the incident, and unequivocally blasting Smith for his actions. The difference is, Wayans approached it with forgiveness and love attached to his reprimand.
During a private filming of DJ Suss One’s “The Feature Presentation” podcast, the youngest of the first-generation Wayans Brothers said, he knows all three parties and believes Smith had a breakdown in front of the whole world.
“… being in these situations, excitement, anxiety all these things that we never seen… pain … childhood trauma … that man snapped. And unfortunately, Chris Rock cracked the wrong joke on the wrong day,” Wayans said, adding, “That was just the breaking point, but there was a lot boiling up.”
He revealed that he texted Smith the night of the Academy Awards. He said he was hurt because the incident impacted more than just the two.
“I actually left the parties because I don’t want to be phony,” he said.
“I was proud of him for winning that award, you know?” he told the Power 105 Dj, reminding him that he had just done Bel-Air with Smith.
“I said I’m proud of him,” Wayans shared, saying he text him, “I need you to go sit in seven hours of therapy on Monday because you got some real s##t going on.”
He said he also texted Rock and asked him if he was “good.”
Ultimately, Wayans said this is a time for forgiveness and not judgment, noting that one incident should not replace 30 plus years of Black excellence.
The former Howard University student also shared before he left the intimate discussion that he learned things from both men throughout his life.
From Rock, he learned” to be great at something, you have to do it a lot” and “to have your own style.” Wayans said he learned from the Fresh Prince to never “marginalize” yourself based on race, noting his example of being a “Black international superstar” that defied the odds, by even paying to promote himself overseas when studios did not see the value in the marketing.
Check out the trailer for “God Loves me.”