“There’s no comic twist to it”: Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock Makes Sense as Comedian’s Past Comments on Body Shaming Proves His Bald Joke on Jada Pinkett Smith Was Too Far
Christopher Farley was an American comedian and actor, famous for his booming and exuberant comedy performances. He was a member of Chicago’s Second City Theatre, before appearing for five seasons on NBC’s sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1995. The entertainer went on to work in films such as Tommy Boy, Airheads, Black Sheep, Beverly Hills Ninja, and Almost Heroes. Crosby, along with Chris Rock, was named a new Saturday Night Live cast member in early 1990. On the show, he frequently collaborated with cast members such as Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Tim Meadows, Rob Schneider, and David Spade, among others. This gang became famous as the SNL Bad Boys.
Chris Farley’s famous Chippendales audition, which aired on October 27, 1990
The Tommy Boy actor suffered from substance abuse since his early acting days until the height of his fame. On December 18, 1997, he died of a drug overdose at the age of 33. If you’re a fan of Chris Farley, you’ll remember one of his finest SNL stage performances, the Chippendales Audition, which set Farley against guest star Patrick Swayze in a dance-off for the millennia.
Farley played Barney in the sketch, while Swayze played Adrian, two male striptease performers who appear onstage in front of a panel of experts at a Chippendales nightclub. When he starred in the Chippendales’ Audition, the Beverly Hills Ninja actor was new to SNL. However, in recent years, the iconic Jim Downey sketch from 1990 has been widely criticized for fat-shaming the late comedian. The sketch’s premise is that a slightly overweight performer like him would be closely matched in an audition against Swayze’s slim, muscular dancer.
Chris Rock’s hypocrisy is exposed
Although the skit was debated by SNL members in recent years, and not all of them agreed with the premise, Bob Odenkirk, of Better Call Saul fame, was candid in his opinion of the sketch, saying,
“I didn’t like the fact that the first thing Farley became known for was that Chippendales thing, which I hated. F**ing lame, weak bulls***. I can’t believe anyone liked it enough to put it on the show. He never should have done it.”
Chris Farley’s famous Chippendales audition, which aired on October 27, 1990, was even criticized by his co-star Chris Rock, who called it a body-shaming skit and explained how it was unfair to the late actor.
The skit failed to impress Farley’s SNL co-star Chris Rock, who disliked it as much as Odenkirk did. In The Chris Farley Show, he said,
“I always hated that sketch. The joke of it is basically, We can’t hire you because you’re fat. I mean, he’s a fat guy, and you’re going to ask him to dance with no shirt on.”
He continued,
“OK. That’s enough. You’re gonna get that laugh. But when he stops dancing, you have to turn it in his favor. There’s no turn there. There’s no comic twist to it. It’s just f****** mean.”
However, Chris Rock, who was supporting the legend, was himself attacked for body-shaming Will Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith at the 2022 Oscars. He made a veiled remark about her bald head, and Rock compared her to GI Jane 2. This enraged her husband, who leaped onto the platform and punched him in the face. The shocking incident comes after the actress revealed her issues with hair loss due to alopecia areata, an auto-immune disease.
Source: Slashfilm
