*Close to 30 years since premiering on HBO on July 10, 1999, Chris Rock’s third comedy special “Bigger & Blacker” still has a pulse on what’s going on in the world.
Examining the special, Los Angeles Times writer Nate Jackson took note of Rock following up his groundbreaking “Bring the Pain” “looking like Morpheus” from “The Matrix,” All while piercing “the heart of the country with a blade of truth that made us laugh until it hurt — and kept going until the pain felt good.
“In an era when comedy specials still felt special because only those in the highest echelon were even allowed to have one, Rock’s follow-up to the groundbreaking “Bring the Pain” was a high-wire act that reminded us that the multi-hyphenate — then at the peak of his celebrity — ultimately values one thing above all else: telling jokes that ring true to Black America, with punchlines that are quotable for anyone with a pulse and sense of humor.” Jackson stated.
“On the heels of filming a major movie (“Lethal Weapon IV”) and anchoring hit TV shows (“Saturday Night Live,” “The Chris Rock Show”), Rock could’ve easily played it safe by softening the edges in his act to avoid turning off the mainstream. Instead, he cranked up the volume by doing what every great comic does when faced with controversy — doubling down, Jackson expressed.
“With topics such as school shootings, presidential sex scandals, taxes, racism and the big piece of chicken, Rock came ready to mix it up without apology as the stage was his megaphone to pierce “hte heart of the country with a blade of truth that made us laugh until it hurt — and kept going until the pain felt good.”
In honor of the impact and laughter generated by Rock’s masterpiece, the LA Times highlighted a few of the “Top best lines from “Bigger and Blacker” that the Times is able to “repeat.”
“We don’t need gun control, we need bullet control. I think all bullets should cost $5,000. ’Cause if a bullet cost $5,000 there’d be no more innocent bystanders.”
“It’s all about Mama, Mama, Mama. Nobody gives a f— about Daddy. Think about everything a real daddy does … and what does Daddy get for all his work? The big piece of chicken, that’s all Daddy gets.”
“They ain’t never curing AIDS, don’t even think about it. There ain’t no money in the cure, the money’s in the medicine. That’s how a drug dealer makes his money, on the comeback. That’s all the government is, a bunch of motherf— drug dealers!”
“We got all these taxes. … You don’t get the money ’til you’re 65, meanwhile the average Black man dies at 54. S—, we should get Social Security at 29. We don’t live that long, hypertension, high blood pressure, NYPD, something will get you.”
For more of the LA Times’ praise of Chris Rock’s “Bigger and Blacker,” click here
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