There’s a big story on People Magazine about Chris Rock’s Thursday night show at The Wilbur in Boston, and how Rock once again didn’t really address the Oscars slap. Apparently, someone in the audience shouted “f–k Will Smith” and Rock shut it down and said “No, no, no, no, no…” Sure. All that tells me is that Rock is still waiting to see what happens next, and he might even be waiting for a call from Denzel Washington or some other kind of peacemaker within the community. It also tells me that Rock has always been more comfortable talking sh-t about Jada specifically, not Will. Speaking of:
The tension leading up to the Oscars slap has actually been lingering for over a decade. As folks on social media have been sleuthing around Chris Rock’s history with Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, an old clip of the comedian flaming Pinkett Smith has resurfaced. It’s not just the Oscars quips in 2016 and 2022—this beef extends all the way back to 1997.
The digs are from The Chris Rock Show, which aired on HBO for five seasons back in the late ‘90s. In October of 1997—right before Will and Jada tied the knot, and rather coincidentally, right after G.I. Jane premiered—Rock was underway with Season 2 of his late-night talk show when he took aim at the bride-to-be.
“Million Women March was on last week in Philadelphia. I talked to Ice Cube, he called it ‘Bitches by the Bell,’” Rock says in the clip, earning a wave of boos from his live audience. “I didn’t say it! Ice Cube said it. And Too Short said it too!”
After a joke about women not wanting to wear the same clothes, Rock begins his roast of Jada: “You know, at the Million Women March, there were moving speeches from people like Maxine Waters, Winnie Mandela, and here are some inspirational words from the lovely Jada Pinkett.”
Rock proceeds to cut to a clip of a young Jada Pinkett at the march. “I am here today,” she proclaims, “because this is an act of power, women. Okay?” With that, Pinkett’s activism is whittled down to a joke, in which she yells the lyrics to “The Roof Is on Fire” instead of her speech. “Burn motherf—er, burn!” fake Jada yells to the crowd. (Not even close to her real speech.)
The Million Women March took place in late October 1997, in which around half a million people took to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. Women of the march focused on advocating for African American women in America, led by Phile Chionesu and aided by big names like Maxine Waters, Nelson Mandela’s ex-wife, and Jada Pinkett Smith (then Jada Pinkett).
So, the Oscars tease wasn’t an isolated moment in the Chris Rock/Smith family feud. We already knew this, though: Rock picked at Jada during the 2016 Oscars, once again over her activism. When the actress decided to boycott the event over #OscarsSoWhite, Rock took it as an opportunity for snark. “Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties,” he said, hosting the night’s events. “I wasn’t invited.”
What struck me back in 2016 is the same thing that strikes me now about the 2016 Oscars So White joke – he targeted Jada and not Will, even though they had made it clear that they were boycotting together, as a Black Hollywood Power Couple. Rock could have made a joke about Jada AND Will, but he chose to target her specifically. Same with the 1997 mess – out of all the Black women at the march, he singled out Jada. One thing I believed from that People Magazine cover story was that Will asked Chris years ago to keep Jada’s name out of his mouth.
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Oscar® nominee Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith during the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.,Image: 673515422, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Avalon Licensing Ltd. do not claim any Copyright of the attached image WORLD RIGHTS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon 
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith during the live ABC telecast of the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.,Image: 673515557, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Avalon Licensing Ltd. do not claim any Copyright of the attached image WORLD RIGHTS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
Oscar® nominee Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith arrives on the red carpet of the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at the Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.,Image: 673541241, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Avalon Licensing Ltd. do not claim any Copyright of the attached image WORLD RIGHTS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon 
Presenters Elliot Page, J.K. Simmons and Chris Rock backstage at the Oscar® for Original Screenplay to Kenneth Branagh during the live ABC telecast of the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.,Image: 673582693, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Avalon Licensing Ltd. do not claim any Copyright of the attached image WORLD RIGHTS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon 
Chris Rock backstage at the live ABC telecast of the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.,Image: 673582761, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Avalon Licensing Ltd. do not claim any Copyright of the attached image WORLD RIGHTS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / AvalonncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmirJOdxm%2BvzqZmcG5gaoRze8KhqaKrj6e8pLe%2BoZisl5Kasq%2BrzJqioqaXlLeisMCYp6Kmm5rBtavSpqCtoI%2BWrLHBzZyfpaGemqy0tc2cnJhpaW6EcA%3D%3D