Netflix has announced the premiere date for a new comedy special that will utilize the streamer’s long-awaited live-streaming technology. According to Deadline, the platform’s first live global event, Chris Rock: Selective Outrage, will debut on the platform on Saturday, March 4 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
“Chris Rock is one of the most iconic and important comedic voices of our generation,” Netflix’s Vice President of Stand-Up and Comedy Formats, Robbie Praw, said in a statement in a press release. “We’re thrilled the entire world will be able to experience a live Chris Rock comedy event and be a part of Netflix history. This will be an unforgettable moment and we’re so honored that Chris is carrying this torch.”
Announced earlier this year, the comedy special will stream live from Baltimore, Maryland. Selective Outrage will be Rock’s (Top Five) second Netflix special following 2018’s Tambourine and his first televised special since his now infamous encounter with Will Smith (Bad Boys 4 Life, Emancipation) at this year’s Academy Awards. Now commonly known as “The Slap,” Smith physically assaulted Rock after a joke he made in reference to actress Jada Pinkett-Smith, Will’s wife, during the annual ceremony. Despite being on his Ego Death tour for months since the incident, Rock has not addressed it in his show’s set.
“I’m OK. I have a whole show, and I’m not talking about that until I get paid,” Rock told an Indio, Califonia audience during a comedy set at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in April, via The New York Post. In addition to his solo tour dates, Rock appeared at the Netflix is Joke comedy festival this past spring. The unique festival featured up to 330 comedians and sold more than 260,000 tickets, according to Deadline. The festival featured Netflix’s other premier comedy magnet, Dave Chappelle (The Closer, Chappelle’s Show), who was a victim of an attempted assault during the festival this past spring.
Both incidents fueled a narrative that comedians were no longer safe to tell jokes without fear of “cancel culture” which included physical retaliation from unamused attendees. Chappelle became vocal proponent of this stance following his controversial Sticks & Stones Netflix comedy special. Chappelle incited more backlash with jokes about the transgender community which garnered protests from some Netflix employees.