In 2023, people are still talking about the "Oscar Slap". Over a year has passed since Will Smith slapped Chris Rock live on stage at the Oscars. However, that has not stopped everyone from sharing their opinion about the incident, responses to it, the deeper meaning of the slap. Every single angle that could be possibly conceived of has been covered. Last month, Marlon Wayans even announced he was producing a documentary on the slap.
Many celebrities have shared their thoughts on the incident. People like Serena Williams and Sheree Zampino have advocated for Smith's apology. Chris Rock's brother says Will Smith never reached out. With an incident that public, everyone is going to have something to say about it. However, while some views are considered insightful, others are seen as people inserting themselves into the situation.
"He Waited For The Right Check"
In a recent interview, Orlando Brown shared his thoughts on the slap, specifically Chris Rock's response to it. "I don't mind Chris milking it, but a'ight, you milked it," Brown argued. When the interviewer responded by saying that Rock "waited a while" to respond, Brown dropped his biggest claim. "He was waiting for the right check." Brown went on to explain that in his eyes, Rock should have simply reached out to Smith and had a conversation about the incident. He also took issue with Rock's comments about Smith's "selective outrage", which he saw as unnecessary and again, milking the issue for profit.
However, Rock waiting for a paid opportunity to speak out was the main crux of Brown's argument. Rock was reportedly paid $40 million to produce a Netflix stand-up title Selective Outrage. While it was widely expected that Rock would address the slap in the special, Netflix reportedly edited out jokes about Smith. However, some content remained and the special got its name from comments Rock made about Smith. Selective Outrage was Rock's first major public comment about the incident and if reports are true, he was paid handsomely to make them. However, Brown's comments show that we are far from done with talking about what occurred at the 2022 Oscars.
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