Jerry Seinfeld Is Trending Because Of Chris Rock
Well no one expected that.
This article is more than 2 years old
Abortion? Gun control? Gender politics? LGBTQ rights? They’re all topics that stir controversy and find people choosing sides. But today it seems like there never has been nor will be a subject quite as contentious as Will Smith slapping Chris Rock upside his head during the 94th Academy Awards. One of the most fascinating aspects about the dialogue around the event is that it’s going in directions no one would ever predict. For example, believe it or not, the slap heard around the world has got Jerry Seinfeld trending on Twitter. That’s right. Jerry Seinfeld. The guy making a movie about Pop-Tarts.
Exactly how does Jerry Seinfeld factor into Will Smith treating Chris Rock’s face like a newborn baby’s bottom? Well, the first thing to know is that his name is trending because of an 11 year old video clip that’s making its way around Twitter. The second thing to know is that in 2011, Seinfeld appeared on “Talking Funny,” a particularly informal episode of HBO’s The Chris Rock Show. The other guests were two stand-up comics who are no strangers to controversy — Ricky Gervais and Louis C.K. During the episode, the N-word gets dropped, and gets dropped a lot. It’s mentioned that both C.K. and Rock use it during their sets, while Gervais and Seinfeld don’t. Out of everyone in the discussion, Seinfeld is the only one who refrains from using the N-word. Finally, you should know it seems to exclusively be those on the Team Will side of things who have gotten the name trending. You can watch the clip below, with a warning — to reiterate, along with other obscene language, the N-word is used quite a bit.
Toward the end of the clip, Louis C.K. speculates Jerry Seinfeld has probably never said the N-word. Seinfeld says that’s true, while Louis responds, “that’s a huge difference between you and me.” Seinfeld says, “Well, you’ve found the humor of it. I haven’t found it. Nor do I seek it.”
What does this have to do with Will Smith slapping Chris Rock? Well, many are using it as proof that Rock got something that he’s been deserving for a long time. Ironically, in spite of proving to be the only guy in the clip who doesn’t use the N-word, many of the fans who have gotten the Jerry Seinfeld name trending don’t seem to be fans of the stand-up comic. Actually, their usually low opinion of Seinfeld only adds fuel to their Chris Rock bashing because “even” Seinfeld proves classier in the clip than Rock.
In case someone drugged you and locked you in the back of a van for the past 24 hours, last night’s Oscars ceremony included superstar Will Smith slapping Chris Rock across the face after the comic joked about Jada Pinkett Smith’s lack of hair — a result of the actress struggling with alopecia. Every social media platform has been a nonstop battle of who was right and who was wrong. Should Will Smith be arrested? Should his Oscar be revoked? Or should Rock maybe get slapped again for good measure? We’re sure that Jerry Seinfeld is thrilled to have found himself inexplicably in the middle of it. The good news for everyone involved is that by next week, when everyone remembers we might be in the middle of World War III pretty soon, things will probably calm down.
