Chris Rock isn’t a fan of folks recording his shows and ruining his punchlines.(Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images)
“We need bullies,” according to comedic legend Chris Rock.
The 53-year-old is riding high after the debut of his Netflix comedy special “Tamborine,” where he delivered raw, but laugh-out-loud, honesty about his infidelities and the harsh realities we often face in life, including bullying.
Rock made it crystal clear he isn’t a fan of the rainbows and sunshine, wish-based thinking fed to kids these days. He recalled the day he attended the high school orientation for one of his daughters, noting that the kids were told, “You can be anything you want to be.”
The comedian said he thought to himself, “Why are you lying to these children? Maybe four of them can be anything they want to be. But the other 2,000 better learn how to weld … You can be anything you’re good at, as long as they’re hiring. And even then it helps to know somebody.”
He goes on to criticize schools for their bubble-wrapped safe havens where no bullying is allowed. To him, a little teasing and ostracism can go a long way. In fact, it helps build you up for the real word.
“Right then I wanted to take my daughter right out the school,” Rock said describing the moment he learned of his kids’ school’s zero-tolerance policy. “… School is supposed to prepare you for life. Life has a–holes and you should learn to deal with them as soon as possible.”
“We need bullies,” he adds. “How the f–k you gonna have a school without bullies? Bullies do half the work. Teachers do one half, bullies do the whole other half. And that is the half you’re gonna use if you’re a f—ing grownup.”
Another thing that grinds Rock’s gears? Parents telling their kids how special they are. Coddling just isn’t his thing.
“That’s why there’s so many fat kids in school right now,” he said. “Because there’s nobody to take their lunch money.”
