“White People’s Day” tweet by Chris Rock has caused quite a stir of angry debate around the web.
The controversial July 4th “White People’s Day” tweet by comedian Chris Rock has caused quite a stir of debate around the web. In case you haven’t heard, the actor-comedian tweeted: “Happy white peoples independence day the slaves weren’t free but I’m sure they enjoyed fireworks.”
Now, an onslaught of Twitter and media commentary has followed, with some slamming Rock for what they considered an unpatriotic comment while others jumped to his defense.
@chrisrock Good one! I bet your Guatemalan house staff got a good chuckle, wrote one tweeter.
“He’s the most racist, hateful person I’ve ever heard, ” tweeted another.
Jeff Schreiber, a libertarian blogger, responded with: “Slavery existed for 2000yrs before America. We eradicated it in 100yrs. We now have a black POTUS.” #GoF***Yourself
On the other hand, actors Don Cheadle and Zach Braff rallied to Rock’s defense. Cheadle faced criticism for retweeting Rock’s remark. He responded to his critics saying: “Chris Rock was making a joke … If you don’t think it’s funny. ok. But keep it in perspective.”
Fahrenheit 9/11 creator Michael Moore replied: “Last yr @ChrisRock said white ppl had gotten less crazy… He won’t make that mistake again!”
Chris Rock, whose recent film credits include What to Expect When You’re Expecting and Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, is known to press buttons with his politically incorrect comedy, especially when it comes to race. As a result, many people are bound to be offended by his edgy riffs on white people and black people alike.
What seemed interesting about the backlash against Rock’s White people’s day tweet was that not only did the offended find his tweet not funny, but they seemed to not get it at all.
