All publicity may be good, but Lululemon execs are likely squirming after the comic shredded its pricey clothes and anti-racism stance in “Selective Outrage,” his hour-long special on Netflix.
And he didn’t hit the athleisure brand with just a few passing jabs, but returned to the Canadian retailer repeatedly as an example of phony “wokeness.”
The schtick started when Rock discussed a recent walk he took in a mall (for the purpose of the joke, let’s assume that Rock actually shops in malls). He said signs in Lululemon’s windows stopped him.
“We don’t support racism, sexism, discrimination or hate,” the signs read.
“Who the f*&k cares?” he asked. “I don’t need your $100 anti-racist yoga pants.”
Besides, he said, Lululemon does hate somebody: “They hate the poor.”
advertisement
advertisement
And, speaking on behalf of the “entire audience, most people would prefer a pair of $20 racist yoga pants.”
He dinged Subaru for its commercials promising that for every car the company sold, it would donate $250 to the person’s favorite charity. “Hey Subaru, how about you sell me the car for $250 less?”
That led to a long Tesla segue -- and then a blistering diatribe against Meghan Markle, Duchess of Suffolk, for her failure to realize ahead of time that the British royal family is “the OG of racism.”
He also scoffed at Markle for playing the victim on Oprah, which he vowed he would never do. He wrapped the hourlong set discussing the aftermath of Will Smith’s infamous slap during last year’s Academy Awards.
USA Today called Rock “a sad old man” in its review. The New York Times called the special “uneven,” and said it “had moments that felt emotional, messy and fierce.”
The major takeaway from his performance was that he spoke with his true feelings from a comedian's sense of fun. We are at a point in America where comedy is taken too seriously and yes, even though we laugh about some statements from the severe left, deeply we understand, "why so many demands for a certain culture of thought. No free thinking?" Thanks, Chris Rock for your incorrect performance! Some of us love it and are glad to hear
and see it.