The Root‘s McDuffie Says Chris Rock Deserved Slap for Treatment of Black Women: ‘Words Can Be Violence’

LEMON Even still people ░░░░░░░░ a lot to say ░░░░░░░░ Chris Rock s Netflix ░░░░░░░░ up special in which ░░░░░░░░ skewered Will Smith for ░░░░░░░░ him at the Oscars ░░░░░░░░ ve been hearing from ░░░░░░░░ lot of people primarily ░░░░░░░░ women who think that ░░░░░░░░ coverage of the special ░░░░░░░░ missing the mark Rock ░░░░░░░░ strongest words appear to ░░░░░░░░ directed to or at ░░░░░░░░ Pinkett Smith the target ░░░░░░░░ his Oscars joke last ░░░░░░░░ Rock traces his beef ░░░░░░░░ her all the way ░░░░░░░░ to 2016 That s ░░░░░░░░ according to Rock she ░░░░░░░░ to get him to ░░░░░░░░ the Oscars not host ░░░░░░░░ Oscars because Will Smith ░░░░░░░░ t nominated for the ░░░░░░░░ Concussion Clip starts ROCK ░░░░░░░░ is picking on this ░░░░░░░░ She started this bleep ░░░░░░░░ was picking on her ░░░░░░░░ said me a bleep ░░░░░░░░ ass man should quit ░░░░░░░░ job because her husband ░░░░░░░░ t get nominated for ░░░░░░░░ And then this bleep ░░░░░░░░ me a bleep concussion ░░░░░░░░ ends LEMON Part of ░░░░░░░░ was a larger push ░░░░░░░░ because black actors weren ░░░░░░░░ being nominated but critics ░░░░░░░░ blasted Rock for making ░░░░░░░░ people the butt of ░░░░░░░░ jokes to appeal to ░░░░░░░░ white audience and our ░░░░░░░░ guest writes that Rock ░░░░░░░░ to be slapped Joining ░░░░░░░░ now is the senior ░░░░░░░░ at The Root Candace ░░░░░░░░ Good morning to you ░░░░░░░░ did you think he ░░░░░░░░ to be slapped McDUFFIE ░░░░░░░░ s not so much ░░░░░░░░ being slapped as much ░░░░░░░░ it is about accountability ░░░░░░░░ He has made black ░░░░░░░░ specifically the butt of ░░░░░░░░ jokes for years and ░░░░░░░░ is finally being held ░░░░░░░░ So I feel like ░░░░░░░░ kind of sets the ░░░░░░░░ going forward hopefulyl that ░░░░░░░░ will be more careful ░░░░░░░░ how they treat and ░░░░░░░░ black women LEMON You ░░░░░░░░ people are going to ░░░░░░░░ on your words you ░░░░░░░░ saying Is Candace McDuffie ░░░░░░░░ violence saying that Will ░░░░░░░░ should have slapped Chris ░░░░░░░░ McDUFFIE I think you ░░░░░░░░ in the literal sense ░░░░░░░░ seems like a bit ░░░░░░░░ but honestly sitting here ░░░░░░░░ know calling Jada out ░░░░░░░░ her name making fun ░░░░░░░░ her hair condition talking ░░░░░░░░ alopecia words can be ░░░░░░░░ as well And as ░░░░░░░░ see black girls and ░░░░░░░░ we suffer abuse at ░░░░░░░░ rates in this country ░░░░░░░░ continuing to humiliate us ░░░░░░░░ perpetuates this LEMON A ░░░░░░░░ of people laugh though ░░░░░░░░ they hear the jokes ░░░░░░░░ they say he s ░░░░░░░░ comedian he s just ░░░░░░░░ funny maybe you re ░░░░░░░░ too sensitive about it ░░░░░░░░ do you say McDUFFIE ░░░░░░░░ think it speaks to ░░░░░░░░ larger American pattern of ░░░░░░░░ marginalized people as comedic ░░░░░░░░ And then it can ░░░░░░░░ lead to violence being ░░░░░░░░ it can lead to ░░░░░░░░ not being seen as ░░░░░░░░ Words in comedy have ░░░░░░░░ consequences as we ve ░░░░░░░░ in recent years LEMON ░░░░░░░░ women comedians as you ░░░░░░░░ Leslie Jones calling out ░░░░░░░░ she calls and I ░░░░░░░░ hypocrites who are attacking ░░░░░░░░ Rock she says for ░░░░░░░░ his perspective on what ░░░░░░░░ Another quote He s ░░░░░░░░ comedian This is his ░░░░░░░░ of expressing it If ░░░░░░░░ sang he would write ░░░░░░░░ song Cause it s ░░░░░░░░ painful thing that happened ░░░░░░░░ do you say to ░░░░░░░░ Jones McDUFFIE What we ░░░░░░░░ on that stage wasn ░░░░░░░░ comedy It was comedy ░░░░░░░░ it was really pain ░░░░░░░░ has to heal from ░░░░░░░░ happened And instead of ░░░░░░░░ of dealing with those ░░░░░░░░ and those feelings he ░░░░░░░░ just kind of taking ░░░░░░░░ out and continues to ░░░░░░░░ his rage inaudible LEMON ░░░░░░░░ the end of his ░░░░░░░░ he addresses why he ░░░░░░░░ t retaliate when he ░░░░░░░░ when he got slapped ░░░░░░░░ this Clip starts ROCK ░░░░░░░░ you know what my ░░░░░░░░ taught me Don t ░░░░░░░░ in front of white ░░░░░░░░ Clip ends LEMON Did ░░░░░░░░ joke bother you McDUFFIE ░░░░░░░░ much You re telling ░░░░░░░░ that black people can ░░░░░░░░ fight in front of ░░░░░░░░ people but you can ░░░░░░░░ black people in front ░░░░░░░░ white people There was ░░░░░░░░ a clip that resurfaced ░░░░░░░░ him with Jerry Seinfeld ░░░░░░░░ Ricky Gervais and Louis ░░░░░░░░ where he gave lLouis ░░░░░░░░ the pass to say ░░░░░░░░ n word How is ░░░░░░░░ okay We have to ░░░░░░░░ a certain way but ░░░░░░░░ doesn t apply to ░░░░░░░░ LEMON Candace McDuffie I ░░░░░░░░ so glad you could ░░░░░░░░ us this morning Thank ░░░░░░░░ very much McDUFFIE Thank ░░░░░░░░ so much for having ░░░░░░░░ LEMON CNN This Morning ░░░░░░░░ right now.”