Chris Rock: Bring the Pain

Last updated
Chris Rock: Bring the Pain
Genre Stand-up comedy
Written by Chris Rock
Directed by Keith Truesdell
Starring Chris Rock
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers Chris Rock
Michael Rotenberg
Sandy Chanley
ProducerTom Bull
EditorBrian Schnuckel
Running time58 minutes
Production companiesCR Enterprises
Production Partners
Original release
Network HBO
ReleaseJune 1, 1996 (1996-06-01)

Chris Rock: Bring the Pain is a television special that premiered on HBO on June 1, 1996, starring comedian Chris Rock. This was Rock's second special for the network, following 1994's Big Ass Jokes as part of HBO Comedy Half-Hour . Rock was already a well-known comedian, but Bring the Pain made him one of the most popular comedians in the United States. [1] [2] The special included subjects about then-D.C. mayor Marion Barry, the O. J. Simpson murder case, dating, marriage, and race relations in America.

Contents

Production

By 1994, Chris Rock's career had experienced a downslide: "I was a has-been. So I figured if I'm not going to be famous, I can at least get really good, and get back to being the way I was before I met Eddie Murphy and saw the big houses and the girls." [3]

Rock became determined to subvert any preconceived notions about him. To prepare for the special, he honed his material for two years by performing nightly in comedy clubs and then launching a national tour. [4] The special was taped at a tour stop at the Takoma Theatre in Washington, D.C.

Reception

The special was regarded as one of the finest recorded stand-up comedy performances of all time. Entertainment Weekly called it "groundbreaking" and "a classic". [5] Variety compared Rock to revered comedians Richard Pryor and Lenny Bruce [6] and called it "one of the truly remarkable hours of comedy ever to air on television." [7]

The most well-known and controversial piece of the special is "Niggas vs. Black People". [3] The controversy around the twelve-minute routine led to Rock never performing it again. In a 2005 60 Minutes interview, Rock explained, "By the way, I've never done that joke again, ever, and I probably never will. 'Cos some people that were racist thought they had license to say nigger, so, I'm done with that routine." [8]

Rock was surprised by the widespread acclaim the special received: "I thought, hopefully this will be better than other HBO specials, and I'll get whatever rewards come with that. Maybe somebody will want me to do a sitcom – if I'm lucky. Next thing they were talking about it on C-SPAN, and I'm, Huh? My only goal was to do a show that was good enough that when I played a club, I wouldn't have to promote it on radio." [9]

In 1997, Rock won two Emmys for this special: Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special, and Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program. [10] That same year, Rock also released a comedy album titled Roll with the New . The album combined material from the special with comedy sketches. It won the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Comedy Album. [11] The success of the special prompted HBO to develop a weekly talk show for Rock titled The Chris Rock Show . Rock's acting career was also given a boost. He went from playing very minor roles in Sgt. Bilko and Panther to playing major roles in Lethal Weapon 4 and Dogma .

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Hicks</span> American comedian (1961–1994)

William Melvin Hicks was an American stand-up comedian and satirist. His material—encompassing a wide range of social issues including religion, politics, and philosophy—was controversial and often steeped in dark comedy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Seinfeld</span> American comedian and actor (born 1954)

Jerome Allen Seinfeld is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. As a stand-up comedian, Seinfeld specializes in observational comedy. Seinfeld has received numerous accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as nominations for four Grammy Awards. In 2004, Comedy Central named him the 12th-greatest stand-up comedian of all time. In 2017, Rolling Stone named him the 7th-greatest stand-up comedian of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Carlin</span> American stand-up comedian (1937–2008)

George Denis Patrick Carlin was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor, and author. Regarded as one of the most important and influential comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of counterculture comedians". He was known for his dark comedy and reflections on politics, the English language, psychology, religion and taboo subjects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Rock</span> American comedian, actor, and filmmaker (born 1965)

Christopher Julius Rock is an American comedian, actor, and filmmaker. He first gained prominence for his stand-up routines in the 1980s in which he tackled subjects including race relations, human sexuality, and observational comedy. His success branched off into productions in film, television, and on-stage, having received multiple accolades including three Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Album, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Golden Globe Award nomination. Rock was ranked No. 5 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time. He also ranked No. 5 on Rolling Stone's list of the 50 Best Stand-Up Comics of All Time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Lewis (comedian)</span> American stand-up comedian (1947–2024)

Richard Philip Lewis was an American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. Lewis came to prominence in the 1980s and became known for his dark, neurotic, and self-deprecating humor. As an actor, he was known for starring in the ABC sitcom Anything but Love from 1989 to 1992, and for playing the role of Prince John in the 1993 film Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Lewis also had a recurring role as a semi-fictionalized version of himself in the HBO comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm from 2000 to 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Miller</span> American comedian and television host (born 1953)

Dennis Michael Miller is an American political commentator, stand-up comedian, talk show host, writer, actor and former sportscaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lewis Black</span> American comedian and actor (born 1948)

Lewis Niles Black is an American stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy routines often escalate into angry rants about history, politics, religion, and cultural trends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niggas vs. Black People</span> Stand-up comedy routine by Chris Rock

"Niggas vs. Black People" is a Chris Rock stand-up comedy routine appearing both on his 1996 HBO special Bring the Pain, and as track 12 on his 1997 album Roll with the New, which went a long way towards establishing his status as a comedy fixture after he left Saturday Night Live.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dane Cook</span> American actor and comedian (born 1972)

Dane Jeffrey Cook is an American stand-up comedian and film actor. He is known for his use of observational, often vulgar, and sometimes dark comedy. He released six comedy albums: Harmful If Swallowed (2003), Retaliation (2005), Vicious Circle (2006), Rough Around the Edges: Live from Madison Square Garden (2007), and Isolated Incident (2009).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Silverman</span> American comedian and actress (born 1970)

Sarah Kate Silverman is an American stand-up comedian, actress, and writer. She first rose to prominence for her brief stint as a writer and cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live during its 19th season between 1993 and 1994. She then starred in and produced The Sarah Silverman Program, which ran from 2007 to 2010 on Comedy Central. For her work on the program, Silverman was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

<i>Eddie Murphy Delirious</i> 1983 stand-up comedy television special starring Eddie Murphy

Eddie Murphy Delirious is an American stand-up comedy television special directed by Bruce Gowers, written by and starring Eddie Murphy. The stand-up set became a TV Special for HBO on October 15, 1983. The 70-minute special was Murphy's first feature stand-up and the predecessor to the wide theatrical release in 1987, Eddie Murphy Raw. Delirious was also released as an album on October 24, 1983, titled Eddie Murphy: Comedian, which won Best Comedy Album at the 1984 Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis C.K.</span> American comedian, actor, and filmmaker (born 1967)

Louis Alfred Székely, known professionally as Louis C.K., is an American stand-up comedian, actor and filmmaker. C.K. has won three Peabody Awards, three Grammy Awards, six Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award as well as numerous awards for The Chris Rock Show, Louie, and his stand-up specials Live at the Beacon Theater (2011) and Oh My God (2013). In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked C.K.'s stand-up special Shameless number three on their "Divine Comedy: 25 Best Stand-Up Specials and Movies of All Time" list and ranked him fourth on its 2017 list of the 50 best stand-up comics of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralphie May</span> American comedian (1972–2017)

Ralph Duren May was an American stand-up comedian and actor, known for his extensive touring and comedy specials on multiple media platforms.

<i>Im Telling You for the Last Time</i> 1998 American film

I'm Telling You for the Last Time is a 1998 stand-up comedy special and the second starring Jerry Seinfeld. The special aired live on HBO on August 9, 1998, from the Broadhurst Theatre in New York City. It was then released as an album on cassette and CD by the same title that same year. In 1999, a VHS and DVD titled Jerry Seinfeld: I'm Telling You for the Last Time - Live on Broadway was released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Florentine</span> American actor

James Bernard Florentine is an American comedian, actor, author, and television personality. He is best known for co-hosting That Metal Show on VH1 Classic and voicing several characters on Crank Yankers, including Special Ed and Bobby Fletcher. He hosts The Jim Florentine Show on Sirius XM Satellite Radio and a podcast called Everybody Is Awful . He has released six albums of stand-up comedy, two comedy specials, seven installments in the Terrorizing Telemarketers prank call compilation, and three installments of the Meet the Creeps hidden camera show. His 2018 book Everybody is Awful reached No. 1 on the Book Soup nonfiction chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Mulaney</span> American comedian and actor (born 1982)

John Edmund Mulaney is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Mulaney first rose to prominence for his work as a writer for the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2008 to 2013, where he contributed to numerous sketches and characters, including Stefon, a recurring character that he and Bill Hader co-created. Since his departure from SNL, Mulaney has hosted it several times, becoming a member of the SNL Five Timers Club in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bo Burnham</span> American comedian and musician (born 1990)

Robert Pickering "Bo" Burnham is an American stand-up comedian, musician, actor, filmmaker, and YouTuber. Burnham's work combines elements of filmmaking with music, sketch, and stand-up comedy, commonly with a dramatic or tragic twist that is often left open to interpretation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitney Cummings</span> American actress, comedian and writer (born 1982)

Whitney Cummings is an American stand-up comedian, actress, writer, producer, director, and podcaster.

<i>Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo</i> Stand up comedy special by Amy Schumer

Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo is an hour-long comedy special from Amy Schumer that premiered on HBO on October 17, 2015. The special was recorded in May 2015 with comedian Chris Rock directing; Rock's work earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special. Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo also received Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special and Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special. The special also earned a Writers Guild of America nomination.

Talking Funny is a one-hour comedy television special featuring four comedians: Louis C.K., Ricky Gervais, Chris Rock, and Jerry Seinfeld. In the informal conversation, which aired in 2011 on HBO, the four comedians discussed subjects like race, crude language, the motivations driving their comedy, their inspirations, and the comedy industry in general.

References

  1. ↑ AllMovie.com review
  2. ↑ "BBC Guide to Comedy article". Archived from the original on 2006-06-17. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  3. 1 2 Chris Rock: The funniest man in America?, The Guardian, June 1, 2001
  4. ↑ Interview on Inside the Actors Studio , Bravo, March 12, 2007
  5. ↑ Entertainment Weekly video review, October 29, 2002
  6. ↑ Chris Rock Bio Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ Review of Bigger & Blacker, Variety, July 8, 1999
  8. ↑ Leung, Rebecca (17 February 2005). "Rock: Bring On Oscar 'Safety Net'". CBS News. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  9. ↑ Interview with David Bennun, 2000
  10. ↑ Awards, IMDb
  11. ↑ AllMusic.com
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.