Chris Rock: Bigger & Blacker

I've always looked at stand-up comedians kinda like philosophers ... Cause that's what they do, right? They reflect on life ...

Chris Rock certainly have some MAJOR points in this show... First of all, the whole "Daddy Don't Get Nothing"-thing is brilliant... Not be a chauvinist, I know that real good daddies are becoming more and more of a rarity, but the once that ARE good fathers should be treated as such...

Also the AIDS-thing is a bit conspiracy theory-alike, and well thought of ... I know others have said it before, but maybe a comedian just makes people think more about it than some stuffed up professor at a university no ordinary would want to go to anyways...

But the biggest WOWA from me is when he talks about them kids shooting at school ... The way he just simplifies everything into one word - crazy... Could he ever be more right? Ask yourselves if those kids wouldn't have been just as crazy growing up seeing Facts of Life ?? I sure think so ...

A great philosopher, a great comedian - a brilliant man ...

The summary says it all : This is literally the funniest standup I've ever seen (or heard) in my life, hands down.

I could give snippets of his performance, but that wouldn't do it justice. Just watch it.

Chris Rock is the best black-comic genius (besides Eddie Murphy) who really brings some great thought and laughter to the public at large. And I found myself laughing hysterically at it. This time, Rock takes a poke at the Columbine kids, Clinton, Mommy and daddy, the black mall, insurance and women. His takes on all of those things, plus a few other surprises, make this a highly entertaining and funny time to watch (this material though, like his 1997 Bring the Pain, is also controversial so don't think Rock is now pop). A+

by Dane Youssef

This is one of the funniest and perhaps greatest stand-up bits ever made. And I have seen more than my fair share.

I had seen Rock mostly from bit comedic parts. Films like "Beverly Hills Cop II" and "Beverly Hills Ninja." Not to mention "Boomerang." But I was unaware to this man genius with a mike for the longest time (too long, in my opinion).

Rock is mostly known as "The angry, loud little black guy bitching how the white man is trying to personally keep him down." But he's so much more. He speaks with such insight and eloquence about humanity and the races and the sexes, I think of him as a superman or some prodigy.

His theories here: Women who want to raise kids without a man's help, respect and appreciation for Daddy, fat black women, people's obsession with the OJ trial and how white people bitch about their current financial status. But given the choice... they wouldn't trade places with a black man. Not even him.

"And I'm rich!" he exclaims.

Not even the poor white trash. Or the one-legged busboy busing the concert. "That's how GOOD it is to be white!"

Maybe he's right.

"When you're white, the sky's the limit! When you're black, the limit's the sky!"

He goes into other stuff. Where guys hide their porno. What women are truly thinking. Perhaps he's the only man who truly knows. He also has some great childhood stuff about being the only black kid at his school at how Robitussin was an all-purpose medicine at his house. Like people use to think leeches were.

This is a gem on film. The man created gold when he's given a microphone and a stage. I bought the tape a year later and a lot of Rock's others. I'm serious. It's so incredible, funny and true to life and painfully on target that at times we flinch when he aims directly at us. It's almost scary.

May Chris Rock be forever immortalized in the same status as Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx, Eddie Murphy and Bill Hicks. Every generation (just once) every generation... a creature as divine as this is born into this pitiful mortal world... and changes it forever.

Now the black Def Jam comics who have made their own showcase vehicles, "The Original Kings of Comedy" and "The Queens of Comedy." They are very talented and amazing. Like I even need to say so. I'm preaching to the choir, aren't I? But even they're not in Chris Rock's league.

Rock is up there (as far as I'm concerned) with those who redefined comedy and now the modern comics incorporate it into their act, without even knowing where the hell it first came from. Who was the innovator. Who started it all.

Here is a man who deserves the success Seinfeld has had. Maybe if he had a revolutionary sit-com with his own brand of comedy. Who knows?

The sky's the limit for Rock.

I hope he makes another stand-up concert film. I liked his stand-up concert bits in "Head of State." Let's hope he does more.

This concert film is more than a gem, but a treasure. Look for any of his others. One of the best stand-up concert films ever made, if not actually THE best. Worthy of being put-up on par with "Richard Pryor Live On The Sunset Strip" and "Eddie Murphy Raw," this one richly deserves a 10 out of 10.

Enough said.

--For The Rock That Rocks... Hard, Dane Youssef

I won't say I don't like Chris Rock because there are a lot of things he did that I loved but Bigger & Blacker is simple not the best show I ever watched from him. Don't get me wrong it had good moments but seeing the ratings it gets I think it's a it overrated. The problem with Chris Rock is his neverending moving back and forth on stage, it becomes a bit annoying to watch at one point. Some complain about his vulgarity but that doesn't really bother me, it's all part of his show. The constant screaming though is something he should get a grip on. Bringing his jokes and puns a bit more relaxed could only benefit him, but I'm not sure he can do that. All in all I enjoyed this show but will I watch it again in the future? Probably not.