Chris Rock is taking heat for calling the Fourth of July "white people's day," and it's not the first time the acerbic comedian roused controversy with his words.
Chris Rock hosted the Academy Awards in 2005 and bashed actors Tobey Maguire and Jude Law duringthe Oscars.
Rock questioned Law's acting skills during the ceremony.Jude Law may have been an easy target due to his appearance in six films in 2004: "I Heart Huckabees," "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow," "Alfie," "Closer," "The Aviator," and "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events."
Chris Rock likened Law to a third-rate actor.
"You want Tom Cruise and all you can get is Jude Law? Wait. It's not the same thing, O.K.?" Rock said. "Who is Jude Law? Why's he in every movie I have seen for the last four years? He's in everything. Even the movies he's not in, if you look at the credits, he made cupcakes or something."
Jude Law said he was peeved at the remarks, according to a 2006 New York Times profile of the actor.
"At first I laughed, because I didn't think he knew who I was," Law told the Gray Lady. "Then I got angry as his remarks, I felt, became more personal. My friends were livid. I was moved when Sean [Penn] came to my defense. As a celebrity I know I'm fair game for a lot of things that I don't like, but Rock crossed the line when he made his point and got his laugh, then seemingly wouldn't stop. It's very unfortunate that I had five or six films come out at the same time. However I had no control over that."
Rock also bashed Tobey Maguire as being undeserving of getting an opportunity to play Spider-Man.
"Clint Eastwood is a star. Tobey Maguire's just a boy in tights," the comedian said, according to contactmusic.com.
While Rock took jabs at his fellow thespians when he hosted the 2005 Oscars, his words on Twitter this July 4 offended a greater swath of the population. However, others are backing the comedian.
"Happy white peoples independence day the slaves weren't free but I'm sure they enjoyed fireworks," Chris Rock tweeted July 4 in what has become a controversial remark in some circles, while others have come to the comedian's defense.
The tweet was the talk of Twitter, where "Chris Rock" was a trending topic Thursday.
Former pizza executive and Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, who is black, was one of those who admonished Rock, saying the comedian was "holding on to the past" in an interview with CNN.
"I think it was Chris Rock who made fun of the fact, 'Well, it might be Independence Day, but the slaves weren't free then,'" Cain said. "Look at it this way, if America had not become independent, slaves might still be slaves."
Conservative radio show host Joe "Pags" Pagliarulo called Rock "an idiot" for the tweet.
Twitter user Ben Howe had similar thoughts as Herman Cain, arguing black slaves would not have been freed had America not gained its independence.
"Dear @ChrisRock: Without July 4, 1776, December 6, 1865, wouldn't have happened," Howe tweeted.
For the most part, Twitter users sided with Rock. Some accused those who took offense to the tweet as suffering from "white guilt."
"White people spazzing about Chris Rock, your over privileged white guilt is showing," said user @Frankeyz.
"So are folks mad at Chris Rock for being historically accurate, or for reminding you of your crappy history? I don't get it. fill me in," tweeted user @Miss_Talie.
"I have not seen any evidence regarding how slaves felt about fireworks," wrote user Joe Lostrangio, Jr. "The rest of Chris Rock's comment is an irrefutable fact."
Twitter user @MeSharona agreed with the tweet, but she said the significance of the Fourth of July made the tweet inappropriate.
"chris rock may have been *right* but i thought that tweet was a terrible message to send on a day that celebrates unity #shrug," she wrote.
This article is copyrighted by International Business Times, the business news leader
