Chris Rock’s Selective Outrage Crushed Dave Chappelle’s Single Week Streaming Record
If Nielsen ratings are any indication, the best way to become a record-breaking stand-up comedian is to get assaulted in the middle of a set.
According to recently released statistics from the media research firm, Chris Rock’s latest live Netflix special Selective Outrage officially holds the streaming record for most-watched comedy special in a single week, obliterating the previous record-holder, Dave Chappelle’s 2019 special Sticks and Stones. Between March 6 and 12, Rock’s first filmed set since the infamous Oscars slap was watched for a total of 798 million minutes, resoundingly defeating Sticks and Stones’ 573 million mark.
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Rock and Chappelle toured together in the leadup to Selective Outrage, so Chappelle has likely seen more of the bits that smashed his record than anyone else besides Rock. That said, Nielsen didn’t report how many millions of those minutes came from specific households – who knows how long the Pinkett-Smiths stewed on this one.
Nielsen only started tracking streaming data in 2017, so, as far as entertainment records go, this one is relatively new and likely to be surpassed the next time a stand-up comedian prudently saves their comments on being at the center of a massive media frenzy until there’s a paycheck involved. It’s safe to say that the curiosity factor over what Rock would say about Will Smith and fanfare surrounding Netflix’s first ever live-streamed special likely helped Rock secure the top spot.
As such, the end result of the media circus surrounding The Slap was a productive byproduct for Rock to go along with the probably equally impressive paycheck from Netflix for exclusive rights to his reaction. Hopefully, the success of Selective Outrage doesn’t inspire cheap copycats the way huge hits usually do in the entertainment industry – we’d rather be slapped at the Oscars than watch a five-hour pregame show before Pete Davidson’s inevitable special about Kim Kardashian.
