Oscar winner lashes out at Chris Rock’s ‘4 white guys’ joke: ‘F – – king d – – k’
By
Samantha Ibrahim
March 31, 2022 8:43am
Updated
'Summer Of Soul' Producer Slams Chris Rock's "Four White Guys" Joke
“Summer of Soul” co-producer Joseph Patel is fuming over Chris Rock’s quip about the ethnic makeup of the film’s creators in the midst of announcing their win for Best Documentary Feature at Sunday’s Oscar ceremony.
Director Questlove, alongside producers Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein, went on stage together to accept the Oscar during the show.
But their big moment was eclipsed by Will Smith slapping the soul out of Rock, 57, just moments before Rock, as the category’s presenter, was to reveal the winner.
Joseph Patel, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, David Dinerstein and Robert Fyvolent won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature as the filmmakers behind “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” at the 2022 Academy Awards.Getty Images
As the foursome walked up to accept their statuette, the comedian introduced them as “four white guys.” Patel slammed Rock in a lengthy, now-deleted Twitter thread.
The producer expressed that he was “angry” with both Smith, 53, for having “robbed” them of the moment and at Rock for making the disrespectful joke, which, Patel continued, effectively erased his accomplishment as a South Asian-American.
Patel added that he was “still sort of processing” the altercation between Smith and Rock.
“Once we realized the Chris Rock/Will Smith interaction wasn’t a bit, everything got turned upside down. Everyone was still trying to make sense of it when Chris persevered and started to read the nominees,” said Patel in one of the tweets.
Rock caused quite a stir when he made a joke about Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, prompting the “King Richard” actor to slap the comedian on stage in front of the entire world.AFP via Getty Images
“I think what Will did was selfish. It robbed the category of its moment. It robbed the other excellent and amazing films of their moment to be acknowledged in what was a STRONG year for docs. And it robbed ‘Summer of Soul’ and our team of our moment. Of a loud, enthusiastic cheer for a celebrated film,” the filmmaker continued.
Patel noted that he and his collaborators “were in shock walking to the stage — not because of winning but because we, too, were still trying to make sense of what happened. Then Will hugs [Questlove] and daps me up. I didn’t even know it was happening in the moment. Still in shock.”
While Patel stated that Questlove handled the controversial moment with ease, he didn’t fully hear or comprehend what Rock was saying as they walked up to the podium.
“What I didn’t hear in that moment walking to stage but was told of afterwards is what Chris Rock said when reading our name from the winner’s card — the winner is Summer of Soul…Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson and…four white guys.’ WHAT IN THE ACTUAL F – – K?????” Patel tweet-screamed.
“I think what Will did was selfish. It robbed the category of its moment. It robbed the other excellent and amazing films of their moment to be acknowledged in what was a STRONG year for docs,” Patel wrote in a fiery Twitter thread.WireImage
“The reason that makes me SO SO VERY ANGRY is because I was so proud to be one of a handful of South Asians to have ever won an Oscar in the history of the award. I was ecstatic that I was the third South Asian to win that night — after [Riz Ahmed] and Aneil Karia won earlier in the night for ‘The Long Goodbye.’ Three South Asians winning on the same night — that’s never happened before! And it’s meaningful! It’s history!” he continued in his rant.
He also pointed out that Rock’s joke was inaccurate as there were three producers, not four: Questlove directed the documentary while Patel, Fyvolent and Dinerstein co-produced it.
Patel declared that he typically “can take a joke” — but just “not in that moment.”
He went on, “What a sh – – ty, disrespectful thing to do. AND HERE’S THE THING…. It wasn’t that Chris Rock was under stress. He made the same joke the night before on stage at the Roots Jam!”
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“[I’m] angry at Will Smith. Angry at Chris Rock. Angry for me. Angry for Ahmir. Angry for my fellow filmmakers.”
Patel concluded his thoughts by exclaiming that he won’t be able to watch the ceremony again. “Thank you, Chris — you absolute f – – king d – – k.”
“What both Will AND Chris did really stained what should have been a beautiful moment for us,” he added.
By
Samantha Ibrahim
March 31, 2022 8:43am
Updated
'Summer Of Soul' Producer Slams Chris Rock's "Four White Guys" Joke
“Summer of Soul” co-producer Joseph Patel is fuming over Chris Rock’s quip about the ethnic makeup of the film’s creators in the midst of announcing their win for Best Documentary Feature at Sunday’s Oscar ceremony.
Director Questlove, alongside producers Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein, went on stage together to accept the Oscar during the show.
But their big moment was eclipsed by Will Smith slapping the soul out of Rock, 57, just moments before Rock, as the category’s presenter, was to reveal the winner.
Joseph Patel, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, David Dinerstein and Robert Fyvolent won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature as the filmmakers behind “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” at the 2022 Academy Awards.Getty ImagesAs the foursome walked up to accept their statuette, the comedian introduced them as “four white guys.” Patel slammed Rock in a lengthy, now-deleted Twitter thread.
The producer expressed that he was “angry” with both Smith, 53, for having “robbed” them of the moment and at Rock for making the disrespectful joke, which, Patel continued, effectively erased his accomplishment as a South Asian-American.
Patel added that he was “still sort of processing” the altercation between Smith and Rock.
“Once we realized the Chris Rock/Will Smith interaction wasn’t a bit, everything got turned upside down. Everyone was still trying to make sense of it when Chris persevered and started to read the nominees,” said Patel in one of the tweets.
Rock caused quite a stir when he made a joke about Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, prompting the “King Richard” actor to slap the comedian on stage in front of the entire world.AFP via Getty Images“I think what Will did was selfish. It robbed the category of its moment. It robbed the other excellent and amazing films of their moment to be acknowledged in what was a STRONG year for docs. And it robbed ‘Summer of Soul’ and our team of our moment. Of a loud, enthusiastic cheer for a celebrated film,” the filmmaker continued.
Patel noted that he and his collaborators “were in shock walking to the stage — not because of winning but because we, too, were still trying to make sense of what happened. Then Will hugs [Questlove] and daps me up. I didn’t even know it was happening in the moment. Still in shock.”
While Patel stated that Questlove handled the controversial moment with ease, he didn’t fully hear or comprehend what Rock was saying as they walked up to the podium.
“What I didn’t hear in that moment walking to stage but was told of afterwards is what Chris Rock said when reading our name from the winner’s card — the winner is Summer of Soul…Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson and…four white guys.’ WHAT IN THE ACTUAL F – – K?????” Patel tweet-screamed.
“I think what Will did was selfish. It robbed the category of its moment. It robbed the other excellent and amazing films of their moment to be acknowledged in what was a STRONG year for docs,” Patel wrote in a fiery Twitter thread.WireImage“The reason that makes me SO SO VERY ANGRY is because I was so proud to be one of a handful of South Asians to have ever won an Oscar in the history of the award. I was ecstatic that I was the third South Asian to win that night — after [Riz Ahmed] and Aneil Karia won earlier in the night for ‘The Long Goodbye.’ Three South Asians winning on the same night — that’s never happened before! And it’s meaningful! It’s history!” he continued in his rant.
He also pointed out that Rock’s joke was inaccurate as there were three producers, not four: Questlove directed the documentary while Patel, Fyvolent and Dinerstein co-produced it.
Patel declared that he typically “can take a joke” — but just “not in that moment.”
He went on, “What a sh – – ty, disrespectful thing to do. AND HERE’S THE THING…. It wasn’t that Chris Rock was under stress. He made the same joke the night before on stage at the Roots Jam!”
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“[I’m] angry at Will Smith. Angry at Chris Rock. Angry for me. Angry for Ahmir. Angry for my fellow filmmakers.”
Patel concluded his thoughts by exclaiming that he won’t be able to watch the ceremony again. “Thank you, Chris — you absolute f – – king d – – k.”
“What both Will AND Chris did really stained what should have been a beautiful moment for us,” he added.
