Iconic L.A. Comedy Club Show Supports for Chris Rock With Marquee Change

Chris Rock has been getting the last laugh after bizarre on-stage assault at the hands of Academy Award winner Will Smith.

But while Smith has formally apologized to Rock and presumably will go into hiding for a short time until the incident blows over, Rock himself appears to be sitting pretty, as ticket prices – and sales – for his comedy tour have reportedly soared since the slap heard ’round the world.

And The Laugh Factory in Los Angeles is joining in on the laughs. The iconic comedy club posted a sign in support of Chris Rock on Tuesday, and in support of free speech, a hot topic in comedy circles these days.

Amid the Will Smith-Chris Rock controversy that ensued post-Oscars slap, the legendary Laugh Factory is showing its support for Rock loud and clear. https://t.co/N2233V63sQ

— FOX 11 Los Angeles (@FOXLA) March 30, 2022

The Laugh Factory on Monday changed its marquee to rally behind Rock. The marquee’s display had a picture of Rock alongside a bold statement:

“Laugh Factory supports First Amendment rights for all comedians. The comedy community loves & supports you Chris”

Comedians and celebrities took to the internet to slam the slap.

“Let me tell you something, it’s a very bad practice to walk up on stage and physically assault a comedian,” Kathy Griffin wrote on Twitter. “Now we all have to worry about who wants to be the next Will Smith in comedy clubs and theaters.

George Takei said Smith’s losing his cool was a bad look when so many people were watching: “Many people, especially kids, look up to actors. Because of that, we have an obligation to try to be good role models. With celebrity comes responsibility.”

Judd Apatow was highly critical of Smith in a now-deleted Twitter post, describing the attack “out of control rage and violence.” He noted that celebrities have been the target of jokes for decades: “They’ve heard a million jokes about them in the last three decades. They are not freshman in the world of Hollywood and comedy. He lost his mind.”

The celebrity class isn’t the most self-aware group of people in the world, but these reactions make one wonder if they might possibly be starting to see the terrible truth of cancel culture and comedy snowflakes. Maybe this is a turning point? I won’t hold my breath, but here’s hoping they remember their own comments the next time they try to cancel someone over a joke.