Chris Rock blasts economic inequality while plugging film he sold for $12.5 million – ‘If poor people knew how rich the rich are, there would be riots’

by McGuire | December 2, 2014 5:17 pm

Comedian Chris Rock has hit out at the gap between the rich and poor – while giving an interview to promote his $12.5million new film. Rock was plugging Top Five, an upcoming release in which he is director, screenwriter and lead actor, when he said if the poor saw true luxury ‘there would be riots’. His hypocrisy as he speaks makes me want to bang my head into a wall: [1]

ChrisRock[2]

Speaking to New York Magazine for an extended interview, Rock said the only reason revolution hasn’t come is that ‘people don’t even know’ how the other half live.

He told interviewer Frank Rich: ‘If poor people knew how rich rich people are, there would be riots in the streets.’

‘If the average person could see the Virgin Airlines first-class lounge, they’d go, “What? This is food, and it’s free, and they… what? Massage? Are you kidding me?”’

Airport lounge customers who fly Virgin are treated to unlimited cocktails, food on demand, and other amenities including free haircuts and spa treatments. The comments came as Rock, who lives in an exclusive New Jersey community and is reportedly worth $70mllion, built momentum for his latest commercial venture.

Comedian Chris Rock has hit out at the gap between the rich and poor – while giving an interview to promote his $12.5million new film.

Rock was plugging Top Five, an upcoming release in which he is director, screenwriter and lead actor, when he said if the poor saw true luxury ‘there would be riots’. Speaking to New York Magazine for an extended interview, Rock said the only reason revolution hasn’t come is that ‘people don’t even know’ how the other half live.

He told interviewer Frank Rich: ‘If poor people knew how rich rich people are, there would be riots in the streets.’

‘If the average person could see the Virgin Airlines first-class lounge, they’d go, “What? This is food, and it’s free, and they… what? Massage? Are you kidding me?”’

Airport lounge customers who fly Virgin are treated to unlimited cocktails, food on demand, and other amenities including free haircuts and spa treatments. The comments came as Rock, who lives in an exclusive New Jersey community and is reportedly worth $70mllion, built momentum for his latest commercial venture.

He said: ‘All the buyers are there. All the critics are there. I believe the bids were coming in before the movie was over. …Everybody’s on the phone all night, essentially. It’s like election returns. It’s at 6. It’s at 10. You know what I mean? A lot of money for a film at a festival is like $3 million, so for a movie to sell for $12.5 million is unheard of.’

Rock has spoken out in the past about income inequality, saying he would voluntarily up his tax contribution if it would save him giving a loan to his children’s teachers. In a 2012 interview, Rock said: ‘I can pay higher taxes and people can have jobs or I can pay lower taxes and I have my kids’ teacher asking me for a loan because she’s going to lose her house – which is true’.

‘Stuff like that happens, so I’m going to lose the money no matter what.’

Ok, great. Your kids teacher asked for a loan. You know you can say no, right? I don’t feel guilty, not one little bit, when my sisters come and ask me for a loan, to say no. Our household has worked VERY hard to have nice things, and I don’t feel the need to share with my family. This is a teacher WAY overstepping her boundaries as a professional, to ask a parent for a loan. The truth of the matter is that she knows of his celebrity status and wants a ‘free loan’ that won’t have to be paid back.

The mind boggling part of this is that Chris Rock enjoys these plush digs as much as the next person. We fly first class- but we took plenty of vacations that consisted of middle row seats, not even together, and a bottle of Jack Daniels in a hotel room. You do what you can afford. Now, we enjoy the nicer seats, we have the fun of hanging in the lounge. Why? We worked for it. I am not against anyone bettering themselves or helping others, but doggone it, stop talking about the supposed ‘income gap’ while accepting a check for a cool $12.5 MILLION dollars.

Endnotes:
  1. His hypocrisy as he speaks makes me want to bang my head into a wall: : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2857008/If-poor-people-knew-rich-rich-riots-Chris-Rock-blasts-economic-inequality-plugging-film-sold-12-5million.html#ixzz3KjV6dluT
  2. [Image]: https://rightwingnews1.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/ChrisRock.jpg

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