Count comedian Chris Rock as yet another liberal who can't bear to take not just criticism but even an innocent question about his beliefs.
Under light questioning from conservative author Jason Mattera, Rock turned what was a regular friendly interaction with a fellow Brooklynite into a physical assault on a female camera operator when Mattera tried to get him to briefly explain remarks that he had made that the Tea Party movement was "insanely racist." Video below the break.
It seems pretty evident from the clip that Rock wasn't interested in talking even from the beginning but to get violent after such a tame question is the height of thin-skinned behavior, even if he was tired from all the festivities at the Sundance Film Festival, the location of the clip.
The video above, for those who can't play it, includes the following quote from Rock which Mattera was asking about:
You got kids? Kids always act up the most before they go to sleep. And when I see the Tea Party and all this stuff, it actually feels like racism’s almost over. Because this is the last — this is the act up before the sleep. They’re going crazy. They’re insane. You want to get rid of them — and the next thing you know, they’re fucking knocked out. And that’s what’s going on in the country right now.
Here's the transcript of the exchange:
MATTERA: Hey Chris, big fan. I grew up in Brooklyn
ROCK: Hey, how's it going?
MATTERA: Hey man, can I get a picture with you? Right here.
ROCK: Ok. (Turns to leave)
MATTERA: Hey excuse me, when you said the Tea Party was insane and racist--
ROCK (Turning to leave again): Hey, hey, hey.
MATTERA: --you said that the Tea Party
(Sound cuts off as Rock assaults camera)
The Hollywood Reporter has some additional tidbits about the encounter provided to them by Mattera:
Mattera’s two-minute video of Rock was first posted at Breitbart.com, and it features a promotion for his book, Hollywood Hypocrites: The Devastating Truth About Obama’s Biggest Backers, along with the scuffle. The fireworks don’t last too long because the camera is quickly disabled, allegedly because Rock “chucks it 50 feet,” according to Mattera.
The Rock video, below, begins with text of a quote from the comedian likening the Tea Party to “racism” and calling its participants “insane.” Mattera is seen as a fan in cordial conversation with Rock until Mattera asks about the Tea Party, at which point Rock walks away but then turns around and appears to grab the video camera.
“He attacked my camerawoman,” Mattera said. “Oh, yeah, it was a funny sight to see. He was lunging at me but his bodyguards were blocking him. He was acting all big and bad with his bodyguards between us.”
