Marlon Wayans recalls ‘The Slap’
As Oscar night approaches, memories linger of last year’s debacle. The infamous altercation between actor Will Smith and comedian Chris Rock is the subject of some of the jokes of the standup special “Marlon Wayans: God Loves Me,” streaming today on HBO Max.
Like many stand-up artists, Wayans puts himself at the center of “the slap,” assuming some of the blame. You’ll have to watch this to follow his logic, but, according to Wayans, some of the ill will on display last spring owes to both his testy relationship with Chris Rock and his unrequited feelings for Jada Pinkett Smith.
Wayans is sure not to get the last word on this event. Netflix will livestream “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage” on March 4. This marks the first worldwide live event for Netflix. The special will stream at 10 p.m. from a Baltimore stage. This allows Rock to have his say just one week before the Oscars, and also reflects a decision by
Netflix to challenge HBO on the most basic level with a high-profile live weekend standup event.
Fans of more vintage standup material can revisit “Martin Lawrence: Runteldat” (9:30 p.m., TMCX), a 2002 special featuring the comedian’s thoughts on his 1999 brush with death and critics of his eponymous sitcom. This follows the 2001 special “Queens of Comedy” (8 p.m.), capturing a joint concert by Laura Hayes, Mo’Nique, Sommore and Adele Givens, from Memphis, Tennessee.
Mo’Nique, recently seen in the seance horror film “The Reading” on BET+, is scheduled to make a comedy special “My Name Is Mo’Nique” for Netflix. Some years back, she and the streamer were engaged in a legal spat, but all seems to have been resolved.
› HGTV debuts the new reality series “The Flipping El Moussas” (8 p.m., HGTV, TV-PG). It follows the photogenic couple Tarek and Heather as they decide to purchase and renovate a canyon home with dated details in the hopes of buying low and selling high. Along the way, we meet their children and friends and see how “normal” people with a camera crew following them around can be as they juggle their
business and personal lives.
› Richard Gere stars in the stylish 1980 thriller “American Gigolo” (10 p.m., TMC). A recent limited series attempt to reboot “Gigolo” was canceled by Showtime after one season. It’s hard to say if it just wasn’t all that popular, or if this decision was part of a trend by streamers and premium cable outlets to cut down on expenses.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS ›
Asian cuisine sets
the standard for the “Next Level Chef” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14).
› Dixon lashes out on “Station 19” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
› The sounds of silence on “Grey’s Anatomy” (9 p.m., ABC, TV-14).
› A troubled pop star needs protection on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (9 p.m., NBC, repeat, TV-14).