Feeling Rock could do no wrong, I anticipated every Rock related project including the release of the self starring, self- produced movies, Down to Earth and Head of State. After 5 years of waiting, Chris Rock, America’s funny man, returns to stand up with his new HBO special "Never Scared". True to his normal style Rock goes over the pundits of race, hip-hop, relationships, drugs, politics, and of course, sex. But unlike his other HBO specials this one hits bottom.

I see why it was entitled Never Scared, because there was nothing to be scared of. The normally poignant and hard-hitting rock developed a routine that was a resurrection of the lackluster moments of the widely successful Bigger and Blacker. With common material and ill produced jokes would be riotous laughter was replaced with an hour and a half of random, in cohesive, irrelevant, un-current news, information and commentary. At times I felt Chris went soft and had become a closet Republican. He was dying a slow painful death and we are forced to watch praying it would get better.

Having graced some of the most prestigious covers including Vanity Fair and Entertainment News, Rock has lost touch to speak to the rest of us facing The Apprentice, Bush, and numerous black men on trial. Some of these subjects were mentioned, though brief. Instead he busily strung together mindless curse words while inflecting his signature cadence. Mixing R. Kelly, Kobe, affirmative action, and even Pac and Big, none of his act was relevant or current. Though delighted he mimicked my words of no longer being able to defend misogynistic hip hop, Rock crushed his commentary by feeling that women who listen to it are not self respecting. Though he being male is free to pollute his ears with it.

Ironically Rock felt comfortable performing in front of a predominantly yuppie audience. Especially when the show is filmed in the predominantly black Washington, D.C.’s Constitution and is extended from two performances to five due to being sold out. Cameras panned and khaki pants wearing, suit shirt wearing yuppies laughed at every pussy and fucking your bitch joke. Due to the power of editing I’m not sure if the audience takes were a collection of all 5 days inserted at spots where you were supposed to laugh because at one point the audience boo-ed Rock. Stating he’s grown as a daddy and realizes that his whole obligation to his daughter was to keep her off the (stripper) pole was somewhat unusual and hypocritical. The man who made a whole career talking about sex and released an album single entitled "No Sex in the Champagne Room" proved neither marriage nor fatherhood could suppress the insecurities of the funny boy from Brooklyn’s no pussy getting years.

Rock further went on to state that there is a myth that strippers are stripping to pay tuition. Rock bases this from personal experience claiming he never met an intelligent stripper in the club nor college (which is ironic considering Rock got his GED). He even simulates a lap dance of a stripper telling him how to diversify his portfolio as if unfathomable. Possibly he and J-Clef should talk about his friend who stripped to go through medical school. I myself “flow for those wishin’ they’nt have to strip to pay tuition, I see your vision, mama”. Ironically though, Rock later confesses to never being the guy who could just get a girl to sleep with him. He instead got the women who were more "practical" and wanted him to pay their students loans. "I done put more women through school than the United Negro College Fund. Shit I should have my own dorm at Howard. ‘And this is the Chris Rock cafeteria...he just loves sloppy joes"

Rock also speaks on slavery and its affect on the need for affirmative action today. Stating that educated blacks had to hid their intelligence from whites because it would cost them their life. Needless to say Rock goes on to simulate how an intelligent slave had to hide his intelligence from his master pending termination. Much like that stripper, I’m sure felt it was an occupational hazard to let her customer know she was studying for the LSAT. I’m always amused when sexists cry racism.

As a true Chris Rock fan I am disappointed. Mrs. Rock, Malaaka Compton-Rock (who by the way took him from Pookie Da Crackhead to GQ candidate) and baby girl Rock, with another due any day, has taken it’s toll on the man who made gettin’ a blow job funny. Watching my favorite comedian die a slow death over the course of 90 minutes is like watching someone melt in a microwave. Though knowledge was dropped, it wasn’t funny. He’s older now and has responsibilities. What once was funny is now just an angry ranting black man on stage attempting to be funny. Yes the formula was there (sex, drugs, violence, politics, screwy white people) but it was more like he forgot how they all need to correlate one to another. Possibly married life got too boring to him and therefore lost all touch with an audience he once held captive. His pronouncement of turning 39 marked more than a new decade, but the possibility he should retire...soon!

Released: May 3rd, 2004

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