A short excerpt from a Leslie Jones profile has pitted comedian Chris Rock against Hollywood darling Jennifer Lawrence.
The “Grown Ups 2” actor was tapped for comment by the New Yorker for a profile of his pal, whom he met when they were both road comics in the late ‘80s. Not surprisingly, the piece went on about the 48-year-old “Saturday Night Live” star being pigeonholed as a black comic and her struggle to come up in the male-dominated field -- despite working for 25-plus years in stand-up and opening for the likes of Dave Chappelle and Katt Williams.
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That’s why Rock, who helped Jones secure her “SNL” gig to much fanfare in 2014, told the magazine that black women have it much harder in Tinseltown.
“Black women have the hardest gig in show business,” Rock said. “You hear Jennifer Lawrence complaining about getting paid less because she’s a woman — if she was black, she’d really have something to complain about.”
The outspoken Oscars host was referring to “The Hunger Games” star’s viral October essay for Lena Dunham’s Lenny newsletter in which she lambasted the gender pay gap in Hollywood. The Oscar winner made no mention of race in her piece, just gender inequality, which was magnified when the Sony hack revealed that she earned much less than her male costars for their work on 2013’s “American Hustle.”
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Incidentally, Rock’s remarks, appearing pretty early in the Jones piece, eclipsed the “Ghostbusters” star’s profile, which can be read in full here.
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Our favorite funny women and why we love ‘em
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The “Inside Amy Schumer” star, right, is a daring, foul-mouthed trailblazer who doesn’t shy away from raunch or vagina jokes, especially when they highlight disparities in the patriarchy. The Comedy Central star, whose sister Kim Schumer also writes on her sketch show, isn’t afraid to self-deprecate and throw herself at the feet of Kimye, either.
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The “Pitch Perfect” actress’ tweets and TV interviews have fans thirsting for more Anna thanks to her pithy observational posts, which have been turned into motivational posters, and blunt, self-deprecating, no-nonsense humor. She does a mean lip-synch battle too.
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The “Daily Show” correspondent built on her sketch and improv comedy background by joining the show in 2012. Her witty clips became so popular that the fan favorite was featured as Jon Stewart’s replacement in 2015’s “Hot Tub Time Machine 2,” though she claimed that she was underqualifed to replace the outgoing host in real life. Williams’ segments lambasted inequalities faced by women and other minorities.
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This “Daily Show” correspondent became the longest-serving correspondent in 2012 before exiting the satirical news show in 2015 to start her own version of it on TBS.
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Whether she’s sharing fashion-forward “Mindy Project” costumes or sneaking Instagram followers into exclusive parties, she’s a multi-hyphenate proving that funny women are here to stay. “The Office” star is an inspirational everywoman, shaming critics and haters with her self-deprecating wit. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
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She writes, acts in and directs her critically acclaimed HBO comedy “Girls,” and the curvy wunderkind has taken flak for baring it all on the show. The outspoken savant has also been sounding the alarm on sexism in Hollywood, railing on the industry for typecasting. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Two words: Golden Globes. Two more words: “Mean Girls.” Another two: “30 Rock.” Tina Fey has been making us laugh since her days on “Saturday Night Live” (How can we forget her Sarah Palin?) Her back-to-back Globes hosting gig with Amy Poehler also set the standard for award shows. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
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Though we love her dynamic duo with Fey, Poehler also stands on her own as the star of “Parks and Recreation.” But the quirky star’s willingness to take on just about any zany role during her stint on “SNL” and keep the barbs coming as a co-host of the Golden Globes make us love her even more. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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This “rough” comedian doesn’t pull punches on “Chelsea Lately.” The author and writer, known for her deadpan humor and drunken dalliances, can hold her own in an interview: Just take her squabbles with TV personality Piers Morgan and how she calls out her male counterparts. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
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The “SNL” alum got people to pay attention to female comedy with the 2011 mega-hit “Bridesmaids,” which she co-wrote and starred in. The Groundlings vet proved she didn’t have to do ubiquitous impressions to get a laugh (though they get us just about every time). (Jennifer S. Altman / For the Los Angeles Times)
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She isn’t an outright comedian, but she might as well be when she’s off duty. She’s shared her own brand of self-deprecating, unfiltered gab on talk shows and endeared herself to viewers with her infamous Oscar fall. “The Hunger Games” star has also spoken up frequently about body image. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
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Whether the Groundlings alum is relieving herself in a sink in “Bridesmaids,” harness spinning on “SNL” or whipping her costar into shape in “The Heat,” the Emmy-winning star is always a scene-stealer. What else? Her poise while taking a weight-lashing from film critic Rex Reed. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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She’s among the funny women “SNL” has unleashed on mainstream TV and film. The Groundlings alum can nail just about any impression suggested to her (we happen to love her Oprah Winfrey and Gwen Stefani spoofs). And NBC has enough confidence in the mother of three to give her a variety show. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
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She breathed new life into daytime TV in 2003 when she set up “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and diversifies the award-winning talker by hosting both real people and celebs. She was the first woman and lead character to come out on a major TV show, but what she does best is make us laugh. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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She charms her way through TV interviews with her sweet banter and wide-eyed excitement about everything. The “Veronica Mars” star also dabbled in crude humor on “House of Lies.” Remember when she freaked out over a sloth? As a mom, she’s crusaded for the “no kids” anti-paparazzi cause. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)
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The “Archer” star also hosts “The Talk,” wrote two books and emcees “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” She’s an avid gamer, tweets a lot and hosted a handful of awards shows. It’s no wonder she calls herself “the black female Ryan Seacrest” because she has enough jobs to keep a small country employed. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus has won four Emmy Awards for three different comedy series and has been nominated an additional 12 times. The “Seinfeld” alum’s brand of comedy is self-deprecating but biting, as seen in HBO’s “Veep.” In real life, she’ll also deliver a punch line or two. Cue Elaine dance! (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
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Known for playing lackadaisical April on “Parks and Recreation,” she has also made a name for herself with her dry wit and deadpan humor. She’s not afraid to be herself even if herself isn’t traditionally likable. She can be blunt, caustic, absurd and gutsy in her own awesomely awkward way too. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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She’s the “adorkable” star and producer of “New Girl.” The L.A. native is quirky but totally relatable, often playing what appears to be a hyper-version of herself on the show, holding her own among a male-dominated cast. She also makes up half of folk band She & Him. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
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The breakout “Pitch Perfect” star also writes, produces and starred in the comedy “Super Fun Night.” She holds a degree from one of Sydney’s most prestigious law schools, and her success comes at a time when Hollywood is embracing smart, funny women who aren’t the stick-figure Hollywood norm.
(Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times) Follow me on Twitter @NardineSaad.
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