Jennifer Lawrence Has A New Unexpected Critic

Chris Rock is a fan of the new Ghostbusters, but not Jennifer Lawrence's public criticism of the gender wage gap. In a new profile of the very funny Leslie Jones in the New Yorker, Rock veered the conversation away from Jones, instead deciding to speak on something he has never, ever experienced — being a woman in Hollywood. "Black women have the hardest gig in show business,” he told the New Yorker. “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.” While his statements hold some truth, was it really necessary for him to include a subtle takedown of the Joy star? Rock could do better in picking his battles: Lawrence was the world's highest-paid actress in 2015. A voice with that kind of influence and status has been invaluable in pushing forward the conversation about wage disparity in Hollywood. That well-paid voice is eons better than no voice at all. Much of Jones' journey to success involved struggling to break out as not only a female comedian, but a Black female comedian. She toured on the road for 25 years before she landed her SNL gig. She was also the oldest SNL hire in the history of the show. Rock was the one who encouraged SNL creator Lorne Michaels to hire Jones. "You should look at Leslie Jones," Rock said to Michaels, according to the profile. “She’s the funniest woman I know.” Hey Chris, let's do more of that — that thing where you empower and encourage your female peers. And maybe a little less with the offhand criticism?