Will Smith slaps Chris Rock at the Oscars

ChicagoBlue said:
There’s nothing “insidious” about a 7-10 second tape delay, especially on American TV, where there is no threshold that allows almost anything to be said or done on TV.

Some people see something in everything!

For the record, Rock and Smith & Pinkett have previous.

Pinkett has been open, and expressed her vulnerability, about her condition.

I couldn’t care less about any of them, but the ridiculous (and particularly crude) discussion about the Smith-Pinkett relationship are well off the mark, too. In fact, they’ve openly talked about it on TV.

Divorced philandering comedian, who has made fun of the couple for sport in the past, makes fun of a man’s wife’s hair loss condition (about which she has openly expressed her personal concerns and fears) for laughs in front of a global TV audience.

In the moment, Smith tried to make light of it, but his wife was clearly not amused. Something must have happened between the two of them in the immediate aftermath of Rock’s comments and Smith acted.

He didn’t go up and punch or pummel him, but slapped him and walked away.

Rock continued to talk about it and Smith reacted verbally from his front row seat.

Rock has refused to file a police report, Smith apologized to the audience and event, but not Rock, and life goes on.

Do I condone the violence? No.
Do some people feel they shouldn’t have to take the cheap slings and arrows, done live in front of cameras as some kind of shield? Yes.
Could it all have been handled better by both? Yes.
Does it highlight a negative stereotype of the black male in American culture? Possibly.

I was more shocked by the black female comedian/host who patted down two males on live TV after a sexual innuendo filled skit before the two celebrity awardees even came out!

Turn THAT situation around and it would be wall to wall #MeToo, and that guy’s career would be over!

The guys all laughed it off, probably because they didn’t feel violated or vulnerable or powerless. However, while the initial joke might have been amusing, the message was lost when she started aggressively frisking them, IMHO.

Will Smith’s career will carry on, as will Rock’s. They will both make more money in the future than anyone (I suspect) here will ever make in their lifetime, and live very comfortable lives despite the furor.

Sun came up in the east this morning…
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A debate about Disney and it's censorship/politics is for another thread.

I agree with the rest of your post. No doubt they'll end up in a movie or SNL sketch making a joke about it in future.

Smith will be beating himself up because that's the nature of the man. Winning the Oscar should be the greatest moment of his work life. However all he'll be asked about is the slap.
 
SWP's back said:
Yeah I can understand (obviously) why he’s reacted then. Not a funny joke. I don’t rise to jokes about my alopecia any more (although they’re hilarious and totally original) but I know some women spend a great deal of time crying when they’re on the end of jokes about what can be a very distressing illness.
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I don’t mind jokes about most topics, even if they’re about something close to home or about some very sensitive topics. Just don’t embarrass me in the room by directing the joke directly at me.

If I’m not there then I’m fair game because by the time I’ll hear about it, it’d be in the past and I’m not going to get retrospectively embarrassed or angry about it… even when I’m in the room the topic that’s close to home is still fair game, again, just don’t direct it at me.

There’s a fine line to tread but it’s a skill of a comedian to get it right and not everyone can pull it off. I don’t think Rock pulled this one off. Whereas there have been a number of jokes someone like Ricky Gervais has really pulled off skilfully around some very sensitive topics.

It’s the topic that you make the joke about, not the person.
 
I like the theory it’s in reference to Demi Moore and Ashton Kutchner, but changing her to Jada and him to whichever young man she gave a gobble to. That’s a trigger alright.

Still think it’s staged though.
 
urban genie said:
20 years ago when newly married a friend of mine made a crass ingnorant comment that upset my wife dreadfully on a night out and I grabbed the **** by the scruff and warned him to pack it in or I would twat him properly, now tge same bellend (and close mate btw) makes similar crass ignorant comments and gwt called a fat prick for it.

So I obviously have gone in the reverse direction to smith.

At 26 I was more likely to be aggresive than at 46, age normally brings higher tollerance and calmness
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You compare apples and oranges. The point being if this happened 20 years ago at the oscars the guy would have been universally condemned and already banned from future events. Smith knew he would get away with it due to the way modern culture protects people in certain situations. Standards have changed.
 
For me Smith should be arrested, I know over here that the police can still prosecute even if the victim doesn’t, seems that it’s different there. Maybe his head is in a bad place and no doubt that’s what will be peddled, but for me he should be awaiting a trial for assault, probably make a film about it after as well.
 
Blue Maverick said:
For me Smith should be arrested, I know over here that the police can still prosecute even if the victim doesn’t, seems that it’s different there. Maybe his head is in a bad place and no doubt that’s what will be peddled, but for me he should be awaiting a trial for assault, probably make a film about it after as well.
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2 grand fine and six months probation for battery in LA, he can pay that without going near court rock up confess and plead guilty, offer to accept the fine and carry on
 
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