Clearly this is the topic of the day EVERYWHERE. In the news, social media, CC.
Should we have a (somewhat) civil discussion?
I did not see it live. I’ve watched some replays. The slap was not ok. Did he apologize or did he attempt to save his reputation?
Chris Rock. The comment was not ok. Seems this isn’t the first time he dissed Jada. Some will say “that’s sarcastic comedy!” Or was it comedy gone wrong? Should he be off the hook? I’m not seeing much that points to criticism of what he said but only to his role as victim of the slap? (I’m not watching any live news/commentary - mostly reading through social media).
What were your thoughts as it happened live?
What were your thoughts on the apology? (was it an apology in your opinion?)
What now???
Of course this conversation could get heated and not too kind as well so a reminder to avoid putting yourself in the same awkward, not-ok position.
I don’t follow your wife on social media and had no idea what she was going through. I suspect he did not, either. I hope that after reflection, you realize that you could have walked up to explain why what he said was so hurtful, rather than to hit him. It would have been far more effective.
Will’s 23 yr old son Jaden took the wrong lesson away from this, based on his tweet, “And That’s How We Do It.” Does Will really want his son to learn from his example to respond to insults with violence?
The slap was wrong, the joke was wrong (my daughter’s alopecia started in 7th grade and it was awful, changed her whole personality, fortunately after years of painful cortisone shots it is now under control, she doesn’t need to get them as much as a college freshman). His comment stung many others who were watching (we were not). People with alopecia suffer so much, it is not something to joke about.
I found the videos of Will to be disgusting at the Vanity Fair party where he was dancing with his Oscar and surrounded by others celebrating him. Gross, just gross.
The joke was was bad but the slap was worse. The fact that the show just went on like nothing happened is weird and unsettling. Akin to when we have a mass shooting where we have lots of thoughts and prayers and then we promptly go back to normal. This country is messed up.
It’s highly possible Chris Rock didn’t even know about her condition or didn’t even write the joke. The point is if we all went about slapping people who offended us, most of us would be getting a face of hand at least once a week. And giving it.
Smith should have been removed immediately from the premises.
From what I read, it is not clear if Jaden was referring to the slap, or to the Oscar win. Post was after the win.
I hadn’t seen the slap so was very confused about Will’s tearful acceptance speech. Made more sense in context.
Both were wrong, but in no way should Will Smith have slapped Chris Rock. Walked up and told him off, perhaps. But not physical. Apparently some comics are mad and a bit worried about whether this will trigger audience members to do the same. But Chris (or as someone said his joke writer) should not have mentioned Jada’s hair.
Not clear why there were absolutely no consequences from the Academy. I thought his performance in King Richard was fantastic and he deserved to win, but seems wrong to not have him removed from the audience, at least briefly.
What di you all think about the In Memoriam segment? I was annoyed by the singing and the fact that the focus was not on the photos of the departed, but on the dancers.
Everything about that slap and total overreaction was simply not ok. I’ve had way too many people on my social media condoning or even praising that behavior and it’s huge red flags for me with those people. The joke might have been in poor taste, but violence is NEVER the answer to words. I also don’t think the joke was worse than any of the other roast-type jokes made that evening, and at every Oscar ceremony. As a woman who suffers from alopecia, I also think that the way everyone is saying he picked on her disability or disease, etc, is really off putting. I’ve dealt with alopecia personally by acknowledging that it’s just hair and doesn’t affect me as a person or a woman at all. If that were my husband I’d been seeking a counselor or a lawyer.
Will shouldn’t have slapped him, obviously, but the joke was uncalled for. Even I know about Jada’s condition, and I am not a celebrity follower. I imagine WIll has seen her in tears over her condition. I know if I lost my hair, I would be devastated.
I saw it live and thought that resorting to violence over this was absurd and extremely poor role modeling. Very surprised Will Smith was not removed by security. He seemed to try to put a spin on his bad behavior by implying that he is protective of his family, like the character he played that won him the Oscar. He apologized to the Academy , but not Chris Rock. Very troubling on many levels and distracted from the whole show, and the other nominees. Very selfish, immature behavior in my opinion.
I’m wondering what Will Smith’s reaction would have been to a similar “joke” that wasn’t about his wife - about a male actor’s weight, for example. It seems to me award shows often feature a joke or two about someone’s appearance – looks old, out of shape, bald, etc. They frequently have comedians as MCs, and often ones with critical humor. Yes, Chris Rock should have thought twice about that joke but Will Smith definitely chose the wrong way to react (skewer him on social media or something). I didn’t watch the show, and had to Google why comparing her to GI Jane was slap-inducing. But on the Today Show this morning Craig Melvin had some poignant words about the impact of WS’s actions on the perception of black men as unable to control their actions/ violent that you could see really affected him and took the situation to a larger context.
I didn’t see it live but caught it first thing this morning on the news. I found it disgusting and unprofessional. As to whether or not Chris Rock knew of her condition, I didn’t know but I only follow celebrity news of those that I am interested in.
Violence is never the answer, no matter who you are. When you are on camera in front of millions of people, do better.
I also have alopecia and lost all my hair when I was 30, over the course of a year. It was surprisingly traumatic, given that I don’t think one’s appearance is the be all, end all for someone. I am still, 30 years later, on a journey of acceptance.
Given that Jada is still in the uncertain phase (will it grow back? Will I lose all of it?) AND given that she’s in an industry that places a gigantic premium on good looks, I expect Will has seen just how hard it is.
That said, I certainly don’t think hitting anyone is remotely acceptable, or even the most effective way to handle the situation. But joking at Jada’s expense was completely unacceptabe too. Would the joke be funny if the reason she lost her hair was due to chemotherapy?
I had a friend who approached Will Smith in a bar, back in the early 80s, early in Will’s career. He said he was a real jerk, so I guess that is the opinion I’ve always held.
