Raise your hand if you’ve ever laughed aloud when you weren’t really laughing inside. 
(editing to say that the point of my post is that I don’t really think he was laughing along - it was a natural reaction - was the audience also chuckling a bit? - laughing for “show” so to speak)
Will Smith also had a good 10 seconds to rethink his terrible impulse. There was a lot of stage for him to stride across to reach Chris Rock. The impulse might have been harder to suppress if he was standing right in front of him, talking. But to get up out of your seat in front of a massive audience and even bigger tv audience, and stride towards someone more than 20 feet away from you and hit them in the face….WOW. That is shockingly poor impulse control.
Will Smith has never been one of my favorite actors. That said, I do think he’s had good roles over the years and he did a pretty good job in King Richard, so good for him. After seeing him hit Chris Rock, I was NOT happy to see him win. He did not deserve the award and he shouldn’t have been allowed to stay. Both Will Smith and Chris Rock are at fault here.
I’ve had many a hurtful comment/joke come my way over the years, some incredibly painful. Never once did I believe an adequate response was to punch someone.
Raise your hand if you’ve spoken words you didn’t know would have such an impact? Then someone tells you and you apologize because you’re ashamed? Or you don’t apologize and people see you for who you really are.
To be clear since you’re responding to my post, I wasn’t supporting Will.
I don’t know. I do know that Chris Rock had made fun of Will Smith and Jada in the past…
Plenty of people get awards and don’t have the best behavior in real life on or off award shows.
The award was for a performance, a job he took and apparently exceled at. I don’t think the two should be weighed against each other - the performance for which he was nominated and his “act” last night.
I do feel like this affects Will’s career, which is just overall so unfortunate. He is just dripping with talent. And as he’s gotten older and matured and shown more sides of his talent, he’s gotten close to (or maybe there already) legendary status. If this hadn’t happened last night, getting the Best Actor award would have secured a real iconic spot for him that would have garnered SO MUCH RESPECT. The (almost) elder statesman that people in the industry could look up to with so much admiration.
What he did last night doesn’t take away from his talent and acting ability, but I do think it means he doesn’t get to become the elder statesman beyond reproach. Such a shame.
I would counter that is not so much the country that is messed up, but the entertainment industry and those who worship it. Those in that industry that have likely witnessed so much bad behavior/kept silent out of fear of repercussions that it is the norm to just turn a blind eye and act as though nothing happened after. Don’t for a minute think that if an average (meaning non-elite) person did the same - that they would not have faced legal and professional consequences. Because it is Will Smith - he gets applauded and gets to celebrate like a king among his peers after.
Makes me wonder…If he’s that quick to act on impulse with a comedian doing his job. How are his impulses in private at home with a cheating wife?
It’s freaking upsetting because I have loved his acting for decades.
I was bald or had a shaved head for over a year due to chemotherapy. With chemo your not just bald - you tend to look like crap. I wore baseball hats most of the time. I hid from people I knew in the grocery store. I cried in the shower at least once a week. I felt sick and ugly and scared.
At a beer festival a guy who was a friend of a friend rubbed my head and said “V for Vendetta! “ and I said “I had chemo” and he apologized and then said “I said it because you look bada$$”
My H , managed to witness the exchange without going into a rage. No hands were thrown. Adults using their words. I actually felt pretty happy after our exchange.
I really don’t think Chris Rock was out to belittle her or hurt her.
They have an open marriage. He doesn’t have a cheating wife. There’s a difference.
Aaaand the Academy has launched an investigation.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/28/entertainment/academy-members-discuss-will-smith-oscars-slap/index.html
I for one think Jada looked freaking gorgeous. That green dress was amazing. She looked regal. Her beautiful bald held made her look so powerful.
It is sad that the joke hit her so hard. On another day when she was fully feeling her power, she could have heard the GI Jane reference as a compliment to her strength.
And to have this discussion veer off to be about who acted worse Chris or Will (all about the men, as usual) - when we could all be talking about how awesome she was (and I am not a Jada fan by any stretch). What a wasted opportunity to focus on something positive.
I too thought she looked stunning.
So, a marriage that is open means that they both get to cheat?
I read that Jada had an affair with their son’s friend?
So that wouldn’t have been an affair?
Sorry, I’m confused. Why get married?
Chris Rock tells a joke, in very poor taste, about something Jada Smith can’t control – she suffers from some rare hair loss condition. You don’t make fun of things people can’t control. That’s something a jerk does (thinking of more aggressive terms not acceptable on this site…).
So I understand why Will was pissed off – it was below the belt.
However, Will should have counted to 10, or 20, to calm down before blowing his cool and assaulting Chris very publicly. If he was still angry about it, contact Chris and voice the displeasure after the show.
I think it’s very sad that he chose to do this on a night that should have been one of the best nights of his life. Instead, he implies in his speech that he chose to channel the “crazy father” he portrayed and was all about protecting his family and being a vessel of love. Nonsense. How love and assault are connected is beyond me.
Very strange stuff all the way around.
I do think he embarrassed himself and made a fool of himself in front of his peers and the audience watching from home. I hope there are some security adjustments going forward. Crazy he could assault somebody and then go back and just take his seat!
Totally thought this as well but didn’t want to make her physical appearance (good or not so good - however you might take it) the focus of this discussion. I think she is legit beautiful hair or no hair - just a strikingly beautiful face.