Mar 28, 2022·edited Mar 28, 2022Liked by Erik Kain
Good take on this man.
When I watched it, I thought it was a bit to begin, but it didn't take long to see it was legit. Chris obviously was shaken, but he did an commendable job of continuing on and seeing the award given out.
It's pretty obvious that Will Smith has some other stuff going on with Jada. We all know the history of their relationship in the last few years. I'm not a celebrity watcher by any means, and even I know about it, which demonstrates how pervasive and far ranging their struggles are known. Chris's joke was lame, and kind of a cheap shot, but if I remember correctly Will laughed at first. You can see her response was negative, and the then all of a sudden Will was super pissed about it. It was a pretty quick about face for him, and it seems to reflect a lot deeper issue than Chris Rock.
Sadly, John Leguizamo is right; It completely tarnished Will Smith's big night, and probably worse still, his brand. Like yourself, I have always liked and kind of admired him. While younger than him, in some ways I grew up with him and DJ Jazzy Jeff, watched all of Fresh Prince, cheered as he punched an Alien in Independence Day - hell, I even liked Hancock (kinda).
It's sad to think that my admiration for him has taken a hit on a night that I should have been proud to be a fan. I hope that he gets some help, has an honest conversation about his marital issues, toxic masculinity, and mental health. Will Smith has demonstrated the heart of a good man over the years, and I genuinely hope that he uses this opportunity to show that he was in the wrong on this one, and just maybe that can be an impetus for real talk about mens mental health and destructive cultural expectations.
um, if it's really such a soft spot for Jada, why not just buy some hair? They're a Hollyweird power couple worth hundreds of millions of dollars, are you seriously gonna tell me she couldn't have the best natural hair replacements money could buy? No one would probably even know.
But no, they'd rather turn it into a giant 'pay attention to poor me' sob story and then flip out when some comedian tells a lame joke.
I mean, aside from whether a violent response is the right thing or not (it's not), who slaps anyone nowadays? Surely that kind of outburst went out of style with 1950s film wives making wayward husbands know how they felt. If Will was trying to look all manly and protective, it just didn't work. He may as well have attacked Rock with a handbag.
Thanks for writing about this! I always enjoy reading your takes on current events (as unfortunate as it is that this qualifies as a "current event").
Everything about Will Smith's actions were, in my opinion unacceptable and unnecessary. It reminded me of a very immature high school kid getting into a fight because "don't insult my lady yo." This was assault, plain and simple.
What I find interesting is that some who are often quick to bloviate about "toxic masculinity" and feminism, are also seemingly ambivalent about Smith's actions because they feel Rock was also somewhat in the wrong to make fun of a disability. So let's get this straight. It's ok to make fun of people for illnesses like alcoholism, sex addiction, phobias, etc., but it's not ok to take a silly stab at someone that experiences hair loss? Where is the line between "acceptable" to joke about and "unacceptable" to joke about? Not sure, but someone needs to draw it. On the feminism side...I refuse to believe that we women are such weak, shrinking violets that we still need a man to "defend our honor" by hitting another man. How is that dichotomy of thinking not counter-productive to the equality that women have spent so long striving for?
I'm currently too tired to add much more to this discussion, but I thought everything about this was utter ridiculousness. And the joke that Smith made this morning on social (not sure if this was really him or not) about "that's what happens when you invite someone from Philly or Baltimore to the Oscars." How is Hollywood in all its wonderful wokeness at peace with this kind of behavior? It feels like we just experienced two steps forward, ten steps back as a society. What should have been an amazing night for many very talented actors (Smith included) turned into a circus. I don't think Will Smith's Oscar should be taken away, and yes I do think he is a human being who is allowed to have a temporary lapse in judgment. But I remain appalled at the hypocrisy at play here. Boggles the mind.
I'm still not sure it wasn't staged, even if it wasn't staged by the Academy as the article you linked states. If you watch the slo-mo replay, Rock starts to move his head before the blow even lands, as if he was expecting it.
In any case, Will Smith was utterly in the wrong, and only made himself look even more foolish than Jada already had over the last year. You're right in that there were so many other ways of handling it better, and to walk away with an award and no consequences smacks of incredible privilege.
Good take on this man.
When I watched it, I thought it was a bit to begin, but it didn't take long to see it was legit. Chris obviously was shaken, but he did an commendable job of continuing on and seeing the award given out.
It's pretty obvious that Will Smith has some other stuff going on with Jada. We all know the history of their relationship in the last few years. I'm not a celebrity watcher by any means, and even I know about it, which demonstrates how pervasive and far ranging their struggles are known. Chris's joke was lame, and kind of a cheap shot, but if I remember correctly Will laughed at first. You can see her response was negative, and the then all of a sudden Will was super pissed about it. It was a pretty quick about face for him, and it seems to reflect a lot deeper issue than Chris Rock.
Sadly, John Leguizamo is right; It completely tarnished Will Smith's big night, and probably worse still, his brand. Like yourself, I have always liked and kind of admired him. While younger than him, in some ways I grew up with him and DJ Jazzy Jeff, watched all of Fresh Prince, cheered as he punched an Alien in Independence Day - hell, I even liked Hancock (kinda).
It's sad to think that my admiration for him has taken a hit on a night that I should have been proud to be a fan. I hope that he gets some help, has an honest conversation about his marital issues, toxic masculinity, and mental health. Will Smith has demonstrated the heart of a good man over the years, and I genuinely hope that he uses this opportunity to show that he was in the wrong on this one, and just maybe that can be an impetus for real talk about mens mental health and destructive cultural expectations.
um, if it's really such a soft spot for Jada, why not just buy some hair? They're a Hollyweird power couple worth hundreds of millions of dollars, are you seriously gonna tell me she couldn't have the best natural hair replacements money could buy? No one would probably even know.
But no, they'd rather turn it into a giant 'pay attention to poor me' sob story and then flip out when some comedian tells a lame joke.
Can't have it both ways imo.
I mean, aside from whether a violent response is the right thing or not (it's not), who slaps anyone nowadays? Surely that kind of outburst went out of style with 1950s film wives making wayward husbands know how they felt. If Will was trying to look all manly and protective, it just didn't work. He may as well have attacked Rock with a handbag.
Thanks for writing about this! I always enjoy reading your takes on current events (as unfortunate as it is that this qualifies as a "current event").
Everything about Will Smith's actions were, in my opinion unacceptable and unnecessary. It reminded me of a very immature high school kid getting into a fight because "don't insult my lady yo." This was assault, plain and simple.
What I find interesting is that some who are often quick to bloviate about "toxic masculinity" and feminism, are also seemingly ambivalent about Smith's actions because they feel Rock was also somewhat in the wrong to make fun of a disability. So let's get this straight. It's ok to make fun of people for illnesses like alcoholism, sex addiction, phobias, etc., but it's not ok to take a silly stab at someone that experiences hair loss? Where is the line between "acceptable" to joke about and "unacceptable" to joke about? Not sure, but someone needs to draw it. On the feminism side...I refuse to believe that we women are such weak, shrinking violets that we still need a man to "defend our honor" by hitting another man. How is that dichotomy of thinking not counter-productive to the equality that women have spent so long striving for?
I'm currently too tired to add much more to this discussion, but I thought everything about this was utter ridiculousness. And the joke that Smith made this morning on social (not sure if this was really him or not) about "that's what happens when you invite someone from Philly or Baltimore to the Oscars." How is Hollywood in all its wonderful wokeness at peace with this kind of behavior? It feels like we just experienced two steps forward, ten steps back as a society. What should have been an amazing night for many very talented actors (Smith included) turned into a circus. I don't think Will Smith's Oscar should be taken away, and yes I do think he is a human being who is allowed to have a temporary lapse in judgment. But I remain appalled at the hypocrisy at play here. Boggles the mind.
I'm still not sure it wasn't staged, even if it wasn't staged by the Academy as the article you linked states. If you watch the slo-mo replay, Rock starts to move his head before the blow even lands, as if he was expecting it.
In any case, Will Smith was utterly in the wrong, and only made himself look even more foolish than Jada already had over the last year. You're right in that there were so many other ways of handling it better, and to walk away with an award and no consequences smacks of incredible privilege.