Will Smith slaps Chris Rock at Academy Awards Ceremony

[Magna]

Personally, I'd rather they not focus on political issues and instead focus on what they're there for - their contributions to the film industry.
If people want to hear about the ongoing situation in Ukraine, Global Warming, COVID or any other political issue, they can hear about it on the News (be it on TV, in the Newspapers, Online, etc.); they don't need a bunch of celebrities to be reminding them at an event which isn't about any of those things.

I think this is one of the reasons why people stop watching award shows now - be it the Academy Awards, the BAFTAs, the Oscars, the Golden Globes, etc. - as it was supposed to be a celebration of the film industry. It's not an excuse for celebrities to berate the audience (many of whom are struggling to make ends meet) and tell them "you need to do better" before giving speeches where they bemoan how hard their lives are; all while they're dressed up in outfits that cost more than our homes, are driven to this posh event in question via limousines and spend most of the night laughing, patting each other on the back and drinking champagne.
Heck, even Ricky Gervais made a joke about it in 2020 at the Golden Globes, which I'm sure most of you have at least seen clips of.

Don't forget that each "gift bag" that each of the celebrity attendees received was apparently worth over $100,000.

 

[Aspychata]

It would be nice if those gift bags were auctioned off and proceeds sent to Ukraine. Let's not forget that the film industry brings great movies, to the masses to educate them on the social injustice that the common man or female faces or to educate them on issues such as autism. So to completely ignore the current climate isn't going to happen.

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

I've seen posts from different people around the internet suggesting this was staged. I have no idea myself if it was or not, but award show stunts are not new. Remember when Sacha Baron Cohen, as Bruno, got under Eminem's skin at some award show a few years back, and it turned out they were both in on it?

I don’t think it was staged because of the f bomb.

 

[Magna]

The incident brings up an interesting social contradiction as well; namely the rejection of the traditional role of men as protectors while at the same time, Smith's actions are being lauded by many, some of them women included, as being noble and heroic. A person can't legitimately believe both at the same time.

Social rejection of the traditional role of men as protectors: The cultural shift in many spheres (e.g. academia, media, etc) is that women don't need or even want men to be "protectors" because doing so implies that women are not capable of defending themselves, etc. The social rejection of the traditional role applied to the Oscars situation:

Why couldn't Jada have been the one to walk up on the stage and slap Chris Rock as an empowered woman? It's contradictory to believe women are empowered and don't need to be "protected" but at the same time think it's great that Will Smith "protected" his wife as a man with her being a woman. It's one or the other.

 

[AGXStarseed]

It would be nice if those gift bags were auctioned off and proceeds sent to Ukraine. Let's not forget that the film industry brings movies to the masses to educate them on the social injustice that the common man or female faces. So to completely ignore the current climate isn't going to happen.

The film industry also brings movies to the masses to allow moviegoers to "escape" from the real world for a bit.
I doubt many people watched Spider-Man: No Way Home or Sonic the Hedgehog for deep, philosophical education about the problems we have in the real world; they watched them because they had characters they recognized/loved, the creators gave the audience what they wanted to see (instead of telling the audience what they should want to see and attacking anyone who disagreed with the usual list of "ists" and "phobes" among other insults) and because the films were genuinely 'fun' - been a nice break from the real world.

Additionally, films that focus on just being good movies without trying to drag in current day politics tend to age/be remembered a lot better in the long run than films that do.

 

[Aspychata]

Yes. Life's universal struggles are always current. I always identify with underdogs. Lol. I would like to leave you with two sentences etched forever in my brain despite only being a TV show.

No need to fear. Underdog is here.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

My wife would have walked on stage and done her own slapping.

 

[Metalhead]

Will Smith was not out of line. Chris Rock screwed the bull with his cruelty and he earned the horns he received thoroughly.

 

[Qoyote]

I thought it was funny. Maybe I shouldn't but I don't care enough about Will Smith to judge him and he's not gonna live this down for a while anyway.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Will Smith was not out of line. Chris Rock screwed the bull with his cruelty and he earned the horns he received thoroughly.

I did not watch the incidence or am familiar with Chris rocks humour. I have watched a few Will Smith movies, must admit a bunch of white guys in the academy deciding what to do now, should get interesting.

 

[Metalhead]

I did not watch the incidence or am familiar with Chris rocks humour. I have watched a few Will Smith movies, must admit a bunch of white guys in the academy deciding what to do now, should get interesting.

The Oscars stopped being relevant the day they gave Dances with Wolves Best Picture over GoodFellas.

 

[Metalhead]

In any case, if the Academy makes Will Smith give back his Oscar, they should retroactively do the same thing to bigger jerks like Roman Polanski and Woody Allen first.

 

[LadyS]

I'll bet if Jada went up and slapped him herself, there'd be more applause than controversy... would have laughed my butt off too.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

I'll bet if Jada went up and slapped him herself, there'd be more applause than controversy... would have laughed my butt off too.

Thats's what my wife would have done, She is very independent, something that attracted me to her.

 

[Calrid]

They both acted like dicks: it's impossible to take sides. Calling it an old fashioned Knight thing though is in itself misleading; I am pretty sure it was just childish behaviour on both parts. No need to call the Political Correct Police.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

If I was there with my wife I simply would have left. Award or no award Free speech is not about belittling someone. Other wise more commonly know as bullying. Even comedy has limits.

 

[Nervous Rex]

I haven't watched an awards show for about 25 years. I'm not impressed when an industry gives itself awards for making money.

However, this Rock/Smith deal has been impossible to avoid on any media. Rock's joke was over the line and Smith's reaction was out of line. I don't have much respect now for either of them.

I also can't completely dismiss that possibility that it was staged for ratings. It seems like they work very hard to have some sort of shocking moment with every awards show.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

I never actually watched it, I would put nothing out of suspicion, after all they are professional actors and comedians.

 

[Sylas]

Celebrity worship is in my view one of the most pathetic and decadent aspects of society in my view.

These people just are part of the process of creating media, maybe you enjoy some it, maybe you don't. And they get obscenely rich from it but it is what it is.

But what's their relevance beyond that? why does it matter that one told a joke and another was upset at it and reacted violently? none, nothing they do, say or are that's not strictly related to the media products they're producing has any true relevance at all.

It's just baffling.

For example, if I found a bakery I REALLY enjoyed then maybe I would visit constantly to get their products. But would I ever go to the baker to ask about their personal lives? why would that matter when all I care about is the product? it would be seen as deranged if one fixated on someone that way and celebrity worship isn't fundamentally different.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Others view Will Smith as out of line and inappropriate and that violence isn't an acceptable response to words.

Some are saying that it's a display of so called "toxic masculinity" and has no place. Do some people who normally believe "toxic masculinity" is a prevalent problem in society today also laud Will Smith for what he did? That would be hypocritical. You can't have it both ways.

What are your thoughts on the subject?

My opinion: THAT was NOT toxic masculinity. Defending a loved one is not,...in any way,..."toxic". It could be a mother defending a child, a sister defending a brother,...not "toxic" behavior,...but totally acceptable and excepted behavior. A man defending his wife,...absolutely,...and I would expect nothing less. In fact,...NOT defending your wife,...would show a LACK of character. Now, as a comedian, it IS Chris Rock's job,...literally, his job,...to push the boundaries of what is considered acceptable for the purposes of a laugh. Clearly, as every comedian knows,...not all jokes are going to be received well.

Chris Rock crossed the line,...and Will Smith did exactly what he should have done. Furthermore, a public slap in the face,...quite a measured and restrained response.