The Will Smith slaps Chris Rock thread - plus Sam Jackson gets his Oscar

[Wor-Gar]

Academy said they contemplated having him removed.

BS!

They contemplated not.

 

[medicomsucks]

I dont even really understand the joke or where Rock was going with it. GI Jane is 20/ 25 years old? How many oscar watchers even remember that movie? Doesnt mean he should be publicly slapped on tv though.

 

[edonian]

I dont even really understand the joke or where Rock was going with it. GI Jane is 20/ 25 years old? How many oscar watchers even remember that movie? Doesnt mean he should be publicly slapped on tv though.

There wasn’t anything more to his joke. He was referring to her baldness, thus the quick GI Jane joke.

I wonder if he even knew about her condition. It’s possible he didn’t even know. Also, hasn’t she sported the bald look many times in the past? I agree with most of the comments that she really didn’t have to take offense to the joke. Chris Rock really could’ve been brutal but he was going extremely easy on her.

 

[The Buffinator]

It would have been great if Rock had the presence of mind to whip out his cell phone on stage after the slap:

"Hello, 9-1-1? I'd like to report an assault that just occurred at the Dolby Theatre. Description? The perp is a tall black man in formal evening wear - dark suit, dress shirt and tie. A somewhat athletic build, close-cropped hair with big Dumbo ears - head looks like a wingnut. Wait, seriously? OK sure, I can hold."

 

[ZE_501]

So in the wake of Smith's second and more elaborate public apology; an interesting question comes up. What mistakes are forgivable? Has anyone here ever made an ass of themselves, or lost their **** when they shouldn't have? Maybe not in front of millions of people but still.

He did assault someone, which is obviously much more of an issue than yelling at someone. Rock had a previous relationship with Smith, is coming out on top in this mess any way you slice it, and has declined to press charges so he seems to be fine.

Smith is in his early 50s and a public figure so the old 'he should know better' comes up but I really do believe Smith is embarrassed and likely will be for a very long time. On the other hand he had no problem enjoying his Oscar and dancing at the after-party so notions of entitlement and ego are also present.

I'm not making excuses for his behaviour (he should be ashamed) but I'm fascinated by what I see as a mostly toxic and extreme culture of public judgement that inhabits the internet, as well as the immunity a wealthy celebrity may or may not enjoy to varying degrees. This is also Will Smith, who for the most part has been well-loved by the public at large for decades.

The usual "well if he was white he'd be cancelled" stuff is already up and running but I'm not interested in what-ifs. He's a straight male POC involved in an incident with another straight male POC so a lot of the culture war hot buttons are deactivated here; I'm just wondering where this specific situation is going to go.

 

[The Buffinator]

So in the wake of Smith's second and more elaborate public apology; an interesting question comes up. What mistakes are forgivable? Has anyone here ever made an ass of themselves, or lost their **** when they shouldn't have? Maybe not in front of millions of people but still.

He did assault someone, which is obviously much more of an issue than yelling at someone. Rock had a previous relationship with Smith, is coming out on top in this mess any way you slice it, and has declined to press charges so he seems to be fine.

Smith is in his early 50s and a public figure so the old 'he should know better' comes up but I really do believe Smith is embarrassed and likely will be for a very long time. On the other hand he had no problem enjoying his Oscar and dancing at the after-party so notions of entitlement and ego are also present.

I'm not making excuses for his behaviour (he should be ashamed) but I'm fascinated by what I see as a mostly toxic and extreme culture of public judgement that inhabits the internet, as well as the immunity a wealthy celebrity may or may not enjoy to varying degrees. This is also Will Smith, who for the most part has been well-loved by the public at large for decades.

The usual "well if he was white he'd be cancelled" stuff is already up and running but I'm not interested in what-ifs. He's a straight male POC involved in an incident with another straight male POC so a lot of the culture war hot buttons are deactivated here; I'm just wondering where this specific situation is going to go.

I'm not well versed in the law but I find it a bit odd that the police are treating this as strictly a civil matter (apparently a non-starter with Rock declining to press charges) rather than a criminal one. I would have thought something as obvious as this (evidence is there for all the world to see) would at least qualify as some kind of misdemeanor? At the very least Smith deserves a slap on the wrists from someone.

 

[ZE_501]

I'm not well versed in the law but I find it a bit odd that the police are treating this as strictly a civil matter (apparently a non-starter with Rock declining to press charges) rather than a criminal one. I would have thought something as obvious as this (evidence is there for all the world to see) would at least qualify as some kind of misdemeanor? At the very least Smith deserves a slap on the wrists from someone.

That may still happen. In cases of minor assault I've seen in real life that went to court here in Canada, I've seen courts order a peace bond be signed between two men but no actual charges laid, so I'm not clear on where the law actually steps in to charge someone, and US law isn't the same as Canadian so there's that.

 

[jye4ever]

I'm not well versed in the law but I find it a bit odd that the police are treating this as strictly a civil matter (apparently a non-starter with Rock declining to press charges) rather than a criminal one. I would have thought something as obvious as this (evidence is there for all the world to see) would at least qualify as some kind of misdemeanor? At the very least Smith deserves a slap on the wrists from someone.

Remember that Hockey games have fights in almost every other game for the last 50 years!

ZERO police involvement!

Why?

Because no charges are ever pressed.

 

[jye4ever]

WILL YOU JUST LOOK AT THIS PATHETIC BALD WEAKNESS!!!!!!

 

[ZE_501]

Remember that Hockey games have fights in almost every other game for the last 50 years!

ZERO police involvement!

Why?

Because no charges are ever pressed.

Great example, how could I forget. The truth is law enforcement picks and chooses what they actually want to pursue and file paperwork for all the time. Crying millionaires on television are likely low on the list.

 

[edonian]

I’m inclined to believe that Chris Rock didn’t bother pressing charges because he knows Will Smith will get enough crap from the public, pressing charges would’ve made him look petty. And anyway, Rock was the mature one in this situation. Smith looks like the idiot for losing his cool on TV. I’m looking forward to Chris Rock’s next stand up.

 

[TaliBane]

But seriously, wtf do you have to do to be escorted from the Oscars?

And oh, Hollywood. Minute's silence for Ukraine and adulation for deaf actors... then a standing ovation for the guy who just walked up and smacked a respected/loved comedian across the face 40 mins earlier - live and center stage. Then let out two blind-rage, spittle-inflected "f**-king" outbursts (Smith's face even more chilling than the hit) that echoed through a silent auditorium.

Amy Schumer really should have added the Oscars itself to her joke about the Golden Globes being in the "in memoriam" section. How ironic a movie called coda won.

 

[ZE_501]

But seriously, wtf do you have to do to be escorted from the Oscars?

The Academy needs to hire @Darth Snoopy.

 

[The Buffinator]

Remember that Hockey games have fights in almost every other game for the last 50 years!

ZERO police involvement!

Why?

Because no charges are ever pressed.

OK good point but in Hockey there are usually two willing participants in the fight. And with the exception of Tie Domi they usually don’t sucker punch the other guy lol.

 

[Dave_W]

The Academy needs to hire @Darth Snoopy.

I just want to thank Go...

BANNED!

please be gentle Snoop

 

[ZE_501]

Amy Schumer really should have -

Amy Schumer was busy.

 

[Khev]

So in the wake of Smith's second and more elaborate public apology; an interesting question comes up. What mistakes are forgivable? Has anyone here ever made an ass of themselves, or lost their **** when they shouldn't have? Maybe not in front of millions of people but still.

He did assault someone, which is obviously much more of an issue than yelling at someone. Rock had a previous relationship with Smith, is coming out on top in this mess any way you slice it, and has declined to press charges so he seems to be fine.

Smith is in his early 50s and a public figure so the old 'he should know better' comes up but I really do believe Smith is embarrassed and likely will be for a very long time. On the other hand he had no problem enjoying his Oscar and dancing at the after-party so notions of entitlement and ego are also present.

I'm not making excuses for his behaviour (he should be ashamed) but I'm fascinated by what I see as a mostly toxic and extreme culture of public judgement that inhabits the internet, as well as the immunity a wealthy celebrity may or may not enjoy to varying degrees. This is also Will Smith, who for the most part has been well-loved by the public at large for decades.

The usual "well if he was white he'd be cancelled" stuff is already up and running but I'm not interested in what-ifs. He's a straight male POC involved in an incident with another straight male POC so a lot of the culture war hot buttons are deactivated here; I'm just wondering where this specific situation is going to go.

At the end of the day it was an open handed slap that left no mark on a man who didn't press charges. His formal apology acknowledged the mistake and took responsibility for it. It'd be nice if the Oscars banned him at least temporarily to show that such behavior won't be tolerated but I don't think he needs to be cancelled, his life and career will forever be tainted by what he did. And on top of that he's married to Jada Pinkett. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

 

[ZE_501]

At the end of the day it was an open handed slap that left no mark on a man who didn't press charges. His formal apology acknowledged the mistake and took responsibility for it. It'd be nice if the Oscars banned him at least temporarily to show that such behavior won't be tolerated but I don't think he needs to be cancelled,

Members of the Academy have stated he won't be stripped of the Oscar but there will likely be 'consequences'.

his life and career will forever be tainted by what he did. And on top of that he's married to Jada Pinkett. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

Yep. I don't know anything about his wife other than finding out the other day she cheated on him. Which in and of itself is bad enough -- he should have got out then and there but that's just me.

 

[jye4ever]

Sean Penn has stated that he is fully aware that the Oscars have been trying to keep politics out of their broadcast due to ratings and he says while he respects that he is disappointed that they didn’t bring in Zalensky and he is now considering smelting his Oscar lol

 

[Darth Snoopy]

The Academy needs to hire @Darth Snoopy.

Pay me in Hot Toys and I'll clean house!

I just want to thank Go...

BANNED!

please be gentle Snoop

*Winner goes over one second on their acceptance speech*