Posted on 03/30/2022 6:04:15 AM PDT by raccoonradio
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (UCLA ‘69) writes:
"When Will Smith stormed onto the Oscar stage to strike Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife's short hair, he did a lot more damage than just to Rock's face. With a single petulant blow, he advocated violence, diminished women, insulted the entertainment industry, and perpetuated stereotypes about the Black community. That's a lot to unpack.
Let's start with the facts: Rock made a reference to Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, as looking like Demi Moore in 'G.I. Jane,' in which Moore had shaved her head. Jada Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia, which causes hair loss. Ok, I can see where the Smiths might not have found that joke funny. But Hollywood awards shows are traditionally a venue where much worse things have been said about celebrities as a means of downplaying the fact that it's basically a gathering of multimillionaires giving each other awards to boost business so they can make even more money.
The Smiths could have reacted by politely laughing along with the joke or by glowering angrily at Rock. Instead, Smith felt the need to get up in front of his industry peers and millions of people around the world, hit another man, then return to his seat to bellow: 'Keep my wife's name out of your f---ing mouth.' Twice. Some have romanticized Smith's actions as that of a loving husband defending his wife. Comedian Tiffany Haddish, who starred in the movie 'Girls Trip' with Pinkett Smith, praised Smith's actions: '[F]or me, it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen because it made me believe that there are still men out there that love and care about their women, their wives.'
Actually, it was the opposite. Smith's slap was also a slap to women. If Rock had physically attacked Pinkett Smith, Smith's intervention would have been welcome. Or if he'd remained in his seat and yelled his post-slap threat, that would have been unnecessary, but understandable. But by hitting Rock, he announced that his wife was incapable of defending herself—against words. From everything I'd seen of Pinkett Smith over the years, she's a very capable, tough, smart woman who can single-handedly take on a lame joke at the Academy Awards show. This patronizing, paternal attitude infantilizes women and reduces them to helpless damsels needing a Big Strong Man to defend their honor least they swoon from the vapors.
If he was really doing it for his wife, and not his own need to prove himself, he might have thought about the negative attention this brought on them, much harsher than the benign joke. That would have been truly defending and respecting her. This 'women need men to defend them' is the same justification currently being proclaimed by conservatives passing laws to restrict abortion and the LGBTQ+ community. Worse than the slap was Smith's tearful, self-serving acceptance speech in which he rambled on about all the women in the movie 'King Richard' that he's protected. Those who protect don't brag about it in front of 15 million people. They just do it and shut up. You don't do it as a movie promotion claiming how you're like the character you just won an award portraying.
But, of course, the speech was about justifying his violence. Apparently, so many people need Smith's protection that occasionally it gets too much and someone needs to be smacked. What is the legacy of Smith's violence? He's brought back the Toxic Bro ideal of embracing Kobra Kai teachings of 'might makes right' and 'talk is for losers.' Let's not forget that this macho John Wayne philosophy was expressed in two movies in which Wayne spanked grown women to teach them a lesson. Young boys—especially Black boys—watching their movie idol not just hit another man over a joke, but then justify it as him being a superhero-like protector, are now much more prone to follow in his childish footsteps. Perhaps the saddest confirmation of this is the tweet from Smith's child Jaden: 'And That’s How We Do It.' The Black community also takes a direct hit from Smith. One of the main talking points from those supporting the systemic racism in America is characterizing Blacks as more prone to violence and less able to control their emotions. Smith just gave comfort to the enemy by providing them with the perfect optics they were dreaming of. Many will be reinvigorated to continue their campaign to marginalize African Americans and others through voter suppression campaign. As for the damage to show business, Smith's violence is an implied threat to all comedians who now have to worry that an edgy or insulting joke might be met with violence. Good thing Don Rickles, Bill Burr, or Ricky Gervais weren't there. As comedian Kathy Griffin tweeted: 'Now we all have to worry about who wants to be the next Will Smith in comedy clubs and theaters.' The one bright note is that Chris Rock, clearly stunned, managed to handle the moment with grace and maturity. If only Smith's acceptance speech had shown similar grace and maturity—and included, instead of self-aggrandizing excuses, a heartfelt apology to Rock."
The optics of the incident weigh heavily against any notion that it was staged. No way in hell would Hollywood want to broadcast an incident of a violent black man acting like a zoo animal at its annual awards event.
NGAF
Candace Owens’ take on this is worth the 6m.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxNTcMsULuY
Classy and pretty well nails the micro and macro issues.
Quickly selling out venues; Rock’s dates in Boston are sold out.
Yeah I like to refer to the Oscars as an awards show for People Who Play Pretend For a Living. Like overgrown kids imagining stuff. Still, actors, athletes, musicians etc make tons of money for those who do care about what they do. Entertainment. Some movies, sports, music etc are pleasant diversions. And even events like this can provide yuks and laughs...or water-cooler discussions.
Oh, some rock band drummer dies at 50? RIP, thoughts and prayers, what a shame—oh, he had 10 drugs in his system...I am shocked!!
Let's see......Mardi Gras, the Kentucky Derby... Disneyland, education, politics, entertainment, etc... It's all been hijacked by the increasingly coarse and disgusting Philistines who constantly rant about their lack of inclusion in society and who demand to be treated with ‘respect’ in the US.
I wonder if I got that right
What a load of hooey. The Oscars ceremoney in a formal social event and as such it has a formal social registry because it is a “hi risk” social event. In high risk events such as marriages, funerals and other formal venues, we need to engage our “manners” in order to avoid hurting other people
irreperably.
I also want to say that the Japanese are masters at this dynamic of using formality to avoid risk in certain situationions whioch have the possibility of hurtfulness.
The question I have is who breached the mannerly way? It was Chris Rock , by failing to observe the niceties of the event and acted as if he was at a bar room roast of Will Smith and his wife. In other words Chris Rock was invoking laughter in the audience at the expense of Will Smith’s wife at a formal event.
In years past iin Washington, back in the early 1800s, the situaton would have likely resulted in a duel for satisfaction between the parties. We do not do that now of course, but the fact is that socially speaking, Will Smith was justified in slapping Rock. It was Roick who breached the ettiquette of a formal gathering, lowering the social register to bar room humor and hurting the feelings of Mrs, Smith and Will Smith. Mrs, Smith has a scalp disease from which she is recobvering, necessitating that she shave her head for medical reasons.
As far as this mannerly slap, it was justified. And I do think that Will Smith was wrong to apologize for it.
Manners. Do not forget them.
I have absolutely no problem with that at all. Good manners always lead to peace and kindness. Bad manners always lead to bad feelings, discontent and fighting. It is goood to understand the social register in whichi one is partcipating in any Culture, including Hollywood;s, what the social risk is, the higher the risk, the higher the formality. You breach that ettiquette at your own risk. And believe me, that is exactly how the entire world operates.Be ignorant of that social register at your peril.
Therefore I laud will Smith’s slap. He would be now welcome in Cowboy Country. Maybe he should declare himself a MAGA Trump supporter.
One time I hit a guy that I knew I could whip and in time I felt like a total chickenhsit for it.
Another wealthy celebrity sets fire to his career.
Actors CAN lose their box office appeal from being jerks.
Will Smith is not a big enough man to laugh anymore.
Chris Rock is now selling out his live shows at skyrocketing ticket prices.
If we all could just be slapped by Will Smith to greatly increase our income !
I’m surprised Rock didn’t ask if anyone else in the audience was going to defendpinkets honor
I have been on a bus and saw a man diss a fellows girfriends appearance. The insulting party woke up hours later with a broken jaw.
Remember....MANNERS! Always leads to kindness, not hurt.
Will did it right IMHO.
The brothah deserved that slap. But everyone is gasping about the fact that we still have manners, even in Hollywood. I have to laugh.
“Smith just gave comfort to the enemy by providing them with the perfect optics they were dreaming of.”
No need to dream, just look at democrat run cities (chicago, baltimore, etc.).
And those who see the reality occurring in US cities at the hands of young black men are not the enemy.
Wait! You mean Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. is still alive?
Not all that long ago a couple white guys under similar circumstances would have followed the slap with “I challenge you to a duel!”
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will have to deliver its own punishment against Will Smith. The Oscars are not supposed to be a street fight in the ‘hood where you settle personal scores with violence over being “dissed” (disrespected). That is the root of trouble among young black males in America’s black inner cities.
Yes, Lew Alcindor the co star of Airplane! is now 74 and still with us!
Couldn’t care less what Lew Alcindor thinks about those clowns.
Lock them in an Octagon. Whoever walks out wins.
Chris didn't insult her appearance. I once went completely bald from chemo, and I would've been flattered if someone had compared me to Demi Moore in GI Jane.
It was a very feminine move.
Smith walked up on stage like a "Karen" looking for the manager.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.