Pardon the Interruption
The Oscars is a time to celebrate the actors and movies that entertain us. This year's was more special with the event returning "back to normal" after two years of COVID.
However, the night --with so many ground breaking moments -- is being overshadowed by the actions of Will Smith, who went on to win an Oscar for Best Actor.
So, What happened?
If you haven't heard, after comedian Chris Rock poked fun of Jada Pinkett Smith's bald head, Will Smith walked on stage and slapped the comedian across the face, then walked back to his seat and berated Chris Rock.
"Keep my wife's name out your fucking mouth," yelled Will Smith.
"Wow, dude. It was a 'G.I. Jane' joke," Chris Rock retorted.
I grew up listening to DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. Like many kids my age at the time I related to Parent's Just Don't Understand, the hit song that introduced Will Smith to the world.
I idolized him. I wanted to be like the Fresh Prince. My childhood friend and I would make up album songs and covers that mimic DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince.
When NBC advertised a new show starring Will Smith, The Fresh Price of Bel-Air, I was ecstatic. His career skyrocketed as he began starring in movies and releasing albums under his name, Will Smith.
Recently, I started reading his memoir, Will. The first few chapters I've read touch on family and his relationship with his father.
Soon after the event unfolded last night, I reflected on what I had read in the first few chapters of his memoir. He protects his family.
Then I realized that this event occurred on live TV in front of America, the world. Oh no. The kids.
Chris Rock is a comedian who is known to make jokes at others expense. Of course, this is the Oscars, and it's expected by actors to be the butt of jokes; and this night there were many jokes from the females hosts, Amy Schumer, Regina Hall, and Wanda Sykes.
Earlier in the night, Regina Hall indirectly joked about Jada Pinkett Smith's "entanglement" with rapper August Alsina. "Will Smith... you're married but you know what, you're on the list and it looks like Jada approved you so get on up here."
Let's remember, during the 2016 Academy Awards ceremony, Chris Rock made fun of Jada Pinkett Smith's "boycott of the Oscars due to its lack of diversity, "Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna's panties. I wasn't invited."
Chris Rock then said of Will Smith, "It's not fair that Will was this good and didn't get nominated. It's also not fair that Will was paid $20 million for Wild Wild West!"
But this evening was different. It became personal for Will Smith because Jada Pinkett Smith decision to go bald is due to her having alopecia.
Again, I want to defend Will Smith. I went on Twitter and sought explanation. I saw tweets that included video of Will Smith surrounded by Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry during a commercial break. Then Will and Jada's publicists talking to them. When the ceremony returned and cameras showed the Smiths, they were smiling and laughing.
During the commercial break, Will Smith is pulled aside and comforted by Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry, who motion for him to brush it off. Will appears to wipe tears from his eyes as he sits back down with Jada, with Denzel comforting Jada and Will’s rep by his side. pic.twitter.com/uDGVnWrSS2
— Scott Feinberg (@ScottFeinberg) March 28, 2022
When Will Smith won the Oscar for Best Actor, like many, I was expecting him to address his actions. Although, he did apologize to the Academy, there was no apology to Chris Rock. And to be honest, I don't think the apology to the Academy was but half sincere and rather self-absorbed--wanting to find validation for his own actions.
"Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family," Smith said, "I'm being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people."
"I know to do what we do, you gotta be able to take abuse, and you gotta be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business, you gotta be able to have people disrespecting you and you gotta smile and you gotta pretend like that's OK."
"I want to apologize to the Academy, I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees... Love will make you do crazy things."
Soon after the Oscars ended, Chris Rock was reported not pressing charges against Will Smith. Although, this doesn't necessarily mean Will Smith is out of the woods. The Academy can press charges or take some other action to reprimand Smith. And to be honest, I think they should.
I'm a Will Smith fan and I want the best for him, but like I said in the beginning of the post, kids are watching.
What message do we want our kids to learn from Smith's action? It's okay slap a man for making jokes then berate with vulgarity?
A day after the incident, Will Smith did make a public apology to Chris Rock on his Instagram account. In the apology, he said, "I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness."
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