First, I must apologize for being the zillioneth person to discuss the Will Smith-Chris Rock thing. I know just about everybody is sick of it, but you got to admit it is not every day you see one millionaire smack another millionaire and then have a total and complete meltdown on live TV.
However, since I am a member of the Amalgamated Bloggers Union Local 77, I am compelled to comment even though:
- It didn't involve me.
- It doesn't affect me.
- Nothing I say will change anyone's opinion about the event.
To give a quick recap, Will Smith was a nominee for best actor and had a primo seat at the front of the theatre. Chris Rock was a presenter for the Best Documentary category.
Chris Rock was doing his Chris Rock bit and pointed out that Jada Pickett Smith (Will's wife) will star in "G.I Jane II".
Oh no, he didn't.
Pickett-Smith keeps her hair cut short because she has a condition called Alopecia which causes people to lose their hair. Up until last Sunday night, I didn't know she had Alopecia. I didn't know she had short hair.
Will Smith laughed. Moments later, however, he got up out of his seat, walked onto the stage, slapped Chris Rock, turned around and walked in a huff back to his seat. When Rock protested that it was just a "G.I. Jane" joke, the full psychosis exploded and Smith screamed, "Keep my wife's name out of your (word used only on premium cable and "Yellowstone") mouth".
My opinion.
It amazes me how thin-skinned some people can be. Do I think people with Alopecia should be made fun of? It depends on your definition of "making fun." There is something known as good-natured joshing or teasing. Rock was smiling and laughing as he told the joke and prefaced it by saying, "You know I love you".
There are some women that can rock the bald look. Beautiful people tend to be beautiful no matter their hair style.
If Pickett-Smith had cancer and lost her hair due to chemotherapy, I would agree with the people who thought Rock's joke was mean. But she doesn't have cancer and people treat Alopecia by different methods. Some wear wigs. Some cut their hair short.
I don't tease anybody for any condition if I know about it. We really don't know if Rock knew about Pickett-Smith's Alopecia. You can't expect a comedian to know the medical conditions of his audience.
I've read a lot of articles about "what all this meant". There's been a lot of sociology, psychology, and political science added to this event. Unfortunately, a lot of it was hogwash.
I don't know if it has anything to do with the Smith's (cough) unconventional marriage. I don't know if it has to do with race, religion, or the fact Smith is seen as a MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STAR, while Rock is still seen as a stand-up comedian, which is just one step up in the entertainment business ladder from a radio morning zoo-crew host.
What is bad about all of this is that it destroys the carefully constructed image of Will Smith. He was an actor that appealed to everyone of all ages. While I wouldn't consider myself a fan, I've enjoyed every movie I've seen of his, and really that's all you can ask of an actor.
But, looking back on it, I never entirely bought the whole Will Smith package. He was hip, and he was a nice guy. He was the street, and he was the boardroom. It seemed that he was playing on both sides of the street.
As far as The Oscars are concerned, it was just freaky that they didn't escort Smith out of the auditorium. Just like Smith, they doubled down on their error after Smith gave his speech apologizing to everyone but Rock for his behavior by giving Smith a standing ovation.
The person that should have received a standing ovation was Rock, who carried on with his job after the slap. I would have curled up in a ball.
Smith is a person that needs to control his emotions. (Duh) He needs to seek professional help and not a publicist.
On the bright side, it is not the worst thing an actor has ever done during a show. That distinction is held by John Wilkes Booth and you know how that turned out.
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