Will Smith punches Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars.

[CheeseMuffin]

I think I speak for us all when I ask WTF just happened?

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/mar/27/will-smith-punch-chris-rock-wife-joke-gi-jane-video-oscars

comedy roasts are a US institution that date back to the fifties, where a celebrity guest of honour gamely endures a series of hugely personal attacks from comics and showbiz colleagues. It has a storied and pervasive cultural history in America - particularly at awards ceremonies and public dinners.

The concept is about placing the great and the good (ie people of high social capital, as in you are not mocking poor people, or disadvantaged) in a boundaried setting and taking them down a peg or two, or twenty. Mocking them mercilessly for anything and everything. And the people subject to it know others will get it. It's a game, where a jester type takes the 0.00001% of privileged people and rips them to shreds. Try Anthony Jeselnik if you want to see truly brutal roasting (his Trump one is funny - Trump is hating every second of it)

Then this stops the minute the event is over.

It's such a well known tradition that there have been many anti-roasts, the late Norm Macdonald's one of the late Bod Saget being the best antiroast

It's not really translated well in Britain.

It is supposed to be insulting, supposed to be 'below the belt' and no-holds barred and the Oscars took the genre and spruced up its rather dull and staid format by hiring comics to do roasts a number of years ago.

You may not agree that it helped the Oscars but every celeb knows what a roast is, their people will know, it's about tearing them down in a certain setting. Anyone celeb loses sight of this has their head up their arse.

Now, would a comic or an ex-Scientologist be more or less likely to have their head up their arse

Actually Will Smith showed great restraint! His assault was symbolic and did not cause real injury. It was with an open hand and he walked away after slapping him.
Someone who is unable to control his violence would have had to be pulled off the “comedian”.
I think most courts would call it provocation and let Smith off with a small fine or probation. Sure one cannot generally condone violence but in the circumstances what other redress was there.
I cannot understand the American custom of “roasting” where the intent seems to be to humiliate people in public while the speaker is protected by a microphone.
Those saying Will Smithwas laughing prior to this — must be awfully difficult to know what todo with your face when on public display and the jokes are so lame. I feel that half the time the celebrities in an audience who know they are being filmed must be faking it when they laugh.

This is what happened during the commercial break after the staged slap -

@Musomama1

But joking about a distressing (what woman wants to go bald?) medical condition in a room full of beautiful people is crossing a line.

I am bald and happy to flaunt it. Their is nothing ugly with a shaved head. Jada, who wears extreme hair for years look wonderful

[quote ravenmum]@notanotheroneagain But that's how it always is with these roasts. Tom Hanks looked pretty pissed off by Ricky Gervais last time, but no-one would say that Gervais should take on someone his own size, would they?[/quote]
Didn't know Ricky made a joke about Tom's medical condition that he could not help.

That isn’t a lesson any of our children should be exposed to (ie if someone says something nasty it’s alright to be violent to them no one will care abs you’ll still get your award and platform to speak at)

The lesson is if your rich & famous the rules don't apply

The thing I'm very angry about is that all this shenanigans has taken away from the wonderful historic wins for CODA and the deaf community...

@Cindie943811A

Actually Will Smith showed great restraint! His assault was symbolic and did not cause real injury. It was with an open hand and he walked away after slapping him. Someone who is unable to control his violence would have had to be pulled off the “comedian”. I think most courts would call it provocation and let Smith off with a small fine or probation. Sure one cannot generally condone violence but in the circumstances what other redress was there. I cannot understand the American custom of “roasting” where the intent seems to be to humiliate people in public while the speaker is protected by a microphone. Those saying Will Smithwas laughing prior to this — must be awfully difficult to know what todo with your face when on public display and the jokes are so lame. I feel that half the time the celebrities in an audience who know they are being filmed must be faking it when they laugh.

You ok with being slapped about the face if you upset someone as it is an open hand?

I can see law books being torn up as we speak.

Well your honour, he only slapped him, and walked away after the event, so nothing to see here.

Didn't know Ricky made a joke about Tom's medical condition that he could not help.

Leo legit has a medical condition why he can't date women over 25 😆

He really lost the moral high ground when he slapped him. And I don't think it was all about that joke either. He was laughing along until he looked at his wife and saw her distress (which no doubt he's seen in private many times) then he realised that he was joining in on the humiliation of his wife, in front of millions. He has also been on the receiving end of some nasty jokes and gossip for the last couple of years due to the very public nature of their relationship. Maybe the joke was the straw that broke the back so to speak. Nevertheless, it is not acceptable to put your hands on anyone. And where was security, what if Chris had smacked him back?

@jungledoc

Didn't know Ricky made a joke about Tom's medical condition that he could not help.

Leo legit has a medical condition why he can't date women over 25 😆

Mel Gibsons alcholism Leos age Joe Pesci lack of height

All conditions that can not be helped, however, all taken in the spirit of the show, maybe they should have slapped Ricky Gervais, seems the right thing to do.....

Actually Will Smith showed great restraint! His assault was symbolic and did not cause real injury. It was with an open hand and he walked away after slapping him.

You've got to be kidding

@whynotwhatknot

I like them both it was an awful joke and will sholdnt have slapped him but

what would everyone say if it was a joke about the Coda cast being deaf-would it have been just get over it?

No, sensible people would have said it was awful and disgusting, would have vilified the comedian, would have called them out on it being a vile thing to say... but not encouraged / celebrated cast members physically assaulting the dickhead who 'joked' about it.

It's possible to think the joke was much too far and also think Will Smith's behaviour was disgusting and be shocked he was allowed to remain at the ceremony, receive his award, give his speech and do a red carpet post show celebrating.

All after he physically assaulted someone in front of a room of people on live TV.

@Cindie943811A

Actually Will Smith showed great restraint! His assault was symbolic and did not cause real injury. It was with an open hand and he walked away after slapping him. Someone who is unable to control his violence would have had to be pulled off the “comedian”. I think most courts would call it provocation and let Smith off with a small fine or probation. Sure one cannot generally condone violence but in the circumstances what other redress was there. I cannot understand the American custom of “roasting” where the intent seems to be to humiliate people in public while the speaker is protected by a microphone. Those saying Will Smithwas laughing prior to this — must be awfully difficult to know what todo with your face when on public display and the jokes are so lame. I feel that half the time the celebrities in an audience who know they are being filmed must be faking it when they laugh.

What on earth are you talking about. Someone who can control their anger does not resort to any sort of violence

@5zeds

Women slap people too.

Yes, but not on this occasion. We are discussing an incident where no women slapped anyone, and yet you have to say "but women do it too" - really?

This is about toxic masculinity.

@jungledoc

Didn't know Ricky made a joke about Tom's medical condition that he could not help.

Leo legit has a medical condition why he can't date women over 25 😆

😂😂😂

Actually Will Smith showed great restraint! His assault was symbolic and did not cause real injury. It was with an open hand and he walked away after slapping him.
Someone who is unable to control his violence would have had to be pulled off the “comedian”. ah OK so we're fine with violence as long it's controlled violence I can stop whenever I want. So if you do something I disapprove of, it's OK for me to slap you as long as my slap is intentional redress not a lack of control. That should go down well with perpetrators of DV especially.

Sure one cannot generally condone violence but in the circumstances what other redress was there. he's an eloquent and loud man. He could have used his words. Isn't that what we teach our kids?

Chris Rock made a horrible joke, and I wish Will had handled it better and took him down with words. Sadly by hitting out he's made himself look an idiot and overshadowed his Oscar win. He's also embarrassed his wife, and himself.

Violence is never the answer.

Cindie943811A

Actually Will Smith showed great restraint! His assault was symbolic and did not cause real injury.

So if you insult someone because you are triggered , it is perfectly acceptable ?
If you have a child , is this the way you raise them, if someone offends you , just go and smack them in the face
Really really easy to see why domestic violence incidents are at an all time high. Christ !!

Actually Will Smith showed great restraint! His assault was symbolic and did not cause real injury. It was with an open hand and he walked away after slapping him.

IME many of the men who can 'control' their physical acts of violence in this calm way are the most chillingly abusive.

Because it is practiced and controlling behaviour that they don't shock themselves with in a moment of madness.

Cold, calm violence is a practiced tactic used to control and punish.

Someone who is unable to control his violence would have had to be pulled off the “comedian”.

Doesn't that make it worse?

The fact that Will might have been, as you claim, in complete control and yet still hit CR? Controlled violence is more worrying, not less.

No, sensible people would have said it was awful and disgusting, would have vilified the comedian, would have called them out on it being a vile thing to say... but not encouraged / celebrated cast members physically assaulting the dickhead who 'joked' about it.

It's possible to think the joke was much too far and also think Will Smith's behaviour was disgusting and be shocked he was allowed to remain at the ceremony, receive his award, give his speech and do a red carpet post show celebrating.

All after he physically assaulted someone in front of a room of people on live Tv

Yes youre right @youvegottenminuteslynn just a bad reaction to a terrible joke

Spoilt, overindulged grown man slapping people about and shouting on live TV.

I mean, the 'joke' was out of order, but you don't behave like that. Unless, I guess, you live your life surrounded by sycophants and yes-men.

Pity he won.

I think that the “joke” was awful and Jada was clearly floored by it. If WS had stood up and shouted out that it was a completely inappropriate, rude, offensive thing to say about someone with a medical condition who is trying to hold their head up and get on with her life the whole place would probably have given him a round of applause. However him hitting CR and his shouting and swearing made him look bad too.

I hate the oscars anyway, it’s contrived and boring. Not particularly an indication of talent either.