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Original poster

Will Smith punches Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars.

999 replies

CheeseMuffin · 28/03/2022 04:10

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

OP posts:
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5
unname · 28/03/2022 07:16

[quote HumousWhereTheHeartIs]@unname Exactly. Neither of these statements would have been released had the incident been part of the show.[/quote]
I can’t say I understand.

LAPD certainly wouldn’t know. One famous man slapping another is hardly the worst thing happening in that city tonight.

I would expect the Academy would make a stronger statement if it were a concern to them. It read like a pat on the back for Will Smith to me.

Ohchristmastreeohchristmastree · 28/03/2022 07:18

@Habitatty282

The thing about the joke, he compared her to GI Jane, an absolutely gorgeous, strong, incredible woman. Demi Moore was iconic in that role, so beautiful. Jada could have taken that as a compliment, said 'thankyou' and stroked her head or something like that, empowered all the women out there with alopecia. I have disabilities and the best thing you can do is laugh about them. It was a pretty tame joke.
That’s a good point about Demi Moore. But his joke wasn’t meant to empower Jade. And are you expecting her to rise above it in that moment. It isn’t her responsibility to make the situation better, in that moment.
Sushi7 · 28/03/2022 07:21

Will Smith was NOT defending his wife. He was laughing at the joke, realised he looked like a dick, and thought it was a good idea to punch someone for joking about hair loss. So many people joke about male hair loss so why is female hair loss any different? Comedy always involves joking about others.

ILoveYou3000 · 28/03/2022 07:21

Ftr, of course the joke was horrible. It doesn't mean you get to slap someone. And it certainly doesn't mean you get to blame your violence on "love," which is an upsetting excuse.

Upsetting and dangerous. How many domestic abusers use "love" as justification for their abuse, and here's someone as big and influential as WS doing the same.

Worldgonecrazy · 28/03/2022 07:22

Having had alopaecia all I can say is ‘bloody well done!’

Hopefully this may raise awareness about how devastating this condition can be for women in a society that only values women for how they look.

Swayingpalmtrees · 28/03/2022 07:23

I remember there we were lots of rumours years ago that Will had been abusive to his wife. I am sorry but that was unacceptable. Children watch the Oscars. I felt very uncomfortable watching it. It was not staged. Will should be prosecuted, and probably will be.

ReeseWitherfork · 28/03/2022 07:23

Confused by the comments here saying Will Smith has built a “good guy persona”. I thought it was common knowledge he was a bit of a twat?! Actually refreshing to see him acting human. Hope the answer to this isn’t cancel culture, but rather that both men are able to publicly reflect.

Thatsplentyjack · 28/03/2022 07:23

Either way making fun of someone's alopecia is not a good look.

I had no idea she had alopecia. Didn't understand the "joke" or the reactions until I read your comment. I kind of understand his reaction though.

Futuroute · 28/03/2022 07:24

@debbrianna

This is where I stand with Jada p. Chris rock has a whole famous documentary about black women's hair and the politics around it. The misogynior. He talks about his own daughter and hair identity.

Jada is scared of award shows. I have watched her talk about bring uncomfortable being in crowds and ways taking her son to help her coupe with anxiety. This is before the alopecia.

Jada wore the head wraps for while, then revealed she was tired and her daughter will shaved her head too to help her mum deal with hair loss.

This is all public.

Chris rock was out of line
Will Smith is out of line.

The disrespected person hear is Jada Pinket

I agree with this. Jada is being overlooked while people argue about the two men.
Swayingpalmtrees · 28/03/2022 07:24

There is never ever a good reason to be violent towards another person world regardless of how worthy you think the cause might be.

Papayamya · 28/03/2022 07:24

There's plenty of clips of him losing his temper in the past, he'll be fuming he's let the mask slip on such a big platform I expect. The joke was horrible, but for some weird reason that's what they do at these award shows- take the mick out of people for a laugh. Instead of punch someone, why don't they boycott the awards if they feel that strongly? Why didn't he get up and walk out? Because it was uncontrolled aggression. His ego probably played a part rather than her feelings, I feel mortified for her.

squifflybobs · 28/03/2022 07:25

My 12 year old DS recently got into a lot of trouble because he punched a kid at school who had been verbally bullying him for months. Similar incident - offensive joke tipped him over the edge,
we've ( obviously) been continuously reinforcing to him that violence is never the answer, no matter the provocation.

I just watched this with him . He has ASD and cannot understand how the Awards just carried on. He has just stomped off to his room angry at how he faced consequences when an adult has not ( and was in fact awarded an Oscar)

jungledoc · 28/03/2022 07:25

Yes Will Smith laughing at the joke & then doing a 360 is definitely going to raise awareness about the pressure on women's in today's society.

Jada's response was perfect & would have started a conversation. Now it will be all about Will, cancel culture, resorting to violence & the state of their marriage

noodlezoodle · 28/03/2022 07:26

This was absolutely jaw dropping. Looked completely real to me - Chris Rock was really shaken but somehome managed to carry on presenting. But what a shit show.

Yes it was a terrible joke but what on earth possessed Will Smith? This might not be the end of his career but it will haunt him forever. Also if I was Jada I'd be livid with both of them - she's more than capable of sticking up for herself.

I feel sorry for the poor PRs and PAs behind the scenes who will have been tasked with cleaning up the mess and certainly won't be getting any sleep tonight. I'd imagine WS will be shipped off to rehab or taking anger management classes in the not too distant future Shock

NameGoesHere · 28/03/2022 07:27

Don’t they have an open marriage…. He’s a vile person.

KatherineJaneway · 28/03/2022 07:29

I thought it was a joke at first. Shocked it happened.

grapewines · 28/03/2022 07:30

@HallucinatingHilda

If this was in Relationships, the wisdom would say, when a man shows you who he is, believe him.

His acceptance speech just confirms that he has almost messianic tendancies - "I feel I have been called by God".. so God would approve? You've a red phone to the man upstairs?

If you go back to his incredibly revealing chat with Graham Norton, his whole purpose in life is to be famous. To be the most known, and the most important.

He probably felt humiliated when he saw that whilst he was laughing, Jada wasn't, and this was how he dealt with it.

I don't care if he was high. I don't care how low the MC goes with the roasting, this is not a man protecting his family. This is not a man defending his wife's honour.

This is a man showing you who he is. Believe him.

Agree. But he's famous and therefore he'll be excused.
Fidodidit · 28/03/2022 07:30

I also think WS was overcompensating for laughing. I didn’t know his wife’s condition so was confused by the issue at first (thought was a style choice or for a film role) but if it is well known and Chris Rock is aware then it’s a horrible horrible comment and should be off limits for a “joke”. I would have felt humiliated and even more so if I saw DH laughing along.

SNUG2022 · 28/03/2022 07:30

Go Will!! Well done sticking up for your wife! Can't stand that grimy little cunt. Apparently he's criticised her and them before.

Loopytiles · 28/03/2022 07:31

Violence is not ‘sticking up for your wife’.

EIisheva · 28/03/2022 07:31

Hmm very honourable n all but is bet money that he hits his wife and kids if he can’t even hold it together in front of an international audience

🙄

SNUG2022 · 28/03/2022 07:32

Disagree, but never mind.

Knittingchamp · 28/03/2022 07:32

@Lavenderlid

Chris rock was out of line Will Smith is out of line. The disrespected person hear is Jada Pinket I agree with this. What has surprised me is how positively I felt about WS slapping him, when I first saw it. How many nasty little jokes does a comedian like that get away with? If her hair style was for fashion fair enough - but because of a medical (and exacerbated by stress) condition? Twat.
I feel this way too. Usually this nasty kind of insult is thrown out on twitter or online wherever, and you don't see the effects on the target or their loved ones (i.e., the damage done). Well here's one time we did! This kind of shit joke about a medical condition can devastate people so why allow it? There are far better comedians who don't need to insult other people to get a laugh. Will Smith just acted in impulse after his wife was mocked in front of millions of people round the world.

Violence isn't the answer but then I'm sick of this culture where you can just insult, hurt, mock, belittle, and the person just has to 'take it'. Why? Will Smith had obviously gotten dick of it. I am, too, Chris Rock deserved a slap.

Knittingchamp · 28/03/2022 07:33

Oh God, sick of it, that was meant to say Grin

zafferana · 28/03/2022 07:36

Will Smith went a bit apeshit, but actually I think he was justified. He and Jada have probably had enough of being the butt of people's jokes and if someone was making fun of me, just to get a laugh, I'd hope my DH would act too. I realise that slapping someone is assault, but the joke was in horrible taste and Chris Rock is a jerk. Making fun of a woman's hair falling out??? Oh yeah, very fucking hilarious. What an arsehole.