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Original poster

I'm going to say it: There's a class divide in the Will Smith incident

266 replies

blockbustervideo · 28/03/2022 20:10

I have a wide social circle.

What I've noticed today on social media is those from blue collar/working class backgrounds are defending Will Smith's actions, the women saying "he's a real man" "that's what men should do", "he was defending her" and those from white collar backgrounds/middle classes completely condemning Will's actions as pure unadulterated violence/assault.

Both obviously agreeing Chris' joke was in bad taste and not funny.

What's everyone else's experience been from their social media reactions?

OP posts:
BlueCookieMonster · 28/03/2022 23:49

Well, he’s an idiot IMO. I come from a rough background, I wouldn’t want any man defending me like that.

It was a stupid joke, but what a stupid reaction as well. Both as bad as each other to be honest.

tillylula · 28/03/2022 23:50

Wasn't Will laughing at first and then his wife gave the eye roll?

I think it all was abit silly.

TatianaBis · 28/03/2022 23:51

I’m disappointed in WS and I’m sure he’s disappointed in himself. In fact I’m sure he’s gutted.

CR is a cunt though. I used to quite like him.

TatianaBis · 28/03/2022 23:53

@hamstersarse

All i know is that WS is going to have years of 'waking up in the night' moments with that gut-wrenching feeling of shame and embarrassment.

i know we have all lost it at times, but imagine doing it at the bloody Oscars in front of billions. Sends shivers down my spine

I know right.

I think my next fuck up will be followed by ‘but hey at least I didn’t punch someone at the Oscars.’.

TatianaBis · 28/03/2022 23:56

@Robinni

“Bernardine Evaristo: 'What a thing to wake up to. Only the fifth black man in nearly 100 years to win an Oscar for male lead, and the first in 16 years, resorts to violence instead of utilising the power of words to slay Chris Rock. Then he claims God and love made him do it.'”

So sad, black on black male violence is so normalised in many regions of the world. He’s just gone and reinforced negative patterns of behaviour. When he had a chance to be such a strong source of inspiration…

Apparently they may strip him of the Oscar now.

I know it’s such a shame.
theton · 29/03/2022 00:04

careful @TatianaBis Chris will find you & also you 😆

UniversalAunt · 29/03/2022 00:19

Chris Rock was hired to do a job. He’s well known for what he does & how he does it. He’s hired to present at the Oscars & to ‘roast’ the audience - bit edgy but tame enough for live US TV.

However stung JPS may have been by his throwaway jibe about her shaved head, it is WS who lost his shit & went up on the stage in a fit of pique. Throwing a punch/slap at Chris Rock would be assault in the UK.

On SM, I noticed some indulged in the ‘he’s defending his wife’ bollocks & as soon as they realised they’d misread the room full of posters calling out WS’s violence, they backtracked to sing at the back of the choir. Overall, the response in my neck of SM woods is that WS was out of order & has dropped a bomb on his career.

Jonny1265 · 29/03/2022 00:24

@Pizzadreams

Oh and I’m middle class and in my fifties and as much as I don’t condone violence I absolutely understand why he slapped him, what was said was so utterly unacceptable and for me is the worse crime by far,

He took the piss out a woman who has alopecia for having no hair, in front of the world. I have to be honest and say what Chris did was way way worse than what will smith did.

So violence is more acceptable than poor choice of words?
Jonny1265 · 29/03/2022 00:26

@stormswiftlysweetafton

Ah, and I should've said that I think a member of the working class might be more likely to not describe it as "assault", but maybe I'm wrong on that. It seems middle class to exaggerate it into something worse than it was.
It was an assault as defined in statute. Nothing exaggerated.
AnnesBrokenSlate · 29/03/2022 00:33

I've seen the complete opposite. Young, middle class, 'creative' people defending it because they equate words with 'actual violence' Hmm ; seem to think a 'man defending his woman' is romantic rather than toxic; and they have no RL experience of being in close proximity to violence.

The working class people I know and the professionals who work on DV, in the courts and with social services, have all been appalled by Will's actions. But they're much more attuned to abusive relationships; alert to the risk of violence and how it can escalate.

Tbh I think this thread is in bad taste. It seems like a tired attempt to find a new angle on the incident whilst being goady. There is literally nothing in any of the media coverage to support your initial assertion and much to disprove it.

theton · 29/03/2022 00:34

what was said was so utterly unacceptable and for me is the worse crime by far,

how can having the piss taken out if you be worse than getting hit?

Fairyarmpits · 29/03/2022 00:41

There's clearly a lot of history here. I'm not sure someone in their right mind would walk onto the stage and slap someone without a real reason.

Those emotions have been bubbling away under the surface and this has sent Will Smith over the edge.

I don't condone what he did but Chris Rock's comments weren't funny and he was a bit of shit for saying. It doesn't reflect well on either of them.

GreenLunchBox · 29/03/2022 00:46

I honestly think some folks are obsessed with class on here. It’s bewildering

This

No idea what 'class' I am but I'm behind WS on this. He shouldn't have done it but I'm not going to vilify him for it.

Jonny1265 · 29/03/2022 00:49

@GreenLunchBox

I honestly think some folks are obsessed with class on here. It’s bewildering

This

No idea what 'class' I am but I'm behind WS on this. He shouldn't have done it but I'm not going to vilify him for it.

He shouldn't have done what he did but you're behind him??
GreenLunchBox · 29/03/2022 00:49

Overall, the response in my neck of SM woods is that WS was out of order & has dropped a bomb on his career

I doubt it

Not sure where this energy for someone's career to be ruined was when the whole Weinstein and all the other disgusting oscar winners like him were exposed.

GreenLunchBox · 29/03/2022 00:49

He shouldn't have done what he did but you're behind him??

Yes

alex349 · 29/03/2022 00:49

Seems a bit reductive. I’m young (20s), middle-class and went to a good university. I don’t massively care either way, but I think there’s a point at which this dogmatic condemnation of violence becomes a bit unproductive. The slap was visibly harmless; it’s not like Will Smith smashed a pint glass over Chris Rock’s head and kicked him in the nuts. Chris Rock said something gratuitous about someone suffering from an illness who didn’t have a platform to respond to him. Will Smith hit someone of the same sex and similar build who had the capacity to reciprocate. I know which one offends me more.

Furries · 29/03/2022 00:51

@Sleepeatrepeat

No kne has posted anything about it that I have noticed.

I am probably seen as white collar middle class.

I think he was foolish to slap Chris Rock. Especially so publicly but I honestly can't say that I don't understand where the compulsion came from.

How often have we told our kids to turn the other cheek only for the bullying to get worse.

How many times have we resorted to telling our kids that if someone hits them hit them back harder.

Bullies are vile cretins and they do not deserve anyone's sympathy when some one fights back.

Chris Rock is a disgusting human being. He vilifies and humiliates people. He is a bully. Bullies need to be taught a lesson.

Perhaps he will think twice next time.

Will Smith was an idiot for resorting to violence. But I can't say I blame him

It was a waste of time typing most of your post. Your final sentence says it all. And that sentence was pointless due to “I can’t say I blame him”. Basically, the excuse violent me have used for years “they made me do it”.
Furries · 29/03/2022 00:55

@TheLightSideOfTheMoon

The people I’ve spoken too think it was staged.

I agree.

He was laughing along with the joke then leapt up as though he’d missed his call to action.

Chris Rock carried on, and laughed about it.

Will Smith was smiling when he went back to his seat.

Police aren’t intervening. Security didn’t intervene.

They’re both actors/comedians (although I hadn’t heard of Chris Rock until this incident) and wanted to cause a bit of controversy.

Although if everyone believes it then he clearly deserves his best actor award.

You are deluded if you think this was staged. If, by some miracle, it was staged then both of their management/PR teams need to be sacked.
AuntTwacky · 29/03/2022 00:58

@Random789

Definitely not an age thing. 59 here, and WS was being a dick.
This

I don't think it's an age thing or a class thing... everyone I know thinks WS was well out of order

Hausa · 29/03/2022 00:59

Will Smith is a 53 year old man with a career that has spanned almost four decades who is still news. He’s worth $350 million dollars, is one of the most successful movie stars of all time and just won an Oscar (on the very doubtful off chance that they take it away, he’ll still have won it).

The people wringing their hands about this being the end of his career are being somewhat unrealistic. He’s going to be just fine. Possibly better than fine, as this is going to give rise to an insane amount of memes and keep him in the public eye for a while.

AnnesBrokenSlate · 29/03/2022 01:04

this dogmatic condemnation of violence becomes a bit unproductive
And there is part of the problem ^^ A generation from 'good universities' who think physical violence is justified if someone hurts their feelings. Deliberately ignoring the fact that the people who suffer most from violent men are women. So women will have to learn to shut up so they don't hurt men's feelings and get a slap.

The entire education system is going to have to be rebuilt from the ground up. Perhaps with every student spending time working with a VAWG charity to see the real effects of the violence they are so quick to condone.

Furries · 29/03/2022 01:05

@TheNameOfTheRoses

I find it quite amusing to read that some many people understand WS reaction because he was triggered/provoked etc… But his wife who was on the one on the receiving end of the joke somehow managed to stay calm and not go in stage to physically hit the person making the joke/bullying her.

How is it that she managed to control herself but he didn’t??

This - every blooming time.

Some of the responses on various threads re this situation are really bloody disturbing.

No way would I want to be with someone who has the potential to react like this. Equally, no way would I want to be with someone who can make a joke out of a real living person. If only we could say that this shit only happens in Hollywood.

Furries · 29/03/2022 01:13

@alex349

Seems a bit reductive. I’m young (20s), middle-class and went to a good university. I don’t massively care either way, but I think there’s a point at which this dogmatic condemnation of violence becomes a bit unproductive. The slap was visibly harmless; it’s not like Will Smith smashed a pint glass over Chris Rock’s head and kicked him in the nuts. Chris Rock said something gratuitous about someone suffering from an illness who didn’t have a platform to respond to him. Will Smith hit someone of the same sex and similar build who had the capacity to reciprocate. I know which one offends me more.
Jesus fucking Christ. So you’re happy for a “slap” to be viewed as harmless? Thereby condoning that that reaction is ok?

Is it because it was Will hitting Chris? What if Amy had made that gag and Will slapped her? Would that still be ok in your description above?

It’s amazing the lengths people will go to in order to defend violence.

Will wasn’t “defending” his wife. He was escalating a situation in a typically male way. Defending her would have been staying by her side at the ceremony and then using his platform to call out bullying behaviour.

Changechangychange · 29/03/2022 01:14

So women will have to learn to shut up so they don't hurt men's feelings and get a slap.

Women already know this. We don't go around goading men, because we know damn well there's a high risk of being assaulted. It is men who believe they are untouchable and can say what they want to a woman and get away with it.

Chris Rock has been making nasty comments about JPS for years. On this occasion, he didn't get away with it. I have no sympathy - if you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes.