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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Will Smith/Chris Rock Oscars - where do you stand?

803 replies

Jaggerdagger · 28/03/2022 07:28

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/entertainment-arts-60898250

I'm a bit on the fence at the moment but shocked from watching this - wondered what others think?

YABU Will Smith had every right to wallop Chris. His wife was clearly deeply insulted. He deserved it.
YANBU Chris was just reading from a script and didn't deserve such a public assault.

OP posts:
BurntEnds · 28/03/2022 08:22

@Horst

I mean the joke may not be funny but will just looks like a dick now. Maybe jada should of stayed home with one of her entanglements and he should of kept his hands to himself.

These things are known for crappy jokes and jabs at the very celebs there hoping to gain an award. Don’t like it don’t go. Nobody forced anyone to be there.

Sorry what? Jade should have stayed at home so she didn't get insulted?!! Hmm
Maze76 · 28/03/2022 08:22

I have watched Jada’s Red Table Talk show. She openly discusses her condition and She advocates for womens right and female empowerment. I wouldn’t have though that she would want or need Will storming stages to defend her ‘honour’, unless of course that version of her is a lie. Makes me wonder what kind of relationship those two have.
Will Smith has gone down in my estimation. He over reacted, and clearly cannot control himself. Chris Rocks joke was just that… Ricky Gervais has said worse

DrManhattan · 28/03/2022 08:22

Like his teary acceptance speech, all acting.

Chonfox · 28/03/2022 08:22

Interesting too that if a "normal" person behaved in such a way theyd be instantly escorted away by security. Revering these people in such a manner is embarrassing. All the idiots clapping for him should be ashamed of themselves.

BurntEnds · 28/03/2022 08:23

@Horst

I mean the joke may not be funny but will just looks like a dick now. Maybe jada should of stayed home with one of her entanglements and he should of kept his hands to himself.

These things are known for crappy jokes and jabs at the very celebs there hoping to gain an award. Don’t like it don’t go. Nobody forced anyone to be there.

They shouldn't be known for insulting someone's appearance, especially when there is a reason for it and it can't be helped.
AlternativePerspective · 28/03/2022 08:23

The whole thing was staged anyway IMO. And no, the speech doesn’t convince me otherwise. He’s an actor.

But even if it hadn’t been staged, I’m sick of people just being allowed to say wtf they want with nothing but a “he’s a twat” response, when as soon as someone raises their hand they’re the lowest of the low.

Ableism and misogyny are up there with violence IMO, so as far as I’m concerned Chris Rock threw the first punch and got what he deserved.

MuggleMadness · 28/03/2022 08:23

@User478

If he's happy to hit someone in front of a live audience and on TV what would he do behind closed doors?
That's what I thought.

One grown man slapping another grown man fit taking the piss out of his wife I can't get too excited over, but the way he flipped in the blink of an eye made me concerned about what he's like st home. Combined with his speech... more than a little weird!

GatoradeMeBitch · 28/03/2022 08:24

It wasn't staged. Chris Rock literally had tears in his eyes. If you watch the uncensored version on twitter you can hear the thump.

I can't imagine Will and Jada are so loved up that he would kick off like that to some poor taste joke. I thought they famously had a marriage of convenience?

I think they've had a few years of chronic public over-sharing about their marriage which has prompted a lot of jokes about Will being a cuckold. Maybe that was partly behind his reaction.

WizzardPjs · 28/03/2022 08:24

@Maze76

I have watched Jada’s Red Table Talk show. She openly discusses her condition and She advocates for womens right and female empowerment. I wouldn’t have though that she would want or need Will storming stages to defend her ‘honour’, unless of course that version of her is a lie. Makes me wonder what kind of relationship those two have. Will Smith has gone down in my estimation. He over reacted, and clearly cannot control himself. Chris Rocks joke was just that… Ricky Gervais has said worse
Well she didn’t look very impressed with his reaction - she looked mortified actually and you could break the tension between them afterwards on the red carpet with a knife.

(Also, Ricky Gervais is actually funny, Chris rock isn’t and never has been)

WeDontShutUpAboutBruno · 28/03/2022 08:24

I don't really agree with violence, but I'm surprised it's taken this long for someone to hit CR tbh.

I cant imagine how helpless Jada must have felt, sitting there having her medical condition mocked.

Shes the only one I feel anything for in this.

I doubt it was staged, they wouldn't have cut the sound directly after if it was. Plus WS is a better actor than that, he was initially smiling until he saw his wife's face.

Jaggerdagger · 28/03/2022 08:26

@Chasingaftermidnight

Who was responsible for the joke? Was it pre-scripted and if so by whom, or was it off the cuff ‘comedy’ by Chris Rock?
This is exactly what I want to know.
OP posts:
Horst · 28/03/2022 08:28

My comment was more to do with it hardly being a loved up response from will re her staying home with an entanglement. I’ve personally no idea she had a medical condition till the news on this very slap anyway.

BloodyloveGeorge · 28/03/2022 08:28

It’s not about Jada, it’s about Will Smith’s fragile male ego.
The irony being he thinks he’s a tough guy, ‘defending’ his woman when most people realise that male violence is about a fragile ego, not a healthy one.
There’ll be lots of men thinking, good for you I would have done the same and lots of women who know that male violence is male
Violence and thinking about all the times it’s used aback at women and children.

MuggleMadness · 28/03/2022 08:28

And yes. It does all look scripted. Weird.

DarleneSnell · 28/03/2022 08:28

@GahAndTheBear

I can’t believe anyone thinks will smith’s actions were acceptable.

Shit, unpleasant joke - would just reflect poorly on Chris rock. But will smith marching on stage and hitting him is just dreadful.

Smith should have been asked to leave. Regardless how Big and Important he is.

Totally agree. I used to love Smith but can't believe the apologists for him on this! We all know how the Oscars work, they weren't the first to be offended by shit jokes and I'm sure they won't be the last. If you don't want to risk being annoyed don't go.

They're just words, get a grip. Such an OTT outburst in that setting is mind-blowing. The fact he was allowed to stay and get his Oscar and a standing ovation even more so.

BurntEnds · 28/03/2022 08:29

Even if the joke was scripted by someone else he didn't have to read it. He could have gone, no that's too far.

RegardingMary · 28/03/2022 08:29

@NurseBernard

There's a million miles between what Smith did and self defence or defence of a loved one.

Nobody was being attacked. It was a shit joke that fell flat and his response was a out nothing but ego and vanity.

BloodyloveGeorge · 28/03/2022 08:30

‘ I can't imagine Will and Jada are so loved up that he would kick off like that to some poor taste joke. I thought they famously had a marriage of convenience?’

It’s not about her - it’s about him feeling embarrassed. I doubt he actually gives a shit, and if that ‘joke’ had been made in a private setting he wouldn’t have felt the need to punch anyone.
What. A.Dick.

southeastdweller · 28/03/2022 08:30

He's an obnoxious pig but his career will continue to thrive because he makes a lot of money for Hollywood and the person he assaulted wasn't female.

Pebbledashery · 28/03/2022 08:31

They're both wrong. Resorting to violence is never acceptable. I agree that you can quite clearly see him laughing till his wife took offence then he played the big man. He's an annoying, shite actor anyway. Only decent thing he did was Men In Black.

sst1234 · 28/03/2022 08:31

So one actor ‘assaults’ another at the Oscars (movie awards), on stage. And it’s not staged? People will believe anything. Ever heard ‘no publicity is bad publicity’?

Jaggerdagger · 28/03/2022 08:32

Giving the stupidy of both parties, the only real victim/innocent pawn in all of this is Jada. She looked bloody amazing too.

OP posts:
NettleTea · 28/03/2022 08:33

I suspect its more about the fact that Will laughed, then saw his wife didnt think it was funny, and in that moment the embarrassment turned to anger directed at Chris Rock.

The joke wasnt that funny. Quite alot of Acadamy host jokes arent that funny, and leave the subject not looking amused. Thats no great story. But I think that it was less about defending his wife, than fury at being made to look as if he was also laughing at his wife. Toxic masculinity, the nice guy persona certainly slipped for a moment.

comealongponds · 28/03/2022 08:33

Joke was mean but it’s not an excuse to punch someone

Clockstooforward · 28/03/2022 08:34

@Chilver

There is no way its staged - public violence, in today's climate, following the #metoo movement? If it was staged, it should have been JP-S reacting, publicly defending herself.

And where are the public apologies to JP-S from CR, from the Academy, even from WS? Seeing the joke was at her expense, all of them should be apologising to her for the joke, and WS's reaction. Bunch of misogynistic, middle aged men who think the world revolves around them.

This…the most ‘hurt’ person was WS wife ! I personally am not a violent person but it was not a good thump …more a theatrical slap ! All a load of nonsense ,,OSCARS ,BAFTAs blah blah blah !