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

[Jaggerdagger]

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.

@notinherethen

She didn’t need to do anything in the moment. She could sit there and the bring it up in every interview following the show. She could have played a PR blinder where he came out looking awful It might have worked like that. Or she might just have been ignored. Or have it come across that she is being a big crazy and making a big deal of nothing, ' just let it go man - stop ruining what was a good night for everyone else'.

And we just disagree what it means to be in a couple then. Its awful when someone is going at you and you are left to deal with it alone. There was a thread about bullying recently and the adults who were attacked by bullies said the worse thing about it was not the attack, but the fact that there friends did nothing. but just walked off. A woman who was surrounded and insulted at an event recently said the worse thing was that no-one stepped in or did anything. Its absolutely awful to know that when the shit hits the fan, you are left to deal with it alone.

My value is that you don't leave people to deal with things alone, you do stand up for them. And absolutely you do that for the person you go through life with.

The joke landed completely flat. There were a couple of awkward laughs but that was it. That WAS everyone around Jada sticking up for her. You’re also conveniently ignoring the fact that Will was one of the view people who was actually laughing at the joke until he saw Jada’s face. The “sticking up for his life partner” was utterly performative. There’s also other ways to stick up for your partner.

Will was under a lot of stress that night. And then someone abused his wife because of her disability.

I'm not surprised he cracked.

Chris got what he deserved. Vile joke.

@StormzyinaTCup

I'm going against the majority with this. I suffered with Alopecia when I was in my early 30's (fortunately in my case my hair did eventually grow back) and I'd have been devastated if I was on the receiving end of that 'joke' and delivered so publicly. She probably spent a lot of money on her dress and her jewellery and arrived feeling and looking as fabulous as everyone else (appearance is everything in LA) and to the. be pulled up on something so personal is just nasty. I think that sums up Hollywood and its attitude generally to women tbh, women are easy pickings. If Rock had been any closer to her she probably would have slapped him herself, she wasn't so WS did it for her.

I don't condone violence on the whole but I'd make an exception in this case.

I agree. My daughter has alopecia. I was gutted for Jada.

Shitshow. It's ruined Will Smith's Oscar moment and several other people's at what was supposed to be the most diverse and celebratory awards yet and making headlines for all different sorts of reasons. It's a dangerous time when joking - however poor or humourless or personal - leads to calculated and purposeful assault.

He had to make it about himself and his male pride, didn't he? He couldn't have let her deal out a far more dignified and effective response. Nope he had to act like a cocky idiot.

@notinherethen

Don’t you think them walking out and/or will Smith rejecting the Oscar would have been a more powerful response

C'mon, how many times have politician's / actors flounced out of interviews and literally no-one thinks ' that was a really powerful message'. Absolutely everyone thinks, 'flouncing, puffed up wanker'

Yes fair point. Maybe rejecting the award on stage while responding to comment.

I just can’t understand being angry enough to physically slap someone then accepting an award from the organisation hat allowed the joke to be aired. Seems hypocritical. Like “I’m angry, but not angry enough to not accept my Oscar”.

It would have been more powerful if he'd turned his back, or walked out, or walked up to the stage and said something, but not violence in this day and age in front of the world.

@StormzyinaTCup

I'm going against the majority with this. I suffered with Alopecia when I was in my early 30's (fortunately in my case my hair did eventually grow back) and I'd have been devastated if I was on the receiving end of that 'joke' and delivered so publicly. She probably spent a lot of money on her dress and her jewellery and arrived feeling and looking as fabulous as everyone else (appearance is everything in LA) and to the. be pulled up on something so personal is just nasty. I think that sums up Hollywood and its attitude generally to women tbh, women are easy pickings. If Rock had been any closer to her she probably would have slapped him herself, she wasn't so WS did it for her.

I don't condone violence on the whole but I'd make an exception in this case.

She was literally sat right beside Will. If she wanted to punch Chris and thought that was an appropriate reaction she absolutely could have done it.

I also have a hair loss condition (alopecia) which means I wear a half wig. I would leave my husband if he ever punched anyone. It’s utterly abhorrent behaviour & terrifying so see someone unable to manage feelings of anger.

Chris Rock has a learning disorder that has similarities with autism,

Well, what is it then?

Or have you just dropped autism to excuse him being a cunt?

Good old mumsnet

I don't condone violence but I can understand why Will Smith was angry. I imagine Jada Smith being self conscious enough about her alopecia without Chris Rock drawing attention to it. She looked fabulous though.

You’re also conveniently ignoring the fact that Will was one of the view people who was actually laughing at the joke

I haven't ignored it at all. If you look back through my posts on this thread you see that I address this point quite thoroughly.

I wonder if everyone justifying Will Smith's actions would feel the same if the person he assaulted was a woman? Did you also think it was OK for Johnny Depp to assault Amber Heard?

@Winday

Chris Rock has a learning disorder that has similarities with autism, in that it involves not always understanding social cues. It's a recent diagnosis, so I presume he hasn't yet had very long to work through what this means for him/his comedy. The Academy allowed this joke to go through, I presume? That's on them, IMO.

Will has made himself look like a dickhead. Embarrassed his wife, ruined his win, and overshadowed the wins of everyone else. What a twat.

Ah come on. So Chris rock gets punched by a man with anger issues for making fun of his way who has an autoimmune disorder (I’ve seen people saying disability, can it be classed as that?)

And we respond by saying well Chris Rock home self might have a learning disorder that means he doesn’t understand implications of what he is saying or doing ?

All these people have one issue and that is massive massive overinflated egos. Neither man looked good but one of them is just doing his job - albeit cruelly

Tosser. I thought it was really bad taste how he tried to draw comparisons with the man he just played in a film (don't know anything about him)- was he also violent? Seems like a cheek!

@Jellycatspyjamas

That’s the thing, Chris Rock is now seen as the victim instead of the teller of an incredibly misogynistic, insensitive joke. Will Smith did no one any favours here, least of all his wife.

Agreed.

As far as I can see it was a couple of misogynists just being misogynists, one by targeting a woman for not conforming to arbitrary beauty standards, and the other by treating his wife as a piece of property to be defended.

Is this a serious question OP? Hitting someone or any form of physical violence is not an ok or even legal response to someone making an inappropriate joke about your wife!

From some of these comments I beginning to see why some people, and often the police,
take he was ‘provoked’ as an excuse for violent men attacking their wives, kids and others.

I've read online (although not seen) there's another camera angle where after the joke and Wills initial laugh Jada leans in and says something to Will. I'm wondering if he never initially got the joke that second and she said it's about the hair.
My husband would probably react the same with anger if someone was trying to make an out of line joke about my appearance, but he's not Will Smith at the Oscars. Completely not okay on that stage, for millions of people to see.
He also in my opinion should have been escorted out the building as any of us would be if we reacted with violence in a public place.

I think he's a really broken man from all the public infidelity stories with their sons friend etc. I think he's sick of people thinking he's a 'doormat' and just snapped.

@southeastdweller

I wonder if everyone justifying Will Smith's actions would feel the same if the person he assaulted was a woman? Did you also think it was OK for Johnny Depp to assault Amber Heard?

Totally agree.

Assault is assault and it’s wrong - unless there’s clear and immediate danger to your physical safety or that of your family. You don’t go around punching people because they’ve ‘disrespected’ you or your partner fgs - grow up.

Will could easily have gotten up on to the stage when he was supposed to and, rather than giving an acceptance speech, discussed how unacceptable it is to make jokes about medical conditions. He could have shone the spotlight on the problem and referenced the things that jada has said publicly about her conditions.

If he wanted to ‘stand up for her’, at least that would have been non-violent.

I say bravo Will . that joke was completely unacceptable, it was on live TV , seen by millions the world over , were they supposed to just nod and then have a gentle talk with Chris ?

The joke was shit but in terms of how offensive it was…it really wasn’t that bad. He didn’t say Jada look bad, ugly or weird. He said she could play GI Jane… that’s literally it. Demi Moore looked fucking amazing in GI Jane. I completely understand not wanting attention drawn to her condition but that actual content of the joke? Really not terrible at all. Rock said much more offensive things about other actors appearances & about things they can’t change eg Timothy’s face.

I don't condone violence on the whole but I'd make an exception in this case.

That’s not how a peaceful democratic society works. Who gets to decide when and whether violence is acceptable and how then? What happens when someone else thinks it’s OK to hit you for something you did ‘as an exception’.

Looks staged af tbh.