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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think Will Smith should be stripped of his Oscar?

652 replies

BloodyloveGeorge · 28/03/2022 16:52

The Academy is supposed to have a code of conduct ( post Weinstein) so can take his Oscar away.
Given that this was a blatant assault, and a clear case of toxic masculinity at it's worst, he should lose his Oscar. He's not a role model, his behaviour isn't something that should be celebrated. There should be consequences for this example of violence.
Even a 6 year old knows you can't punch someone because they say something you don't like.

OP posts:
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5
aSofaNearYou · 29/03/2022 08:26

@Valeriekat

It was a cruel taunt. Everyone was laughing including Will Smith. I couldn't watch the BAFTAs because Rebel Wilson was so crude. Standards of behaviour and good manners have really fallen so an assault was bound to happen sooner or later.
A bit of a sidebar I know but it really reminds me of the kind of humour that has become normal in wedding speeches, best man speeches in particular. I absolutely hate them and can't imagine something worse on your wedding day, but it's treated as though the more you can make the bride and groom uncomfortable, the better, and funnier.

I think that kind of "roast" humour has become quite a normalised part of society, but I think it's pretty cruel that it is used against people that don't specifically agree to it and that are supposedly attending a celebration of their achievements.

Trixiefirecracker · 29/03/2022 08:33

Think he should be sent to live with his Aunt and Uncle in Bel Air.

Lollypop701 · 29/03/2022 08:34

Chris rocks set was scripted… his comment on jada was off script. Violence is not an answer to any situation, and those were a abusive/violent words imo.

no Will shouldn’t have responded but he’s living and loves a woman who has lost her hair and he sees her trauma every day. To see her laughed at by millions, I think he snapped. Not ok but not calculated in the way I think Chris rock was

Trixiefirecracker · 29/03/2022 08:39

Does he love Jada though? They are a truly messed up family, airing all their affairs and general bad behaviour out to dry in front of their children and the world. Seems to me he has little respect for Jada either, he was laughing at the joke until he saw Jada’s face…

Hadjab · 29/03/2022 08:42

@BloodyloveGeorge

'Unlikely given that the Academy allows people like Woody Allen and Roman Polanski to be nominated and win.'

Even more reason for them to start changing the narrative. And repugnant as I find both of those 2 men their guilt isn't as clear cut, unfortunately.

Why don’t we start with Weinstein? He still has his, and his crimes are very clear cut.
SwanBuster · 29/03/2022 08:48

@Trixiefirecracker

Does he love Jada though? They are a truly messed up family, airing all their affairs and general bad behaviour out to dry in front of their children and the world. Seems to me he has little respect for Jada either, he was laughing at the joke until he saw Jada’s face…
It’s difficult to say if it’s love in a conventional sense. I think it’s more an obsessive need to prove to her he’s a man. The poor guy has been psychologically tortured by the spectre of Tupac’s innate manliness for 25 years, with Jada egging it on.
stripeyflowers · 29/03/2022 08:52

I think the Oscars as a whole should be binned: it's embarrassing and outdated.

SwanBuster · 29/03/2022 08:52

As I posted yesterday - Will has been living a life as a ten-a-penny romantic fiction hack trying to measure up, knowing his wife had Shakespeare as a best friend at school.

Belladonna12 · 29/03/2022 08:54

Obviously what he did was inappropriate and wrong but I think stripping him of an Oscar would be out of proportion. The police should decide on the punishment and it should be the same as anyone else would get for slapping someone. His actions are in no way similar to Weinstein or Polanski. Also, the victim was hardly blameless and I hate think that a bullying areshole such as Chris Rocks not only gets away with the bullying but also gets to laugh when the victims of the bullying pay a high price for snapping.

MrsAmber · 29/03/2022 08:57

I found the whole thing difficult to watch, the whole walking on stage and slapping was played over and over on various platforms.

I watched someone purposefully march onto a stage, whack someone, march back to his seat, shout and scream while the person on stage was left up there, completely shocked and as far as I watched, no one came to his aid, they left him to it in front of millions!

That’s an absolutely great message to send out across the world isn’t it!

SwanBuster · 29/03/2022 09:00

Case in point:

Tupac - changes
————————

I see no changes, wake up in the morning and I ask myself
Is life worth livin'? Should I blast myself?
I'm tired of bein' poor and, even worse, I'm black
My stomach hurts so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch
Cops give a damn about a negro
Pull the trigger, kill a ***, he's a hero
Give the crack to the kids, who the hell cares?
One less hungry mouth on the welfare

Will Smith - Wild Wild West
—————————————
Uh, wickey wild wild
Wicky wicky wild
Wickey wild, wicky wicky wild wild wild west,
Jim West, desperado, rough rider
No you don't want nada
None of this, six gun in this, brotha runnin' this,
Buffalo soldier, look it's like I told ya
Any damsel that's in distress
Be out of that dress when she meet Jim West

Are you telling me you wouldn’t have an inferiority complex?

Belladonna12 · 29/03/2022 09:01

@MrsAmber

I found the whole thing difficult to watch, the whole walking on stage and slapping was played over and over on various platforms.

I watched someone purposefully march onto a stage, whack someone, march back to his seat, shout and scream while the person on stage was left up there, completely shocked and as far as I watched, no one came to his aid, they left him to it in front of millions!

That’s an absolutely great message to send out across the world isn’t it!

People were shocked too and didn't know no whether it was a setup. Chris Rock didn't need any aid.
MrsAmber · 29/03/2022 09:06

@Belladonna12 I’m finding it difficult to understand how you know he didn’t need any kind of support after being whacked on stage?

He looked to his left as if to say WTF! and no doubt he was in shock with what just happened!

Andante57 · 29/03/2022 09:07

@stripeyflowers

I think the Oscars as a whole should be binned: it's embarrassing and outdated.
This. Or let them take place behind closed doors.
Trixiefirecracker · 29/03/2022 09:16

@SwanBuster what? Tupac is dead and clearly does not provide a threat real or imagined. If he’s still upset by that the man definitely needs more therapy than I first thought!

Belladonna12 · 29/03/2022 09:18

[quote MrsAmber]@Belladonna12 I’m finding it difficult to understand how you know he didn’t need any kind of support after being whacked on stage?

He looked to his left as if to say WTF! and no doubt he was in shock with what just happened![/quote]
He was standing and talking and there was no evidence that he needed or wanted anybody to rush on to the stage.

SwanBuster · 29/03/2022 09:20

[quote Trixiefirecracker]@SwanBuster what? Tupac is dead and clearly does not provide a threat real or imagined. If he’s still upset by that the man definitely needs more therapy than I first thought![/quote]
Exactly! The poor guy cannot live up to a dead genius. But that’s what his wife has implied a million times she wants.

DirtyDancing · 29/03/2022 09:23

No need to slap/ punch Rock.

Jesus the world is a heated, cesspool of Alpha male violence as it is. It's unacceptable to go round slapping/ punching people at will. It's teaches people nothing, it adds no value to society- Smith is a role model, he's in the limelight, it's part of his multi million pound job.

He is an articulate, intelligent person who should have stood up and called Rock out, instead of resulting to violence.

SwanBuster · 29/03/2022 09:26

@DirtyDancing

No need to slap/ punch Rock.

Jesus the world is a heated, cesspool of Alpha male violence as it is. It's unacceptable to go round slapping/ punching people at will. It's teaches people nothing, it adds no value to society- Smith is a role model, he's in the limelight, it's part of his multi million pound job.

He is an articulate, intelligent person who should have stood up and called Rock out, instead of resulting to violence.

multi-million pound jobs and being a role model doesn’t stop him being a human haunted by inferiority. Seek to empathise, not judge.
MummyJ12 · 29/03/2022 09:51

@RhymesWithBouquet

As for all of you whose first reaction is "thug" ask yourselves why that word was your go to and why you're so hot for this black guy to lose his Oscar but think that the aforementioned pre-2017 perps and pervs should keep theirs because, timing.... you're outing yourselves beautifully, please tell us more Karens.

For those of you saying Chris Rock "didn't know she had alopecia" well that's all the more reason for him to keep his gob shut. Her struggle with alopecia is well documented. If he didn't know that then for all he knew, she might have lost it due to chemo, making joking about it all the more crass.

The fact that as black man who made a documentary on the subject dammit he should know you don't comment on what a black woman does with what is or isn't on her head makes him look even worse.

So no, Will, shouldn't have hit CR, that was out of order but if they try to take the Oscar from him on that basis, they'd better be ready to take back the awards from everybody mentioned in @babywalker56's post too or the #OscarsSoWhite will be back to stay - no amount of PR or damage control or future black nominees / winners will erase it.

I agree with all of this. I feel for Jada. I also feel for all of the other winners of the night. I’m sad that the first Oscars to have some sincere diversity was overshadowed in this way.
Towelseverywhere · 29/03/2022 09:54

@teaandtoastwithmarmite

He defended his wife against an idiot saying twatty things about her. I applaud him. I don't condone violence but Rock was verbally abusing his wife.
So you do actually condone violence. You can’t applaud him for hitting someone and then say you don’t condone violence.
Everanewbie · 29/03/2022 09:56

Would he have done it to 'The' Rock rather than 'Chris' Rock, had he made the same joke? If not then its more about exerting his dominance than protecting his wife.

The Oscar was awarded to him for his performance in a film. His actions don't change that. But he's shown himself as an example of toxic masculinity at its worst.

BrightOrangeOrange · 29/03/2022 10:13

@Everanewbie

Would he have done it to 'The' Rock rather than 'Chris' Rock, had he made the same joke? If not then its more about exerting his dominance than protecting his wife.

The Oscar was awarded to him for his performance in a film. His actions don't change that. But he's shown himself as an example of toxic masculinity at its worst.

The Rock, Dwayne Johnson is lovely. He would never make that joke.
okayigetit · 29/03/2022 10:19

I don't think he should lose his award, but I think that he should have been removed/asked to leave the awards show and shouldn't have been allowed to give a speech, received a standing ovation and then danced into the night

okayigetit · 29/03/2022 10:20

@teaandtoastwithmarmite

He defended his wife against an idiot saying twatty things about her. I applaud him. I don't condone violence but Rock was verbally abusing his wife.
So you do condone violence...