Will Smith could have made a different choice.

[Lilifer]

He had several moments to think about it as he made his way up to the podium. He could have calmly taken the mircrophone from Chris Rocks hand and addressed the audience on behalf of himself and Jada to say that joke was unacceptable (which it was) and then he could have invited Chris Rock to make a public apology there and then, which CR would have had to do , would have had no choice really, then WS could have returned to his seat dignity intact, showing the world how words rather than violence can be used to good effect, and this silly ugly petulant toxic masculinity nonsense could have been avoided. He revealed a very ugly side to himself. He should have been escorted out of that event for that behaviour.

If he behaves like that on a public stage watched by millions, imagine how he behaves in private. He must be a terrifying person to be married to.

Also worth baring in mind that Chris Rock has non verbal learning disorder which is very similar to Aspergers, so will smith just assaulted someone with a learning disability in front of the whole world and then.. got a standing ovation. Only in Hollywood

Apparently Chris Rock didn't know she had alopecia and I know nothing about Jada bar the affair but from this debacle I've seen people say she's had short shaved hair for years? Also apprently said the best thing to do was laugh or something of the like.

Is it not self indulgent to think everyone keeps up with all your interviews?I think it's a bit hypocritical of Will to attack someone when he laughed.

I also don't get the he embarrassed her in front of millions if Will did nothing there would be nobody thinking about it like the other jokes at their or other peoples expense that I felt were potentially worse, now everybody is talking about it and it's a whole thing

@okayigetit

Also worth baring in mind that Chris Rock has non verbal learning disorder which is very similar to Aspergers, so will smith just assaulted someone with a learning disability in front of the whole world and then.. got a standing ovation. Only in Hollywood

I have heard this, and I have to say I don't get how he can be a 'comedian' with this disorder. One of the main things about this job is to read the room or people. Like me being blind, and saying I'm going to be a lollypop lady. Some jobs just need you to have the ability for something.

Chris Rock has some fixation on Jada, and has been making jokes about her for years. He also made a documentary about hair. I find it hard to believe he did not know about her condition. He is in the US, and it's been well publicised over there.

'I can't get worked up about a slap' are you aware that people have actually died after being slapped before'

Not one as pathetic as that I doubt! Personally I think Jada probably loved all the attention. Horrible woman.

Horrible woman.

Not that I think you'll reply but what specifically makes her a horrible woman @hangrylady

@JustAnotherPoster00

Horrible woman.

Not that I think you'll reply but what specifically makes her a horrible woman @hangrylady

Well obviously I don't know her personally, but flaunting that she slept with another man, referring to another man publicly as the love of her life and basically humiliating her husband in front of millions. Do you not think that's pretty horrible?

I won't say she was flaunting. Unfortunately for her, the other guy publicised the affair. She was just not particularly ashamed, as she explained that the affair took place when she and WS were separated. In her case, the confusion came on the fact that they knew the guy before the separation, so she was accused of having the affair while still married, and not separated. The guy also said he got permission from Will, which Jada clarified (in front of Will and he did not deny), there was no 'permission' - she did not need one as they were separated. A lot of people have affairs during separation, as it's mostly viewed as the path to a divorce, no paper signed ofcourse, so can go either way. I always said, I hate this sexist take because men do it all the time.

The only difference is that WS lovers kept quiet.

A grown man humiliates a woman with a medical condition in front of millions, on purpose, for laughs, and gets a slap in the face for it. Can't believe people are talking about this so much.

"humiliates" FFS it was a singular joke that's only got recognition because of Will. There were more obvious and distasteful jokes on the night IMO I don't know what makes this one so bad

Both of the men are fucking idiots and the idea of WS 'defending his wife's honour' with violence, or the alternative reality presented by the OP where he takes the mike and shames him is just Neanderthal bullshit.

Ricky Gervais responded. He said he wouldn't have made a joke about Will Smith's wife's hair. He'd have made one about her boyfriend. 🙊

Rebel already made that joke, so has plenty of people.
I think they would have seen that one coming, and most likely were expecting that.

It’s a pretty dangerous precedent to set - “if someone offends you, you can assault them”, and some of the people saying this are being extremely short sighted. Offensive being taken is very subjective. So many of the award shows include “offensive” jokes and people just shrug them off, even if they don’t like them.

Woe betide people who think will’s behaviour was fine when THEY offend someone and get smacked!

I do worry about freedom of speech in this country sometimes, and what you’re saying in your OP is what I’ve been saying as well. Will would have been well within his rights to respond verbally and it would have been far more powerful. His son’s gleeful tweet afterwards of “that’s how we do it” shows a lot.

Chris says he didn’t know about the alopecia which makes it even less offensive and it was clearly run past the scriptwriters

@HalloHello

If it had been Amy Schumer who made the joke and Will had slapped her, he would already be in jail.

If he had been a normal person, in an office environment and slapped a colleague, he would have been disciplined.

I just cannot see how anyone can think this isn't that bad'.

@HalloHello

Exactly right.
It's so astonishing that there are people who think this is ok. I wish it were easy to tell, so I could avoid them in real life.

I’ve actually only just seen the footage of it happening - I avoided watching it because it just sounded so cringe, I’ve just heard it talked about. I thought they were on stage together when Chris Rock did his joke and Will Smith just impulsively turned round and slapped him, triggered and barely thinking - already awful and inexcusable if that had happened. But he actually had time to think this through, he had to walk on stage to do it WTF?

Giraffesandbottoms

Chris says he didn’t know about the alopecia which makes it even less offensive and it was clearly run past the scriptwriters“

Isn’t that the point? He didn’t know. It could equally have been cancer.

He was crass, end of.

I have heard this, and I have to say I don't get how he can be a 'comedian' with this disorder. One of the main things about this job is to read the room or people.
Like me being blind, and saying I'm going to be a lollypop lady. Some jobs just need you to have the ability for something.

Having aspergers doesn't mean you can't have a sense of humour.

@ConfusedByDesign

The joke was poor but no one had a right to snack him for it. I can’t believe how many people think it’s an acceptable response.

There have been a number of people that have agreed with Smith smacking Rock and have justified their thinking publicly