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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU NO-ONE Can morally defend Will Smith

67 replies

TheRealKaren · 31/03/2022 20:38

If a physical assault happened in any other environment, it would lead to an arrest. So why are so many people defending Will Smith? While Chris Rock’s joke was at best ignorant and at worst spiteful, Will Smith was completely in the wrong. I’m amazed at the many people defending Smith, and I do think that there should be consequences for him. I partly believe that the academy is hesitant to react because they are worried they’re going to be seen as racist if they do.

I just don’t think violence is ever acceptable and no one should be slapped, over anything they say. I just don’t see how it would ever be justified in any other environment, especially a professional one which the Academy Awards are

YABU: Chris Rock deserves everything he got and it is OK to slap someone if they’ve offended you or someone you care about.
YANBU: Will Smith committed assault and should face the consequences.

OP posts:
Uafasach · 31/03/2022 20:41

I completely agree that Will Smith was in the wrong but it doesn't always happen that people that commit assaults get arrested and as Chris Rock hasn't reported it, it doesn't look like he will.

Im2022 · 31/03/2022 20:42

Don’t really care. But if you’re talking about consequences, then strip Weinstein, Spacey and Woody Allen off their awards and ban them and give James Franco and others like him a life time ban.

Loads of hypocrisy and shit.

NuffSaidSam · 31/03/2022 20:43

YANBU

It's shocking the number of people defending him though, some of the posts on here have been quite alarming.

Redshoeblueshoe · 31/03/2022 20:44

Add Roman Polanski to the list of people who have done worse things

Spidey66 · 31/03/2022 20:44

YABU to start yet another thread. There’s loads of threads about this on MN.

nalabae · 31/03/2022 20:45

He didn’t deserve to be hit

Branleuse · 31/03/2022 20:47

Morally, i think it was a bit silly, but really, most people understand that if you insult a man or their wife in front of them, you risk a slap. I dont think its 'right' but I dont really care either. Noone was particularly harmed. I quite like all 3 of them

phishy · 31/03/2022 20:49

YABU to bore us all again.

fUNNYfACE36 · 31/03/2022 20:50

Mocking Will's wife's appearance as a result of her illness? He deserved all he got, and more!

SometimesSunshineSometimesrain · 31/03/2022 20:50

Chris Rock started off by saying "I love you Jada" then told the joke which Will Smith laughed at then saw Jadas expression. He could have taken so many other paths to show it wasn't alright. I've always like Will Smith but this arrogance has put me right off. Also, never like Chris Rock. Still don't like him as a comedian but he didn't deserve it.

Uafasach · 31/03/2022 20:52

most people understand that if you insult a man or their wife in front of them, you risk a slap

I've seen similar comments to this on threads the last few days and I can't understand them. Definitely not a quality I look for in a husband.

katicomps · 31/03/2022 20:53

The only thing I got from it was 'man gets aggressive with little to no provocation and then cries and whines how sorry he is .… in a completely non apologetic way'
It's the same old story of men the world over.

NuffSaidSam · 31/03/2022 20:55

@fUNNYfACE36

Mocking Will's wife's appearance as a result of her illness? He deserved all he got, and more!
Very troubling point of view.
HumunaHey · 31/03/2022 20:57

@Im2022

Don’t really care. But if you’re talking about consequences, then strip Weinstein, Spacey and Woody Allen off their awards and ban them and give James Franco and others like him a life time ban.

Loads of hypocrisy and shit.

Yep. It really would come across as racist if a man who slapped another grown man lost their award but rapists, child molesters, etc. get to keep theirs.
tearinghairout · 31/03/2022 20:57

The shouting and swearing afterwards (twice) makes me wonder if WS was drunk, or just behaving like an entitled twat who is used to doing what he likes and being the centre of attention. I mean, if it happened at a school event then maybe we could relate to it and would know the right way to deal with it, but Hollywood? It's Lalaland, not the real world. Let them deal with it, or not.

MangyInseam · 31/03/2022 20:57

You might find that there are also people who think that while there may be some situations where slapping someone is justified, that wasn't one of them.

MangyInseam · 31/03/2022 20:58

@tearinghairout

The shouting and swearing afterwards (twice) makes me wonder if WS was drunk, or just behaving like an entitled twat who is used to doing what he likes and being the centre of attention. I mean, if it happened at a school event then maybe we could relate to it and would know the right way to deal with it, but Hollywood? It's Lalaland, not the real world. Let them deal with it, or not.
I wondered that too, although I was thinking cocaine. I gather he is supposedly not into drugs though.
katicomps · 31/03/2022 21:00

@fUNNYfACE36

Mocking Will's wife's appearance as a result of her illness? He deserved all he got, and more!

Jada is perfectly able to defend herself from a crude joke. She never needed that muppet to blunder around whacking folk and making it ten times worse.
Will smith is an ego maniac, I already knew that from watching his two most recent appearances on Graham Norton. He talks over everyone constantly and was interrupting all the other guests stories each time the conversation had moved to someone else, its really very cringey and obvious, youtube it!

DorothyZbornakIsAQueen · 31/03/2022 21:01

It was a display of male toxicity at it's worst.

Neither of them come off well in this.

Violence is wrong and will smith could have shown his disapproval in so many other ways.

Branleuse · 31/03/2022 21:02

@Uafasach

most people understand that if you insult a man or their wife in front of them, you risk a slap

I've seen similar comments to this on threads the last few days and I can't understand them. Definitely not a quality I look for in a husband.

Not a quality i seek out either, but I wouldnt dump someone for it either by itself.

Dont people tell their kids about certain things you dont say to people in case they lamp you one?

LadyCordeliaFitzgerald · 31/03/2022 21:06

Watching the clip it seemed as if Chris Rock was going to just take it in his stride like some weird piece of improv, until the shouting started.

And that’s the thing with violence - it is acceptable in some circumstances. Hollywood glorifies it.

Man marching into battle to defend his wife’s honour is a standard trope. Fortunes are made peddling this crap.

I’m not defending Will but I can see why this industry has difficulty figuring where to draw the lines.

HumunaHey · 31/03/2022 21:07

@fUNNYfACE36

Mocking Will's wife's appearance as a result of her illness? He deserved all he got, and more!
Is alopecia an illness??Confused
Uafasach · 31/03/2022 21:09

I wouldnt dump someone for it either by itself

If I had to be on guard for my husband hitting someone for a perceived insult on my behalf, I would definitely dump him.

Dont people tell their kids about certain things you dont say to people in case they lamp you one?

Not me. I do tell my kids to be kind but that's for kindness sake, not for fear of being hit.

Pixiedust1234 · 31/03/2022 21:09

@Spidey66

YABU to start yet another thread. There’s loads of threads about this on MN.
^^ This. Tired of seeing all the threads tbh
Cap89 · 31/03/2022 21:09

@Im2022

Don’t really care. But if you’re talking about consequences, then strip Weinstein, Spacey and Woody Allen off their awards and ban them and give James Franco and others like him a life time ban.

Loads of hypocrisy and shit.

This. Obviously violence is never acceptable. But this was two grown men being really bloody stupid. I would be absolutely outraged if will smith was stripped of his award and all the people responsible for multiple sexual assaults are allowed to keep theirs.