Chris Rock versus Will Smith

[Revoltingest]

Will Smith Apologizes for Chris Rock Slap at Oscars: Read Statement - Variety
Excerpted....
Will Smith has issued an apology after slapping Chris Rock on the Oscars stage Sunday night.

“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally,” Smith wrote. “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”

The post continued, “I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us. I am a work in progress.”

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Lupita's expression here sums up my feelings about this (she needs an Oscar for her reactions to Will's antics alone):

 

[Debater Slayer]

Will Smith Apologizes for Chris Rock Slap at Oscars: Read Statement - Variety
Excerpted....
Will Smith has issued an apology after slapping Chris Rock on the Oscars stage Sunday night.

“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally,” Smith wrote. “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”

The post continued, “I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us. I am a work in progress.”

Should have done that during his acceptance speech or, better yet, not hit Chris Rock and instead professionally voiced his objection to the joke during the speech. That would have doubled as raising awareness about the condition.

He soured the awards with the physical attack and the bizarre speech right after.

 

[David Young]

This piece of drivel from "Psychologist and minister, Rev Dr Jacqui Lewis, who has read Smith's book but has not treated the actor personally" can be found here:
Oscars: What Will Smith's slap says about him - and us

QUOTE:

"We live in a time of violence: verbal, physical, emotional, territorial, political discourse and humour that's violent. Chris Rock was violent, too," she said. "This is all connected, and could we be stunned enough by this to be stunned by all the ways it happens everywhere?

"Do we want violence to be the response to violence? I don't."

END OF QUOTE.

Wrong.
Wrong.
Wrong.
Absolutely wrong.

Chris Rock was not violent.

 

[Valjean]

Aye, kick him out immediately.
Then mail him his Oscar....with postage due.
It was not staged.

BTW, if Smith got this angry over a hair joke,
I wonder what he did to the guy she was banging
during their marriage.

Apparently it was a sort of open marriage. Both were aware the other was sleeping with different partners.

 

[Revoltingest]

Apparently it was a sort of open marriage. Both were aware the other was sleeping with different partners.

From what I read, it wasn't an amicable arrangement.
I wonder if his violent outbursts ever went in her direction?

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

From what I read, it wasn't an amicable arrangement.
I wonder if his violent outbursts ever went in her direction?

Something about how quick he was to jump up and smack Chris Rock (after laughing his butt off at the joke initially) when his wife rolled her eyes tells me that she's got him pretty pinned down. Chris Rock is likely a far less imposing figure for him than his wife.

 

[SkepticThinker]

Cancer survivors should not be mocked, cancer is nothing to joke about. I hope Will and his wife are doing fine and I wish them a speedy recovery

Jada Pinkett Smith doesn't have cancer.

 

[SkepticThinker]

Will should've gotten kicked out of the ceremony for that, as well as his vulgar language. It was pathetic and trashy and furthers the decline of the Oscars, which used to be a prestigious and very formal event (i.e. it used to be classy, like most award shows, even the VMAs!). His acceptance speech was very bizarre, too. I somewhat wonder if the whole thing was staged for the ratings and attention. People on Twitter mentioned tuning in after hearing about it in their feed, so I would not be surprised. I give it a couple years before they have someone like Cardi B twerking in a thong during it.

I was kind of shocked by the total lack of security on the part of the Academy. What if he had a gun?
I was again shocked when Will was just allowed to continue sitting there and then even receive his award, like nothing had happened. I would have had him kicked out.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I was kind of shocked by the total lack of security on the part of the Academy. What if he had a gun?
I was again shocked when Will was just allowed to continue sitting there and then even receive his award, like nothing had happened. I would have had him kicked out.

Hence why many believe it was staged.

 

[Revoltingest]

Ricky Gervais, on The Office, years ago....

 

[Wildswanderer]

Should have done that during his acceptance speech or, better yet, not hit Chris Rock and instead professionally voiced his objection to the joke during the speech. That would have doubled as raising awareness about the condition.

He soured the awards with the physical attack and the bizarre speech right after.

Lol, soured? How could You sour something that boring? He just added a little free entertainment.

 

[Wildswanderer]

Should have done that during his acceptance speech or, better yet, not hit Chris Rock and instead professionally voiced his objection to the joke during the speech. That would have doubled as raising awareness about the condition.

He soured the awards with the physical attack and the bizarre speech right after.

Give them boys a set of boxing gloves and clear some space and make the Oscars interesting.
Violence is sometimes the best answer.

 

[SkepticThinker]

Give them boys a set of boxing gloves and clear some space and make the Oscars interesting.
Violence is sometimes the best answer.

Violence is sometimes the best answer when you're offended by a joke (i.e. words).
Seriously? I can't believe I'm seriously seeing people say this.

My husband does stand up comedy. So I guess it's just a free-for-all-now? If you're offended by a joke you're allowed to assault the person? I thought we were adults.

 

[Revoltingest]

Give them boys a set of boxing gloves and clear some space and make the Oscars interesting.
Violence is sometimes the best answer.

Chris Rock's non-violent response showed him to be
the better man. He won by being the adult in the room.
Will Smith showed only that he's an out of control
coward who made the Oscars all about himself,
offered lame excuses, & took the last refuge of
a scoundrel....he justified it in the name of God.

Edit...
The Oscars is ostensibly about this community
honoring excellence in its members. Will Smith
should return his Oscar, & admit being unworthy.
I just might have some respect for him then.

 

[Wildswanderer]

Chris Rock's non-violent response showed him to be
the better man. He won by being the adult in the room.
Will Smith showed only that he's an out of control
coward who made the Oscars all about himself,
offered lame excuses, & took the last refuge of
a scoundrel....he justified it in the name of God.

Edit...
The Oscars is ostensibly about this community
honoring excellence in its members. Will Smith
should return his Oscar, & admit being unworthy.
I just might have some respect for him then.

That's over the top, IMO. He already apologized. I must have missed the part about God, but really the whole thing is being blown out of proportion. He's a good actor and I'm sure he deserves an Oscar.

 

[Wildswanderer]

Violence is sometimes the best answer when you're offended by a joke (i.e. words).
Seriously? I can't believe I'm seriously seeing people say this.

My husband does stand up comedy. So I guess it's just a free-for-all-now? If you're offended by a joke you're allowed to assault the person? I thought we were adults.

You don't diss a man's wife. Period.

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

Violence is sometimes the best answer when you're offended by a joke (i.e. words).
Seriously? I can't believe I'm seriously seeing people say this.

Same here. I keep just pointing people to the simplest of ideas that literally demonstrate that our societies at large have deemed this inappropriate conduct. Ideas like:

1. If you punch someone who reports you to the police, the police will not entertain your complaints that the guy "said something" to you. That doesn't matter. No one goes to jail for insulting you personally. And for good reason.
2. In grade school the one who gets suspended from school is the one who starts fighting the other person, and if all a kid can claim is that the other kid "said some words" then basically extremely little happens to that other kid. Again - for good reason!

The people saying that they "understand" Will Smith's completely overboard reaction need only look back, again, to grade school, and the old chant "sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me." Taking offense to something someone says to you, personally, is a choice. A lot of people don't like to hear that, at all... but that is it, in a nutshell. Being damaged by a punch, sticks or stones however? Not a choice. And therein lies the ultimate difference.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

You don't diss a man's wife. Period.

Oh, please. Will lets other men have sex with his wife and the whole world knows about that crap, but can't take a little joke that wasn't even offensive (GI Jane is actually one of Demi Moore's best movies, and who can remember the last time Jada had a leading role in anything). It was unhinged, trashy behavior. Honestly, both Will and Jada are bizarre and they messed up their kids, too. (Cross dressing Jaden, who Will enjoys forcing to kiss him on the lips, will probably have a mental breakdown sooner or later, and they forced Willow into the spotlight, too.)

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

That's over the top, IMO. He already apologized. I must have missed the part about God, but really the whole thing is being blown out of proportion. He's a good actor and I'm sure he deserves an Oscar.

I don't advocate taking away his award. People who are bringing that idea to bear are missing the point that he did this after he already earned that award. There is no reason to punish him in a way that is completely unrelated to the crime.

However - the whole thing is NOT being blown out of proportion, in my mind. The idea that people should be struck for saying any number of words that someone finds subjectively offensive is ludicrous. And that is the idea that Will Smith presented to the world, to our children, and there are those who "understand" why Will Smith did what he did. This topic obviously needs discussed, as there are apparently a good number of people who haven't thought deeply enough about this issue.