Almost everyone knows about the incident. Chris Rock, known for his off-color jokes, made a joke about Will Smith’s wife, who lost her hair due to alopecia areata, along the lines of, “We’re waiting for you to star in GI Jane 2.” Will Smith initially laughed at the joke. After seeing his wife’s expression, he stormed onto the stage and slapped Rock. He then sat down and shouted at her with an expletive like, “Don’t even mention my wife’s name.” I’m sharing the video of the incident below:
Shortly after this slap, Will Smith returned to the stage to accept his Best Actor Oscar and apologized. The next day, he released another apology. I’m also sharing the link to the news report about his apology:https://www.bbc.com/turkce/haberler-dunya-60908734?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=%F0%9F%92%8A+%E2%80%98Z%C4%B1rh%E2%80%99. In the same week, he resigned from his membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Academy), the organizer of the Oscars. (https://www.bbc.com/turkce/haberler-dunya-60952580?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=%F0%9F%92%8A+Sen+de+var+m%C4%B1s%C4%B1n+Ankara%3F).
The background to the events is that actor Will Smith was asked to leave the hall after slapping comedian Chris Rock, who was hosting the Academy ceremony, but Smith refused. The organization stated that a ‘disciplinary investigation’ has been launched against Smith. Here’s the related news: https://www.bbc.com/turkce/60936254?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=%F0%9F%92%8A+T%C4%B1rtnet
In the final act of all this, the Academy has banned Will Smith from participating in events for 10 years. Here’s a news report about the penalty: https://www.instagram.com/p/CcGjCoHhbJQ/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=
An odd “recovery period” statement
Will Smith’s wife, Ada Pinkett Smith, the main reason for the slapping incident, dismissed the matter the next day with a simple statement like, “This is a recovery period:” https://www.bbc.com/turkce/haberler-dunya-60925833?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=%F0%9F%92%8A+Ba%C5%9Fka+%C4%B0stanbul+yok
Chris Rock, for his part, spoke about the incident for the first time the following week at his Boston show: “I don’t have anything to say about what happened. I’m trying to process it. I’ll talk about it at some point. Seriously and funny…”
Meanwhile, the Oscars ceremony, which saw a 56% increase in viewership compared to last year, became the second-least-watched Oscars ceremony of all time. Last year, it was the least-watched Oscars event due to the pandemic: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/oscars-tv-ratings-sunday-march-27-2022-1235120758/
Once again, polarization and opposing interpretations
In this case, public opinion was divided into two groups: those who found what Will Smith did wrong and said he should be penalized, and those who congratulated Will Smith for protecting his wife and supporting him. As with polarization everywhere, I wasn’t surprised to see polarization on this issue. Here’s the related news:https://www.sozcu.com.tr/hayatim/kultur-sanat-haberleri/will-smithin-bu-goruntuleri-sosyal-medyayi-ikiye-boldu-ayni-sakayi-o-da-yapmis/
One of Will Smith’s harshest critics was comedian Jim Carrey. You can watch what he had to say at https://www.instagram.com/tv/CbuW3wsro0P/?utm_medium=share_sheet .
During this period, news of support for Will Smith also emerged. Here’s one piece praising his Oscar success: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CbtQJrgB4iO/?utm_medium=share_sheet
Of course, Zaytung chipped in with plenty of black humor: https://www.instagram.com/p/CbqdLvKNDhS/?utm_medium=share_sheet
According to Zaytung, before you express your highly critical opinion on the incident, which has seen approximately 2.4 billion people choose their side, here are the important facts you need to know:
1) Will Smith’s wife didn’t have cancer. She shaved her head because of some ridiculous ailment like alopecia areata.
2) Yes, he did hit her. But it wasn’t a punch, it was a slap.
3) Be careful when using the phrase “toxic masculinity” in a sentence. There are many misspellings.
4) Will Smith went and cried after the slap and won an Oscar.
5) The incident isn’t fictional. But it could be. Or maybe it isn’t…
6) The VAT rate on toilet paper has been lowered to 8% (Maybe it will help).
Joking aside, I see this from a different perspective.
Much calmer alternative responses were possible.
First, I empathize with Will Smith and believe it was a serious mistake for him to slap someone because of his wife, whom he believed was hurt and upset, and then shout and curse at that person during the Oscars. Chris Rock may have upset his wife, and in response, Smith wanted to put him in his place. Many men have a protective instinct for their wives. However, the response isn’t to stand up and slap the presenter during the show. If Will Smith had been calm and collected at that moment, he could have put Chris Rock in his place thusly:
1) He could have addressed this issue in detail in his speech after accepting the Best Actor Oscar, stating that mocking people’s sensitivities is not comedy, and invited Chris Rock to apologize.
2) He could have done the same thing calmly the next day after the ceremony.
3) Despite all this, if Chris Rock hadn’t apologized, he could have addressed the issue on his Instagram account, which has 70 million followers. After all, Will Smith is one of the most followed celebrities on social media.
He was right in his own opinion by slapping her, but he was wrong, and his career suffered a significant blow. Violence is never a solution to the problems of those who have been offended. On the contrary, it deepens the problem and escalates it to another level, making it even more intractable.
The crucial aspect of this issue that needs to be addressed is Will Smith’s toxic relationship with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. When it was revealed that he and his wife had been supporting polygamy, Will Smith described it as “confusion.” Their marriage continued under the shadow of August Alsina’s comments about Jada’s infidelity (see: https://people.com/music/august-alsina-no-longer-silent-about-jada-pinkett-smith-relationship/ ). Knowing that his wife was deeply upset by the incident, who later contracted alopecia areata, Will Smith first laughed at the sarcastic joke but then lost control when he saw his wife’s reaction and slapped her. This complex and maddening relationship spiral caused Will Smith to momentarily lose control, and perhaps due to his inability to control his anger, he suffered a major blow to his career. Jada, who was at the center of this incident, brazenly dismissed the matter with a statement that no one understood, “We’re in the healing process.”
Time to reevaluate the relationship
Ultimately, there’s Will Smith, the man everyone slams, but there’s his wife, Jada Pinkett, with whom he’s in a relationship that’s not good for him and that caused him this. I’d expect Jada to take responsibility for this, but she apparently doesn’t have the same heart as Will Smith. Energize the man, and after the incident, declare, “We’re in the healing process.” Oh, how wonderful! I think it’s time for Will Smith to reevaluate this relationship. Sometimes the people you’re passionate about can be bad for you. He needs to consider this matter with a clear head. During his long-term relationship with Jada Pinkett, Will Smith has shown that he can lose his mind at times.
In my opinion, the people who suffered most from these events were the other successful actors and actresses who received awards that evening, overshadowed by these events. They were unable to enjoy their success under these circumstances. It’s a disgrace.
Famous tennis players Serena and Venus William, portrayed in the film King Richard, and their father Richard Williams were also distressed by this uproar. While they should have been enjoying these awards for their heartfelt story, I’m sure the violence displayed by Richard’s actor, Will Smith, disturbed them as well. I’m sure the Williams sisters wouldn’t want this violence to be associated with their father, Richard Williams.
The Williamses’ extraordinary success also contributed to the uproar.
That night, Will Smith was supposed to be filled with applause after winning an Oscar for his magnificent performance as Richard Williams, father of tennis stars Venus and Serena. His speech should have been a moment of honor for both sisters in the audience, a tribute to this extraordinary family. But after that slap, he delivered a devastating speech after accepting the Best Actor award, trying to justify the slap and the shouted profanities by saying, “Richard Williams has always stood behind his family.” He continued to talk about “protecting people,” including the female actors he worked with on set. He didn’t apologize to Chris Rock. The apology, which he should have issued the next day, likely at the urging of his communications consultants or sensible friends, came a day late.
In his post-award speech, Smith continued: “I look like a crazy father, just like they said about Richard.” Will Smith has proven himself to be nothing like his character, Richard Williams, who was mocked, insulted, and subjected to violence while coaching Serena and Venus, yet never once reciprocated. Invoking his name to justify his own actions was Smith’s worst move. I say this as a devoted tennis fan. Smith’s win should have been an opportunity to highlight Williams’s superhuman motivation and self-belief, but instead, it was associated with a story about a man’s inability to control his emotions.
Everyone was harmed.
This incident ultimately harmed everyone:
1) Will Smith, seen as a role model and admired by his legions of fans, resorted to violence, setting a bad example for millions. Some of these people, emulating Will Smith, have instilled in their minds the idea of resorting to violence to solve problems. I’m sure some of Smith’s fans interpreted the incident this way: A man like Will Smith should defend his woman, resorting to violence if necessary. However, the only way to resort to physical intervention is to defend yourself, your family, and your loved ones from physical attack.
2) He physically and mentally harmed a comedian like Chris Brown. Chris Brown, by the way, is no slouch, and he needs to adjust his jokes to avoid hurting people. However, the response shouldn’t have been a slap or a curse; I think he handled all this chaos very well for his own career.
3) It was also deeply unfortunate that he chose to tarnish the Williams family. I hope Serena and Venus Williams, two of the greatest names in women’s tennis, and their fathers recover quickly from this shock. They continue to serve as role models for millions of women with their own stories.
4) Many actors and actresses who won awards that night and deserved to be praised were overshadowed by these events. The Best Documentary Award, which was announced during this incident, was particularly utterly undermined. This is also deeply unfair.
5) I believe the Academy is not acting effectively as a deterrent to these behaviors that harm society. In my opinion, Will Smith’s award should have been revoked along with the other Oscar winners who committed crimes (those convicted of harassment). The penalty of revoking the award would have sent the necessary message to society. In my opinion, the penalty of being banned from attending the Oscars and Academy Awards for a decade does not provide a sufficient deterrent to those who might consider resorting to violence.
In conclusion, after the Will Smith incident, we clearly saw this: Even the most developed countries in the world are failing to take the necessary steps to reduce violence. As a result, millions of people around the world are subjected to physical and mental abuse every day, and some are even killed. I’m not even counting wars. This situation for humanity does not bode well. I hope that people with power and wealth around the world will act as catalysts for the necessary steps to prevent violence in the future.
Bonus: I’d like to share a video by the famous talk show host Jim Kimmel, who, in my opinion, addresses this issue most accurately and without hesitation:
Tag: memoir
