The Slap Seen And Heard Around The World

One of the biggest moments to occur on the Oscars’ stage came at the Oscars of 2022. Will Smith slapped Chris Rock for a joke Chris told about Will’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith. At first, it seemed like a stunt, but after Will Smith took his seat and started yelling at Chris, everyone knew that it was real. How could such an episode happen at the Oscars, an event filled with regal class? The answer is simple, and it is not because the two people involved were men or that they were black. This has nothing to do with race, but everything to do with emotionally driven impulse. This is about not being able to wait until you can use your words at the right time, on the right platform. 

Most people have been talking about what’s wrong with Hollywood, the Smith’s, black people, masculinity, comedians, and the world, instead of talking about how best to respond to the incident. The reasons why this public display of violence took place are not complex and they come to light when we explore possible assumptions, motivations, and intentions behind the actions of all parties involved. Situations of this nature always weigh heavily on those closest to the action, and we, as spectators, can minimize the difficulty that lies ahead for those who experienced the event. We can only hope that moving forward, all the parties will reconcile, or if not reconcile, at best forgive themselves and each other.  

Will Smith should have waited till after the show to confront Chris. Him acting on impulse made an otherwise ill-timed mild joke, a fuel for an act of assault. Will’s outburst highlights the fact that he needs more emotional attention. He is one of the world’s best emotors, and for good reason; he wears his heart on his sleeve. His emotions often lead to action! In a healthy way, this comes in the form of tears on camera, but when the emotions are too much for him to handle, it comes in violent outbursts. This is the main reason why men, most of whom did not have emotionally stable fathers, are prone to violence. They have not learned to wait to act on their emotions at the right time and in the right forum. 

Will also assumed that everyone knows what they, the Smith’s as a family, put out into the world. He thought that Chris Rock knew that his wife has alopecia and assumed that Chris was intentionally being cruel. Chris, like far more people than Will is aware of, did not know that Jada’s hairstyle was motivated by her medical condition. If Chris knew, I believe he would have opted for a better joke. Will should not have taken such a mild joke so personally. He should give Chris an in person  sincere apology and make amends in whichever way Chris and the Academy demand. 

Chris Rock should have conducted the appropriate research. Comedians should make sure that their jokes do not accomplish what they do not intend. They should make sure that the subjects(people) of their jokes are emotionally stable enough to handle the ridicule. Chris, in his mind, was complimenting Jada’s haircut through ridicule. It makes a lot of sense for a comedian to poke fun at an individual in order to compliment them. I know this as a creative person and also as an African growing up with “kunyongana” (what the tv show Black-ish terms “the dozens.”) On the night, even though he was the victim, Chris carried himself like a true professional. Instead of escalating the situation, he kept the show going. 

He also did not press charges which seems like the best option, because legal action exists to prevent an action from repeating. Legal action should not be used as an instrument to punish the perpetrator, but it should be used as an instrument of protection. I believe Chris understands that Will’s actions on the night should be handled by the Academy. Chris also knows that placing charges will not rehabilitate Will in a healthy way because the act was a result of a lapse in judgement. He wants the best for Will and he understands that Will is not a danger to him, especially because Chris has security and can have them be on high alert. Plus, those in the know understand that Will’s method of violence, being a slap instead of a punch, indicates that Will was not interested in causing harm, but making a statement. 

The Academy should have removed Will from the arena and had someone else receive his award for him. They were so paralyzed by their need to rescue the night that they sent the wrong message to the world. Hollywood, who do not condone violence, showed yet again how spineless they can be because of their need to control the narrative. The Academy should not take Will’s Oscar away from him, because he does deserve that award, in spite of his actions on the night. Will Smith’s actions were more of a personal transgression than a professional one, and the line between personal and professional can be quite thin for those in the arts. The Academy should ban Will from the Oscars Awards event for at least two years and have him pay a fine. Moving forward, the Oscars need to tighten their security and not give special treatment. The incident would not have happened if the Academy kept all unscripted performers off the stage. 

The world should understand that Will Smith’s public act of violence was a slap and not a punch. His act was inappropriate simply because Chris did not approve and that Will did not use his words. The act being in private or in public should not have a bearing on its magnitude because violence is unacceptable whether seen or unseen. We need to accept that this was nothing more than an emotionally driven impulsive act, that we should not blow out of proportion. This was not toxic masculinity or what is wrong with society. This is what is wrong with Will Smith. This is what happens when we judge others as we judge ourselves; when we assume to know what motivates others. When we forget to take things at face value and assume everyone means way more than what they say. If Will and Jada did not hold every word and emotion as highly as they did, maybe they would have had more respect for action. 

Jada should have laughed at the joke and tried to stop Will from going on stage. This is not to say that she is to blame, but it is to say that she had the power to influence a different outcome. The action, at the end of the day, is one hundred percent Will’s responsibility. The main lessons we should learn from this event are: 1) always assume people do not understand the pain they cause, this will enable us to wait to ask them what they meant, 2) wait for at least 10 minutes before we take action when we’ve been insulted, and 3) consider the person’s job description when interacting with them, comedians should not have their jokes censored.