The Oscars : About Will Smith Hitting Chris Rock

I will never condone someone loosing their temper and using violence. If someone was defending me that way I would just be mortified. That’s not love. That’s ego, rage and lack of self control. To see Will Smith cry and apologise to everyone, but Chris Rock, after he won best actor was a horrible moment. Serena Williams looked so uncomfortable in the audience. Will Smith basically ruined his own special day. What would have been the highlight of his career, and it wasn’t respectful of the Williams Family.

I thought Chris Rock’s joke was in poor taste making fun of someone’s medical condition – Jada Smith suffers from an auto immune disorder causing alopecia, but that’s no justification for Will Smith to slap him. He should have educated him instead. Also there seems to be something more going on with Will, and Chris happens to be the person he lashes out at. Doesn’t seem a proportionate response. I’m sad to say it’s made me loose respect for him and gain some for Chris Rick staying so calm and classy. He should apologise to Jada for that terribly insensitive joke though. Although if someone had compared me to GI Jane in my bald cancer days, I wouldn’t be too upset. Have you see Demi Moore?

Will needs to learn some self control or does he have rage issues? Honestly he soured the whole event all because of ego. Why toxic masculinity has to go away. Violence begets violence.

I was rooting for Benedict Cumberbatch (unnervingly brilliant performance) or Andrew Garfield (wow he can do action & sing) to win as I was more moved by their performances. I might have a bias towards British actors. Was absolutely thrilled when Daniel Kaluuya won best supporting actor and Anthony Hopkins best actor last year.

It’s all very subjective. Every year I feel someone is robbed or someone definitely didn’t deserve that award. I always felt that Robin Williams should have won best actor for Dead Poets’ Society but in that year there were so many amazing performances so it’s luck at play again. Dustin Hoffman won for Rain Man. I didn’t think that either Gwenyth Paltrow or Julia Roberts deserved Oscars.

What I also love to see are the beautiful suits and gowns on the red carpet. This is the first year I didn’t watch the live telecast as I don’t watch regular TV anymore. I’m catching up on the news through social media. Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet never disappoint with their fabulous outfits and the way they carry themselves.

And back to Will. He gave the excuse of being protective. Almost boasting about it. But protecting someone doesn’t need to include aggression or violence. Not excusing it at all, but is there something about testosterone that causes this? I just want to understand why obviously I see way less aggression of this sort in women. Or is it the way children have been raised and certain things are expected of boys which leads to toxic masculinity.

Update 29.3.22: Will Smith finally apologised to Chris Rock and I truly hope it’s not just because the Academy threatened to take action and his PR team advised him to do so.

And I’m glad to see Richard Smith’s statement: “We don’t condone anyone hitting anyone else unless it’s in self-defense,” Venus and Serena Williams’ father, Richard, said via his son.

I’m wondering why I’m so upset about this. Perhaps it’s because so much is stacked against black actors and Will Smith had triumphed against the odds. It’s frustrating to see him ruin his own best moment. It’s also because I think Will is such a nice guy and it just seemed so out of character. I wouldn’t be surprised if it had been a younger Alec Baldwin or Sean Penn who have been reported to have anger management issues. But Will Smith had always been that lovable, goofy kid who doesn’t use swear words and also a loving dad not afraid to show his emotions and love for his children.