Will Smith at the Oscars
One of the most famous annual awards shows in the United States is the Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, which recognize actors, actresses, directors, and others in the film industry for their talents and performances. This year’s 94th Academy Awards event received exceptional media coverage. During the show, Chris Rock, a famous comedian, was delivering a stand-up monologue, when he mentioned the actress Jada Smith and made a controversial joke about her recently shaved head, comparing her to G.I. Jane. It is unknown whether or not Rock knew about Jada Smith’s medical condition, alopecia, but regardless, his joke provoked an emotional response in Smith’s husband, Will Smith. Although he initially laughed at the joke, the tone quickly shifted when Will Smith approached Rock, slapping him and cursing at him on national television. Initially, it was assumed that this performance was solely staged for publicity, but the swearing on stage goes against the Federal Communications Commission, which enforces clean language on television. Because of this situation, the number of viewers spiked, growing by over 500,000 from the moment that Will Smith slapped Chris Rock.
Soon afterwards, it was announced that Will Smith won the Oscar for Best Actor in his new movie King Richard. During this exceptionally long acceptance speech, he easily could have found an opportunity to apologize to Chris Rock, but instead apologized to everyone else, such as the Academy and his fellow nominees. He spoke about how “love will make you do crazy things” and how in the entertainment business, “you got to be able to have people disrespecting you” while “you got to smile” and act like it’s okay.
On the day following the Oscars, Will Smith released a statement announcing his resignation from the Academy and recognizing his actions. He admitted that his actions were “shocking, painful and inexcusable” and said that he “betrayed the trust of the Academy.” He stated that the Academy should focus on the other talented actors and nominees, rather than him, who deserve attention for their achievements and that he does not believe that he is currently qualified to belong in the Academy. He expressed his plans to take time to work on changing himself.
Many social media outlets have analyzed this event, debating whether Will Smith’s actions were justified. Although Chris Rock’s joke was unprovoked, it was unfair of Will Smith to resort to violence, even if in defense of his family. However, he has now accepted his faults and is willing to grow for change. This leaves the viewer with a lingering question: can any A-list celebrity easily get away with an assault, even on national television?