The Will & Chris incident…. unprofessional, sure, but I’d say he acted accordingly given the premise of the joke landing on Jada’s alopecia. That’s not something to casually create humor out of. And then he won his first Oscar not even thirty minutes later & formally apologized to everyone involved - I think both parties will be just fine. The only people I’ve seen condemning Will’s behavior thus far are comedians who haven’t had very much of a career in quite some time.
I have to say I strongly disagree.
- Perhaps he did apologize in a direct way, but I don't remember it. Or at least I don't remember an apology to Chris Rock specifically - you know, the man he just physically assaulted and cussed out in front of a room of peers and millions of viewers. My impression was a "oops! I know I was disruptive but it's really because I'm a vessel of love! Hope I get invited back next year!" vibe. There was some weird implication that What I heard was a sad, delusional, incredibly self-centered speech about being a beacon of light and a protector to all these helpless women, from his family members to cast mates to the Williams sisters. I hate to say it, but to me it sounded EXTREMELY reminiscent of the type of thing Kanye says these days, excusing his worrying behavior as "protecting" his daughter, Kim, etc. Trying to justify violence as actually an expression of love is a HUGE red flag. And I think because Will Smith is a huge star, this was his first Oscar win, because he showed vulnerability in his acceptance speech, the embarrassment factor, and because Chris took it pretty well, people are wanting to find reasons to excuse his behavior. But imagine it was someone else. Someone unknown. Or even just a star with less star power. What if Jesse Plemmons had done the same thing to defend Kirsten Dunst from a silly (and many would argue flattering) joke? I feel the condemnation would be swift and unanimous in that case.
Concerning the joke itself, I found it funny. I understand Jada did not, but that's life. I lost all my hair (temporarily but with no guarantee of that at the time) less than a year ago, so I do understand the vulnerability and I don't think she should have to smile and laugh if that's not how she felt in the moment. But you know who
definitely found it funny? Will Smith. The camera was trained on them and he clearly reacts happily and with laughter initially. Then he realized Jada didn't and his subsequent reaction was so overblown and out-of-proportion to the joke that almost everyone was questioning if it was a planned bit, That's how outrageous it was. That many now are framing his actions as honorable, that he was just being a man, just defending his family? That almost ensures no lesson will be learned. He'll not only escape serious criticism, but he'll actually be celebrated for his violent outburst. It's already happening. And that sends a toxic message to millions of others.