The Oscars: Episode 94 - Revenge of the S(m)ith

March 27, 2022. “The Slappening” aka “The Slap Heard Around the World”. Whatever you may call it, it will be a day that will live in infamy. Many have their opinions of what transpired on the 94th Annual Oscar’s stage, but my goal here is to wade through all of the political, cultural, and ethical waters to get down to brass tacks and provide cogent thought on this saga. Pray I do not drown in the depths.

What we know:

Chris Rock told a joke regarding Jada Pinkett Smith’s hairstyle, which is a result of her autoimmune disorder, alopecia. Within that context, many find this joke was inappropriate.
Will Smith slapped Chris Rock in retaliation and yelled at Chris to keep Jada’s name out of his mouth… Twice. This was also inappropriate.

These events and their characterizations are not mutually exclusive. Or in other words, both can be true at the same time.

Unless you are an avid fan of the WWE or the boxing exploits of one Logan & Jake Paul, it is a rare occasion that you will see two celebrities physically clash on national TV playing to a live audience of millions—certainly not at a prestigious awards ceremony like the Academy Awards. For Chris Rock’s part, he is a comedian who was hired by the Academy to do a job: entertain the the audience. And in doing so, Rock told a joke that was in poor taste but did not necessitate physical retaliation. There were several options Will Smith could have considered in response: 1) console his wife, 2) gesture to Rock to stop pulling that string, 3) and/or take Rock aside after his segment to address the issue face to face when the cameras were not rolling. Unfortunately, Smith let his emotions get the better of him, and he shot back with an action that was incommensurate to Rock’s figurative jab. As a result, comedians may justifiably now worry whether they can expect a physical altercation from a patron who does not take kindly to a joke that they feel crossed the line.

At the same time, Rock’s schtick has rightfully received criticism from many in black America, black women especially. Much of the criticism has framed the incident as a black women’s or black hair issue and attributes Rock’s joke to the historic and systemic undervaluing, humiliation, and abuse of black women in our society and media. Some black women have even described Will Smith’s retaliatory slap as a powerful, beautiful, refreshing, significant, or unprecedented act of protection of black women by black men. At the same time, others have expressed frustration that such an act of “protection” only perpetuates the stereotype that black men have a propensity for violence and are judged more harshly not just by the justice system but in the court of public opinion as well. For instance, many in the media had the audacity to claim that Will actually punched Rock with a closed fist when it was clearly an open-handed slap. A trivial distinction to some; however, the slap was a condemnable enough offense on its own without those in the media sensationalizing the incident for views and clicks.

For Will Smith’s part, I am not naïve enough to believe that Smith chose this moment and this Oscar’s stage to slap Chris Rock for this one joke alone. The slings and arrows that come along with being a public figure, the ego, and the weight of celebrity all carry their toll. In the last year, the Smiths decided to bring their personal life and “open-marriage” to the Red Table which created a frenzy of memes, jokes, and jabs on social media at their marriage’s expense—with Will taking the brunt of the abuse and attacks on his manhood. Weathering that kind of criticism can become debilitating. And while it is not my intention to make assertions of the internal, psychological, or emotional state of mind of the actors, I do want to provide an overall context for the incident that took place Sunday night.

It would appear that Chris Rock’s jest may have been the last straw—the final Jenga block to be placed on Will’s shoulders which sent his world tumbling down. Notably, this was not the first time Rock has thrown shade at both Will and Jada on the Oscars’s stage. It’s not out of the question that this previous jab was salient in Will and Jada’s minds. However, the 94th Annual Academy Awards was not the occasion for these celebrities to settle their personal debts. There’s a greater sense of decorum that precludes individual conflict. This was meant to be an evening that recognized the work, craft, and dedication of artists within this wide artistic community. Instead, it’s been overshadowed by this slap-cloud.

In a similar vein, Will Smith’s Oscar win was supposed to be an historic moment. In the 94 year history of the Academy Awards, there have only been four Black men who have won best lead actor: Sydney Poitier for “Lilies of the Field” (1963), Denzel Washington for “Training Day” (2001), Jamie Foxx for “Ray” (2004), and Forest Whitaker for “The Last King of Scotland” (2006). This year, 2022, marks 16 years, an entire generation, since this honor was last given to a black actor. This moment was bigger than Will Smith. It was a moment to honor the Williams family, put a spotlight on the roots of Venus and Serena’s work ethic and unfathomable success, and celebrate the legacy of the family’s patriarch, Richard Williams. It was a moment of great pride for black Americans across the country and for fellow artists of color to see a member of their community who is at the top of his craft finally recognized for his work among his peers. For an academy who needed producer David O. Selznick to cash in a favor to allow Hattie McDaniel into the white-only Cocoanut Grove nightclub in The Ambassador Hotel for the 12th Annual Academy Awards ceremony in 1940, ultimately relegating her to a segregated side table in the back of the nightclub so that she may accept her award for Best Supporting Actress… Let’s just say we’ve come a long way, and yet there’s still work to be done.

Instead, Will Smith’s selfish and impetuous action took that joy from us, and made the moment all about him. At the same time, the incident did nothing to dismantle the racist stereotype that black men have an affinity for aggression and violence. However, I would contend that this more significantly demonstrates the phenomenon in which every individual black person is viewed as being representative of the whole of black America. More simply, every one of us represents the whole of us—from the lowest to the highest denominator. It’s a heavy enough burden to bare as a civilian, and Will Smith is certainly one of the most high-profile representations of us.

It was also ill advised for Smith to liken his outburst to the manner in which Richard Williams and his parenting style has been characterized by the media. To allude to Richard Williams as a “fierce defender of his family” and that life imitates art to explain Smith’s earlier actions was callous. Without first directly addressing the elephant in the very large auditorium and making a sincere apology—to Chris, the fellow artists in attendance (especially Questlove for souring his achievement of winning best Documentary for “Summer of Soul”), and the Academy—Will’s calling to lead with love and be a river to his people rang of cognitive dissonance and unfortunately fell on deaf ears. It would have been a perfect opportunity to deliver the apology that was given much too late on instagram the next day:

"Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior […] was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada's medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally. I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed, and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness."

It would have been the perfect opportunity to use the pulpit of that Oscar stage to express contrition and redirect the spotlight of the moment to honor the fellow artists who helped bring his performance to the screen. And that is truly a shame, as I can imagine the acceptance speech Will had prepared was going to be something inspiring that befitted the occasion.

On Monday, March 28th, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AMPAS) Board of Governors announced an inquiry into the incident and that they would vote on necessary disciplinary action for Will Smith in the coming days. Smith and his PR team must have seen which way the winds were blowing, because on Friday, April 1st, Smith issued his resignation to the the AMPAS’ Board of Governors:

"I have directly responded to the Academy's disciplinary hearing notice, and I will fully accept any and all consequences for my conduct. My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable. The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home. I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken. I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film. So, I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate. Change takes time and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason."

While this marks Smith’s most contrite statement in the wake of the incident, I cannot help but feel an overwhelming sense of sadness and grief about this entire saga. It simply did not have to happen. And like a loving parent who must discipline their child for acting a fool, "I’m not mad… I’m just disappointed.” All that I can offer is my prayer that Will finds the healing he needs to overcome his personal demons and extend him the grace that he unfortunately did not show on that Oscar stage that fateful night. We all could use a little more grace in the place of judgement. Each one of us is better than our lowest moment. In this case, Will’s lowest moment was broadcasted globally. And while the internet never forgets, I hope we can all forgive and learn from this moment so that we can be better moving forward and ensure that nothing like this happens again.

Finally, in an attempt to end on a more humorous note, and as a fan of George Lucas’ Star Wars and Will Smith, I can think of no better Prequel meme that fully encapsulates my feelings on this issue than this: