The Oscars

[Yossarian]

i think we can all still giggle about turning down the matrix for wild wild west

Lucky escape from the Matrix sequels there.

 

[Ax^]

image smith as john wick

maybe not a good career move

matrix sequels and john wick

or wild wild west, handcok, a bad boys and then aladdin

 

[Clair De Lune]

It was a pretty real moment for such a fake glitzy event eh.

 

[DaveCinzano]

i think we can all still giggle about turning down the matrix for wild wild west

Whenever I think of Wild Wild West I'm reminded of Kevin Smith's Jon Peters anecdote

 

[D'wards]

Interesting reading Smith's reasons for turning down Django in light of the incident.

Will Smith reveals the real reason he turned down Django Unchained

Smith referenced the recent Paris terrorist attacks when discussing his attitude to violence and revenge

www.independent.co.uk

 

[Petcha]

Well, I'm sure this took an army of PRs to craft. There's no way he'll be stripped of his Oscar though, the 5th black man in history to win it, not in the current climate.

 

[Petcha]

I still don't know why he's not behind bars though. If I did that to someone I certainly would be.

 

[8ball]

I still don't know why he's not behind bars though. If I did that to someone I certainly would be.

Yeah, and it has been mentioned that it was kind of sinister in light of the Weinstein business etc. that an assault happened in front of that many people and just a few minutes later it was as if nothing had happened.

That said, I think Smith is in a bad place right now and while it isn’t even handed treatment, I’m not sure dragging him away in cuffs would have served much of a useful purpose at the time or immediately afterwards.

That’s a bit mealy-mouthed and I could change my mind on that but he seems like a guy who is suffering when by all normal indicators he should have the world at his feet.

 

[Petcha]

Well. Richard Partridge, sorry Madeley came out today and said that Chris Rock was the most horrible person he'd ever interviewed and they had to cobble together the bits where he wasn't a total fuckwit into one clip.

And I trust in the Madeley. So maybe Smith was putting things right. I'd like to see Richard take a pop at him himself next time they cross paths.

Richard Madeley: Chris Rock the 'most unpleasant celebrity' he's ever interviewed

'He was the most unpleasant, rude, aggressive, unlikeable human being I've ever interviewed on camera.'

metro.co.uk

 

[RedRedRose]

Chris Rock made a low jibe at Smith's wife, and Smith had multiple ways to show his disapproval; ultimately, he decided on assaulting Rock. I suspect the origins of the assault are more to do with the guilt he felt at laughing at his own wife's condition, than anything else.

The guy should have his Oscar rescinded.

 

[albionism]

Well, I'm sure this took an army of PRs to craft. There's no way he'll be stripped of his Oscar though, the 5th black man in history to win it, not in the current climate.

"I reacted emotionally", yeah Will, you laughed with everyone else until you saw how vexxed Jada was.

 

[Steel Icarus]

Noticeable that "I reacted emotionally" = committing a violent act. Even in a crafted PR release the toxic masculinity is baked in.

 

[BigMoaner]

Noticeable that "I reacted emotionally" = committing a violent act. Even in a crafted PR release the toxic masculinity is baked in.

Makes you think what he would do in fury if that’s how he reacts to a joke (tho a pretty nasty one)

 

[BigMoaner]

I think the tide is turning on him. I’m so untouchable I can commit criminal offences whenever etc

 

[RedRedRose]

I thought this was an excellent summary of Smith's antics.

Will Smith went low by slapping Chris Rock. In his attempt to justify it, he went even lower | Joseph Harker

 

[girasol]

I don't think he should be stripped of his Oscar but he should be charged, like an ordinary person would. He'd probably just get a caution, first offence, Chris Rock doesn't want to prosecute, but that shouldn't be a deterrent as there's plenty of evidence. A slap in the face with not even bruising is minor assault.

Will should donate money to victims too, he's stinking rich. If did something stupid like that, and plenty of us have done things we regret, I'd be wanting to make amends. So, yeah, a generous donation to a fitting charity would be a good thing to do for someone in his position.

 

[Petcha]

He didn't deserve the Oscar anyway. It was a made for TV quality of movie and performance. Cumberbatch was robbed.

 

[8ball]

I don't think he should be stripped of his Oscar but he should be charged, like an ordinary person would. He'd probably just get a caution, first offence, Chris Rock doesn't want to prosecute, but that shouldn't be a deterrent as there's plenty of evidence. A slap in the face with not even bruising is minor assault.

Will should donate money to victims too, he's stinking rich. If did something stupid like that, and plenty of us have done things we regret, I'd be wanting to make amends. So, yeah, a generous donation to a fitting authority would be a good thing to do for someone in his position.

That looks very reasonable under the circumstances. Though I'm not sure completely about the legal situation given Smith's previous re: a historical aggravated assault charge (in 1989).

 

[skyscraper101]

Though I'm not sure completely about the legal situation given Smith's previous re: a historical aggravated assault charge (in 1989).

That was pretty serious too. His mum sent him to live with his aunty and uncle in Bel Air afterwards.

 

[Petcha]

Wow.. just wow.

White outrage about Will Smith’s slap is rooted in anti-Blackness. It’s inequality in plain sight | Tayo Bero

This kind of performative pearl-clutching is only ever reserved for Black men who mess up, says Guardian US writer Tayo Bero

www.theguardian.com

This is really stretching it. What a fucking stupid article. How does shit like this get published in a major newspaper.

it’s clear that the backlash against Smith is rooted in not just anti-Blackness, but respectability politics as well.

I also find it hard to believe that the same white audiences who consume violence against Black people on screen to an almost fetishistic degree (and are quite happy to have the Academy reward these gratuitously violent projects year after year) are so distraught about an open-palm slap. Again, this kind of performative pearl-clutching is only ever reserved for Black men who mess up.

 

[MickiQ]

I'm on Team Smith on this one, Chris Rock comes across as a smug unpleasant and self-entitled cunt at the best of times, Yes Will Smith shouldn't have smacked someone in the gob in public but it's hard to be too critical of him.
As for prosecution why? there are are worse brawls outside pubs on a Saturday night that just end up with a police caution. A public apology is enough.

 

[ElizabethofYork]

Will there be an announcement about Will Smith being in rehab shortly, I wonder.

 

[BigMoaner]

Wow.. just wow.

White outrage about Will Smith’s slap is rooted in anti-Blackness. It’s inequality in plain sight | Tayo Bero

This kind of performative pearl-clutching is only ever reserved for Black men who mess up, says Guardian US writer Tayo Bero

www.theguardian.com

This is really stretching it. What a fucking stupid article. How does shit like this get published in a major newspaper.

"Black people on screen to an almost fetishistic degree (and are quite happy to have the Academy reward these gratuitously violent projects year after year) are so distraught about an open-palm slap. Again, this kind of performative pearl-clutching is only ever reserved for Black men who mess up."

so if Brad Pitt or someone done the same we would all just move on the instant after? what a load of bollocks.

 

[bluescreen]

Wow.. just wow.

White outrage about Will Smith’s slap is rooted in anti-Blackness. It’s inequality in plain sight | Tayo Bero

This kind of performative pearl-clutching is only ever reserved for Black men who mess up, says Guardian US writer Tayo Bero

www.theguardian.com

This is really stretching it. What a fucking stupid article. How does shit like this get published in a major newspaper.

Not really fair. It's a thought-provoking article.

Most people agree the slap shouldn’t have happened. But there’s something that feels precious at best, and downright racist at worst, about white people’s reaction to the now-infamous smack. The Hollywood director Judd Apatow declared in a deleted tweet that Smith “could have killed” Rock (seriously?), calling it “pure out of control rage and violence”. Apatow later confirmed he wasn’t even watching the show when he made the remarks.[...] white women on Twitter somehow decided that Smith’s actions meant he must be beating his wife. It would seem that there’s a layer of hyper-violence that’s being projected on to Smith simply because he is a Black man who was defending his Black wife.

(my bold)

I agree it's a bit of a stretch to compare it to the treatment of John Wayne's stage-rush attempt 50 years ago and declare double standards. I reckon these days there'd have been outrage if it had been a white on white incident in these circs. What we have here is an added sense of disappointment, that undoubtedly has a racial element:

it’s clear that many people (even those in the community who mean well) only find the incident so objectionable because they hoped Smith would perform propriety for white people in that space [sc "space notorious for its overwhelming whiteness"].

He's a role model, but context is important. If he'd done this in a supermarket carpark it wouldn't have the same impact - except that Rock's provocation depended on the context (of this mass audience) to occur in the first place.

Then there are the points made about alopecia and the politics of black women's hair, which are worth reading, particularly by those of us who are not black women. See also the article in Kenosha Times referred to by Tayo Bero.

But there's possibly something to object to here, and it's not the allegation of racism:

this kind of punching down on Black women remains typical of many Black male comedians who, like the rest of the world, don’t see Black women’s struggles and experiences as real or legitimate. And this lack of care for Black women also partly explains why people were so taken aback by the image of Smith standing up for his wife in that way. The world is so used to seeing Black women as unworthy of being protected and fought for that it can’t see any merit to Smith’s actions or the emotions that spurred them.

(my bold)
because I'm guessing a lot of black women wouldn't welcome 'being protected and fought for', particularly like this.

 

[xenon]

I'm on Team Smith on this one, Chris Rock comes across as a smug unpleasant and self-entitled cunt at the best of times, Yes Will Smith shouldn't have smacked someone in the gob in public but it's hard to be too critical of him.
As for prosecution why? there are are worse brawls outside pubs on a Saturday night that just end up with a police caution. A public apology is enough.

Tend to agree. Though if he were fined and the money went to anti violence campaigns as such, would be fair enough.

But as for rescinding the award. What a load of bollocks. Weinstein still has his...

 

[Petcha]

Not really fair. It's a thought-provoking article.

(my bold)

I agree it's a bit of a stretch to compare it to the treatment of John Wayne's stage-rush attempt 50 years ago and declare double standards. I reckon these days there'd have been outrage if it had been a white on white incident in these circs. What we have here is an added sense of disappointment, that undoubtedly has a racial element:


He's a role model, but context is important. If he'd done this in a supermarket carpark it wouldn't have the same impact - except that Rock's provocation depended on the context (of this mass audience) to occur in the first place.

Then there are the points made about alopecia and the politics of black women's hair, which are worth reading, particularly by those of us who are not black women. See also the article in Kenosha Times referred to by Tayo Bero.

But there's possibly something to object to here, and it's not the allegation of racism:

(my bold)
because I'm guessing a lot of black women wouldn't welcome 'being protected and fought for', particularly like this.

Sorry, but no. It's batshit. From your quote:

Most people agree the slap shouldn’t have happened. But there’s something that feels precious at best, and downright racist at worst, about white people’s reaction to the now-infamous smack. The Hollywood director Judd Apatow declared in a deleted tweet that Smith “could have killed” Rock (seriously?), calling it “pure out of control rage and violence”. Apatow later confirmed he wasn’t even watching the show when he made the remarks.[...] white women on Twitter somehow decided that Smith’s actions meant he must be beating his wife. It would seem that there’s a layer of hyper-violence that’s being projected on to Smith simply because he is a Black man who was defending his Black wife.

Yes. He was a black man valiantly defending his black wife's honour by administering a cowardly sucker slap, against a... black man. But race has nothing to do with this anyway. Smith has been condemned across the whole spectrum, black, white, brown whatever. This is not a helpful angle to take. It's like it's written by an A level student. No idea how or why it got published.

 

[BigMoaner]

" But there’s something that feels precious at best, and downright racist at worst, about white people’s reaction to the now-infamous smack. "

Okay how does he want us to react then? Nice work Will, bit of criminal assualt at work. No probs. Lets move on.

 

[BigMoaner]

any negative comments about Will's slap: "precious at best, and downright racist at worst"

 

[RedRedRose]

The Joseph Harker piece I linked to previously said Smith was 'raceless', which makes a lot of sense to me. His mainstream affluent credentials transcend his race. In this sense he's fairly unique in how he's presented. He's consumed by white audiences in a manner that is totally different to say Samuel L. Jackson or Morgan Freeman. On that level, linking him explicitly to being black, doesn't really work.

 

[killer b]

any negative comments about Will's slap: "precious at best, and downright racist at worst"

Many of the negative comments I've seen about this have absolutely been precious or racist tbf.