The Slap NOT Heard ’Round the World
Unless you have been hibernating someplace, by now you at least have heard about the incident that occurred during the 94th Academy Awards last Sunday. Everything was proceeding nicely until Chris Rock made a remark directed at Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who suffers from alopecia, a condition causing hair loss and necessitating that she must wear her hair in a buzz cut. Rock said something about Ms. Smith’s haircut and “G.I. Jane,” a film in which Demi Moore wore a buzz cut.
After laughing at the joke, Smith left his seat, walked down the aisle, and slapped Rock in the face. When Smith returned to his seat, he shouted at Rock, “Keep my wife’s name out of your ‘bleeping’ mouth. And he repeated this so that everyone could hear it. A short time later Smith accepted the Oscar for best actor in a leading role for his work in “King Richard.”
Of course, Smith’s classless and tasteless act set off a barrage of opinions, and some of the were so bizarre that they don’t even deserve f to be mentioned here. What should have happened didn’t, but for what it’s worth, here is my take on it. If you’re not interested, feel free to fast forward to the next topic.
Smith should have been escorted out of the theater immediately, and when his name was called as best actor in a leading role, Rock should have accepted for Smith and then announced where Smith could stick it, (Sorry, I meant pick it up.) after the ceremony. I think Smith should not be stripped of the Oscar because he probably deserved it. But what he doesn’t deserve is to walk away from the incident unscathed.
Note the following statement from the Academy: “Things unfolded in a way we could not have anticipated. While we would like to clarify that Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.”
“Differently” meaning carrying Smith out in handcuffs? “Too drastic,” you say. Note what the FindLaw staff says about assault and battery. “Many people do not know there are two separate legal terms of art at play. Assault is one, and battery is the other. The terms describe two separate legal concepts with distinct elements. Some states split them up while others combine the offenses. In most states, an assault or battery is committed when one person physically strikes or attempts to physically strike another, or when they act in a threatening manner to put another in fear of immediate harm. Generally, battery is the intentional act of making contact with another person in a harmful or offensive manner. Depending on jurisdiction, assault is either the exact same act or it is an attempt or threat to cause bodily injury. It is worth noting that many jurisdictions have moved away from the term ‘battery’ and now only prosecute varying degrees of assault.”
So just about any way you look at it, Smith assaulted Rock. It remains to be seen whether or not the Academy or Rock or both or none of them will bring Smith up on charges, but the fact remains that Smith made a complete ass of himself. And whereas people may or may not remember that Smith won an Oscar, few of them will forget his egregious behavior shortly before what should have been his shining moment.
Just two more comments. First and foremost, mega kudos to Rock for handling the whole thing with the dignity of a king. His class during the moment underscored Smith’s lack thereof.
Finally, one thing about Smith’s behavior really puzzled me. Why did Smith slap Rock instead of hitting him with a closed fist? In days gone by, one man used to challenge another to a duel by slapping him in the face with a glove. Maybe Smith just became so excited about what he was doing that he simply forgot his glove. Nevertheless, no matter how many apologies Smith issues, this King Richard will forever be defined by his incredibly juvenile behavior that will relegate him to sitting on a decaying throne with a badly tarnished Oscar at his side.
This in just before press time. Will Smith has resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
A Bad Week
In addition to the Smith vs. Rock mess, the entertainment industry suffered another setback when the family of Bruce Willis announced the Asia superstar was retiring from acting because he is suffering from aphasia. This condition is a communication disorder that can affect the way someone understands or expresses written or spoken language. The disorder affects approximately 2 million Americans, which makes it more common than Parkinson’s disease or cerebral palsy. Strokes are the most common of the disease resulting from damage to the brain. Some victims have difficulty remembering names, and others may just have trouble processing what other people are saying. Willis was one of Hollywood’s best action stars known for such hits as “Die Hard,” “The Sixth Sense,” and “Pulp Fiction.” The film industry definitely has lost a good one, and so have all fans of action films. Nobody could say, “Yippee Ki Yay,” the way Willis could.
Ponder This:
A cop just knocked on my door and told me that my dogs were chasing people on bikes. My dogs don’t even own bikes.
~ Anonymous
