It says a lot about the cynicism I feel in my old age that when I first heard about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars Sunday night, I thought it was something the two men had staged as a publicity stunt.
And while I’m still not 100 percent sure I’m wrong, I think if it was planned that way, it was a huge mistake.
What should have been the peak of Smith’s professional life — winning the Best Actor Oscar — will instead be remembered first and foremost for his violent outburst when Rock made a joke that wasn’t all that funny about Smith’s wife.
“G.I. Jane 2?”
I wonder how many viewers even remember that Demi Moore movie from 25 years ago that while not a total flop, did lose money.
Depending on your political views, there are a couple of ways it could have been worse.
On the left, you would find it worse if Smith had slapped a woman.
On the right, many would find it worse if he had slapped a white man.
It’s interesting how quickly people picked up on the slap as a metaphor. There was Mickey Mouse slapping Ron DeSantis for Florida’s “Don’t say gay,” and President Biden slapping Vladimir Putin over attacking Ukraine.
As for Rock and Smith, maybe the oddest part of it all is that neither man is young or new to Hollywood. Rock is 57, has been acting since the late 1980s and actually hosted the Oscars in 2005. Smith, 53, has been acting for more than 30 years and was first nominated for an Oscar 20 years ago.
Smith in particular has been a massive success financially. According to the Internet Movie Database, he starred in nine different pictures for which he was paid at least $20,000,000 each.
So it’s difficult to imagine he isn’t set for life financially, although in his business he probably isn’ ready emotionally to walk away from it all and retire. In some fields, an outburst like this one might be the end for the person involved. But Smith’s movies make money, so it’s not at all difficult to see a “forgive and forget” attitude taken toward him.
Rock actually apologized to his friend Wanda Sykes, one of the three women hosting the Oscars. She said he absolutely didn’t owe her an apology, but he said he regretted taking attention away from her on what should have been her special night.
A very classy guy.
As for Smith …
.