Well, the good news is that they can’t accuse the 2022 Oscars of being too white.
Will Smith – won’t swear in his rap songs but will smack the shit out of Chris Rock?
This isn’t progress.
There will be eternal cultural analysis of this moment, there will be screeds written about toxic masculinity and how it is that Smith can assault someone and then get a standing ovation while winning an award.
Stuff.co.nz will be writing 10 times as many columns about male privilege, patriarchy and rigid gender roles than they currently write.
Yay.
Great.
Hashtag solidarity. Hashtag feminism.
Another 10 000 columns about how shit men are. That’ll teach us!
Personally I think we need to focus on the hero in this, Chris Rock, and let his calm reaction be a teachable moment for all men.
As men, we learn to live with the violence of other men from a very early age. Men die at the hands of other men, we learn pack dynamics and how to deal with those amongst us who lash out when angry.
The first true test of real masculinity is learning to take a punch and not escalate it.
That first shock wave of adrenaline as your body revs up to fight is when we are at our most dangerous as men. Being able to pull it back and realise that there is no more incoming blows and that this is the exact moment to de-escalate rather than channel the humiliation and surprise and pain into righteous violence is the most important skill in masculinity.
I’m not saying you just get beaten up, of course you respond out of self defence if violence continues, but as men we’ve all had to learn to live with hot head males who speak with their fists first as soon as they run out of emotions, learning to not lose your shit and punch back if there is nothing more coming is what real men do.
That’s what Chris Rock did.
He didn’t punch back and that is the true test of a real man.
Will Smith did not land on Chris Rock. Chris Rock landed on us!
As for the weak joke and some attempting to frame Will as a defender of his wife’s honour, fuck off.
The only thing Chris Rock has to apologise for is how tame his joke was and you can’t physically hit someone because they said something shitty about your partner.
You just can’t, and any attempt to justify his actions because he was being romantic is a tad red flaggy isn’t it?
The lesson here is one that men around other men have had to learn from the beginning of our species, how to deal with those who lash out physically.
A calm resolve to not escalate it in the flash of the moment is what being a real man is all about.
Fathers need to tell their sons, ‘Be like Chris Rock. Be the bigger man’.
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Enjoyed it big time far more interesting than the Oscarâs.I think he got what he deserved heâs so funny not! Suck it up you sarcastic fucker.
Total respect for Chris Rock. He did well to keep calm and not escalate it. Chris Rocks’ joke was a bit of a miss anyway, as in it was not that funny. Not worthy of violent reaction.
That said, public figures need the piss being taken out of them sometimes. It stops them from being smug wankers.
Will Smith to his credit, showed us that actors are smug wankers who are paid way to much, and start to think their shit don’t stink.
H
I saw an old John Wayne movie. The judge said to JW, âWhy did you give the first punch, JW replied, âNo judge, He took the first punch with his mouth!â Will was respecting his wifeâŚOld school! And another thing, If Chris had been white, Hollywood would have been on Willâs side. And another thing, Rock knew better than to retaliate, if he did Will would have kicked his butt!
Ignatius
I think that this ‘event’ which was an example of lack of civility (ie a joke inserted into the wrong place when pleasant celebration would have been appropriate) shows how petty people can be to start arguing amongst themselves about who was smug etc and just escalating it when – it is none of their business – their opinions should stay private and unspoken.
The guy was insulting his wife ffs. so he was in effect inviting him up to the stage, get a grip.
Not an insult. GI Jane is cool.
Hey Alan, it’s Jade’s medical issue he was taking the piss out of.
It would have been as insensitive as Chris Rock taking the piss out of the deaf actors in the Best Picture Academy award film “Coda”
The Oscars? Does anyone care? Was anyone watching that appalling circle jerk?
Hey Andrew, your dirty politics mates in National put up some nasty memes about this then had to quickly backtrack and delete! Anyone here have a copy or a tweet of them. I was out turning my compost heap and it was gone by lunchtime. Any comments by Key Part 2? Disappointing to see that Dirty Politics is still alive and pervasive, like the smell of rotting compost.
Do you think Chris Luxon slapped the staffer, who uploaded the memes Andrew?
“Labour – Slap in the face for hard-working Kiwis?”
“National – Slap in the face for Dirty Politics National Party staffer?”
Yeah Right!
Ask Meka Whaitiri, she has form on this.
Young misogynist Nat caught out trolling women.
Yet another dirty politics operative in training……dirty politics and
National Party’s dirty politics…the gift that keeps on giving!
Well done Bomber. Couldn’t have said it better myself. Rock’s reaction is what we all should aspire to – I know I could not have met his calm demeanor.
Some of the late night response on social media:
“This some ghetto shit”
“This has been building in cuck Smith for a while”
“Alopeeshuh ain’t nuthin to be shamed of, girl you already bald”
“This was a coward punch”
“Will Chris sue the Academy?”
“Brother be crying now after assaulting Chris?”
“Vessel for love, seriously?”
“Was this the coke or some Mk ultra shit?”
“Comedians are now a target for physical violence”
“You are marvels but you don’t play against the guys like I do”
Sorry that last comment was from a pampered out of touch white woman who also managed to ruin the Williams sisters week with a hyper masculine slap down.
It was interesting that initially Will Smith was all laughs and big smiles when Chris Rock made his joke and that he only got aggro when he saw his wife was unhappy
As for the joke itself, I was expecting something pretty OTT but it was in fact pretty tame/lame.
Smith ought to have been thrown out of the show immediately but instead went on to pick up an award and tell us all through tears that he really is a vessel for love.
Seems if you have enough privilege even assault live on global tv can be overlooked
Triple X. Yes, youâre right, but whatâs not right is men like Smith being bad role models and nobody caring.
Ricki Gervais tore most of the Hollywood elite a new one. They just smiled uncomfortably and hoped they wouldn’t be Ricki’s next target. All the while they appeared confused. They live in a time where being offended proves you’re part of the “in group” of entitled society. They knew it was the usual time to be offended when Ricki spoke but importantly also knew it wasn’t safe to be offended so they STFU. No room at all for the entitled. Yah!!
When Will Smith had a crack at Chris Rock I was impressed by both men. Will Smith for passionately putting it all out there for the dignity of his wife and for the outstanding way Chris Rock handled what unfolded. Then I had a closer look and arrived at a different conclusion….of Will Smith. Both he and his wife have courted public attention on every personal detail of their life more than most. You just wouldn’t do that if you couldn’t handle public input and as we know, public input can include judgment, ridicule, banter and critique.
It was only after I saw the entire episode did I see things differently. Will Smith was smiling at Chris Rock’s comments about his wife as GI Joe…..then the camera panned over to his wife who looked angry and unimpressed. Nek minute, Will Smith was up on his high horse with rage and emotion as his companions. His actions appeared to be a mix of high level entitlement and a big dose of self preservation. Perhaps he was fearful of the ride home in the limo listening to his wife unleash on him about him sitting there and smiling while she was subjected to faux public humiliation. Chris Rock comes out of this unscathed. Will Smith not so but it’s his wife that steered that ship. Hopefully, they now just piss off somewhere and keep their personal life and enormous entitlement to themselves. If you can’t handle attention, you’re in the wrong business. If you can’t handle comedic attention, don’t go to awards being hosted by Chris Rock or Ricki Gervais.
Will is the most notable ‘Cuck’; so he had to assert how man he was .
For an ANTI PC warrior your thinking is very strange . If anyone made a joke at the expense of my partner and a condition that effected her they would get more than a slap the retort that it was only a joke and where is your sense of humor is well past its us by date . As a old boomer I can remember this as a reply to any sexism or racist jokes in the past it was never funny or ok
you need help bro and maybe some anger management training
Violence has never been funny or okay either. Smith totally overreacted. End of story. Any defence of him is just horse cock.
Violence can be just as hurtful when it comes out of someone’s mouth as it is from a fist .
Sure, some psychological abuse can be worse than physical abuse, but in this case do you genuinely think Chris Rock’s joke amounted to violence and that Will Smith’s response was proportionate?
How do you know ? And what does âhurtfulâ mean ?
If you do not know what it is to be hurt emotionally or physically then you must be a lump of wood.
Being an immegrant I have had to deal with verbal hits both here and in Australia and as a business own I have had a couple of fights when staff were abused.
Trevor I am not a lump of wood. I am a rather short woman who has experienced a man trying to kill me. Stop judging.
I am a rather short woman whose husband first threatened violence on the third day of my marriage. Stop judging.
I am a rather short woman who could catalogue years of verbal and emotional abuse from the tongue of a man. The women of my generation stayed silent, and we stuck it out. Stop judging.
I was judging your question not you . It would seem you know the answer so why ask the question.
Trevor you are obfuscating Pip’s original question (and ignoring mine). Instead of being evasive and treating an emotive anecdote as an answer, or insulting Pip and leveraging off her own story as a diversion just answer her (or my) question and don’t be a dick.
Just incase, don’t bother playing the “suffered-prolonged-verbal-&-physical-abuse” card, I have one too as do many others. Using it as means of moral grandstanding doesn’t impress.
I think Will was correct to slap a man that had insulted his wife. Is that plain enough
That’s clear, so by your own standards having insulted Pip which could be offensive given her personal history. You’d be completely fine with her, or a large male slapping you in response?
Just because you think that Smith was right to slap a man doesnât make it right, it just shows that you condone violence even when there are more civilised options.
Trevor Sennitt We could do without idiot immigrants like you.
Because every now and then you state the obvious as if itâs some pearl of wisdom and the rest of us know nothing. Hollywood may be John Key and Peter Whatshisnameâs touch point but itâs a self-serving hedonistic sort of outfit and not hugely relevant.
“Violence can be just as hurtful when it comes out of someoneâs mouth as it is from a fist”
That’s a very sensitive and woke comment from someone who just stated that if anyone dissed his partner he would knock his lights out.
weird times in the ghetto
Yes it’s odd how many of the ‘words are violence’ and ‘silence is violence’ brigade seem ok with literal violence and logical contradictions.
Words are not violent. Here’s the definition.
1. behaviour involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something.
“violence erupted in protest marches”
Yeah we men have to weigh that up, if we can see through the red mist.
Other options are: get beaten up, beaten up badly, or killed, or go to jail.
Hospital or jail…. Hmmm.
Go for it red mist! Your choice?
Will Smith is a poor actor. Always has been. He and his wife let us know all about their carnal relations because they think we need that? These people need to be put in their place from time to time. Whether Chris Rock did that effectively or tastefully is not really the question. Being a smartarse is his moniker after all. I like the guy. He has had to work fucking hard( harder than the talent free Smith) for his fame and he does good community work.
I was actually going to watch Smith’s biopic as I have long admired Richard Williams. His story deserves to be told.
I won’t bother now.
Will Smith is a tedious bore, and his behaviour makes him a cockhead!.
Shona,
“cockhead”…I think I will steal that one đ
Didn’t you laud Harawira for beating up some idiotic white boys one time?
Roy Beneath the belt, chum. I think that Harawiras also beat up non-whites, so ethnicity mightnât be an issue even if idiocy is.
And there’s no vaccination for idiocy Roy!
And it can’t be mandated anymore, so the world is sol and have to put up with your racist, Dirty Politics banalities.
Woke gone mad!
The woke keyboard warriors are calling to remove Will Smiths Oscar over this.
Chris Rock did not want to press charges and I think that makes him the hero in all this (as well as not hitting back).
But Chris Rock should not have made the joke about Will Smiths wife if she is suffering from a medical condition. It is just not funny or appropriate to make public jokes heard by millions about someone’s wife’s medical condition.
I think Chris Rock is very funny, not on this occasion though.
I’d like to say this should just be forgotten as bad judgement on both sides, but we now live in Woke World, where woke committees and keyboard warriors will dwell on this for a year in terms of disciplinary committee and cancel someones career over it.
Mark Todd who has a huge career as a sports person is being cancelled at the moment over a two year old, 30 second video where he hit a horse with a branch while people cheered, and the owner who apparently didn’t notice for two years and then put it on social media and the woke are outraged and want his entire career cancelled.
Meanwhile lengthy animal abuse goes by the wayside as there are not enough resources to investigate starving or neglected animals who are living in pain for years. Too busy following woke led, witch hunts of a 1 minute nature.
Spouses are able to be jailed for rape if their former partners complain they didn’t fully consent, 10 years later.
But rape and violence and other crimes seems to be increasing but not investigated or prosecuted when it is reported immediately as not much of a priority.
Crazy woke world!
How could you possibly know our media would react like this??? How?
Only slightly wrong however, it’s Newshub headlining with “Toxic Masculinity”. Brilliant!
Anyway these awards are the most massively overhyped ego fests for overpaid ego’s, unmatched. Haven’t watched one in God knows how long and never will.
“The 2023 Best Bitch Slap Oscar Award goes too!”
the comment was deliberately snide the response entirely predictable the only novelty was it was the oscars not the pub carpark on saturday night.
at the end of the day it was one open handed slap not being kicked into a coma with pit boots.
Go Will Smith. Fuck Chris Rock. It’s that simple.
I agree CB. Chris Rock makes a living out of taking shots at people. That’s boring. His not so funny comments were not at a party with a few friends, it was at the most publicised event of the year. in a situation where normally the recipient has to suck shit and sit there and take it. Smith didn’t. He shouldn’t have hit him but should have given him a public mouthful while on stage. Hind-site being a wonderful thing.
“Personally, my dear I don’t give a damn”.
Very important perspective thank you Marytn
Will Smith only did what thousands of men do at parties around the world when some drunk guy starts going too far with joking about their wives.
Yup as a rule you shouldn’t say anything disrespectful about someone’s wife or mother and if you do you should be ready for any consequences . . in saying that what Chris Rock did say didn’t seem that bad to be fair and Will Smith did initially look to be ok with it until he saw his wife’s reaction.
Imagine if it had been a white guy hitting Chris Rock . . it would make any criticism of Will Smith look ‘pale’ in comparison.
Everything about this screamed “staged” to me. I’m actually really surprised people seriously think this was a genuine incident. I’m not saying it definitely wasn’t real, but there are a lot of reason to think it was staged.
Nitrium. Absolutely. I think it was a staged Hollywood performance. The slap wasn’t obvious, just like’ real’ hits in the movies, carefully filmed from the back of the aggressor so it looks as if contact was made. Chris Rock grinning as he was ‘slapped’. Hey! publicity for the actors (ACTORS) and for the Oscars flagging popularity. In other words all bullshit but I must admit quality bullshit.
Rodeo More than likely, and I daresay itâll come out in time, but itâs triggered lots of low level debate and virtue signalling and âletâs be nice about girls in publicâ discourse.
You got it. Someone even said, shortly after, “We’re all actors here”.
Violence always unacceptable. For me the most troubling aspect is young men, particularly black men seeing this and concluding this is what you doâŚvery bad role model. Chris Rock did well not to retaliate.
Whoever hosts the Oscars has something to answer for. They have allowed humour in the past that insults the audience ie chosen presenters known for doing this.
It would have been great if Jade had of got up and walked up to Chris Rock and said â can you try a different joke. I found what you said painfulâ
.very often when someone throws a punch, it doesnât stop there.
Update: Will issues public apology to Chris, the Academy, his fam and the public.
Our government actually went further than insulting a single person and their medical condition recently, they actually banished whole sectors of the population from society based on their health status, branding them a threat and a menace. It’s a relief to see Will denounce violence because this would have exposed people such as the NZ Covid Response team to the same risks as stand up comedians, normalising the right to fight for the honour of loved ones using the slap.
But people who refused a relatively safe and effective medical procedure, essentially banished themselves from society. (Vaccination was a choice, albeit a difficult one for some people)
The rest of us took the perceived risk (minimal)
and just got on with life.
If you compare our death rates to other countries we are very fortunate.
If everyone opted out of vaccination this would not be the case…..
There was enough violence at the parliament protests, and I’m not sure what positive result that achieved.
So you are saying those who did not take a trial vaccine deserved to be segregated from society? Is that sort of like deserving a punch in the face for telling a joke? What exactly was the point of the bully-boy vaccination program, to protect yourself or show solidarity with a mass movement? The vaccination status of someone else is none of your business. And just for reference, the unvaccinated are also getting on with life now as well, free of the hero worship and the twisted nationalism and the electronic monitoring.
Hey Andrew, your dirty politics mates in National put up some nasty memes about this then had to quickly backtrack and delete! Anyone here have a copy or a tweet of them. I was out turning my compost heap and it was gone by lunchtime. Any comments by Key Part 2? Disappointing to see that Dirty Politics is still alive and pervasive, like the smell of rotting compost.
Considering the quality of what Hollywood produces, they all deserve to be awarded a hit.
Meanwhile, hot heads with armaments go at it with each other.
Speaking of staged events, as an aside, a report from Ukraine on Prime news. Some reporters from CBS (I think), driving around, approach an Ukrainian army checkpoint, told of a Russian drone in the sky, they rush out of the car for cover, told thereâs four of them about, they rush into the car and speed off. What the hell is to be learned from this? Seems like they just exaggerated some threat or the Ukrainian army didnât want them around.
No wonder this slap received so much coverage, the war canât have been sexy enough today.
Nothing new to learn. Jesus, slap face, turn the other cheek.
Back down the rabidhole. And your lot have now helped up the deaths from Covid by spreading your misinformation and undermining health prections like mask wearing.
As a ‘Jafa’ I note with interest that Canterbury has now overtaken Tamaki Makaura as Covid Central. All down to Derek Tait, Density Church and the Freedum and Rights Coalition. If only we had the right to sue you lot for damages and deaths caused by your marches and convoys and occupations of hate.
Its over…vote for Winston or David. David has a slight edge because he out-Trumped Winston with the race card referendumb. Alt-right agitators like him should suit some of your crowd for being on the same side of the political spectrum as those threatening to execute Jacinda and other politicians, Maori and Pasifika leaders and health experts.
One of the many problems with your lot and your Nuremberg NZ site are its racism and misogyny. Go figure which cess-pool side of the political spectrum that originates from?
You can’t vaccinate against ignorance or unconvince people from cures like Ivormectin, Hydroxychloroquine – Science originating on Facebook.com’ algorithms.
I hear that voters on the Nuremberg site, and its makers will be hearing the Dawn-Raid-Hour knock knock on their doors soon.
Can’t come soon enough if you ask me.
Indefensible. The US and UK have disproportionate amounts of Black on Black violence, mostly male on male, and this is deemed acceptable? Sorry. Not.
Gross breach of Jesterâs Privilige. I know itâs tough for Will with everyone laughing at him, but he should accept his role as a Cuck with more grace.
I can’t believe how fascinated I am by the event itself and then also fascinated by the fact that so many of us are fascinated by it so deeply. I think it’s the psychological layers that we see stripped away – the ambitious high achiever, highly successful and goal driven, a respected and hard worker at his craft – reaching out, finally, to touch the summit of Everest. The emptiness of the air at those heights, the frailty of the mind and body, weakened and deprived of the oxygen of normal life for too long …
Let’s take a journey in Will’s shoes …
As you finally get to the pinnacle, to where you think you will be released and find the peace and contentment you’ve ached for all your life … some relief from your earliest shame and guilt as a child who didn’t protect his mother from a violent father …
You hear the third of fourth joke about you’re marriage that evening from yet another comedian, you laugh along professionally, once again …
Then you see the hurt and pain caused to someone you love …
Something snaps – like a PTSD flashback – the world shrinks, reality dissolves, your mind has broken down, your emotions have exploded out through you like a bursting damn ..
Is this some flashback to childhood? The trauma he experienced and wrote about in his auto biography – the driving force behind his desire to be successful … are all these things now colliding together like the pressurized ingredients of a bomb … Boy. This is the stuff of Shakespeare.
Such a relief to listen to inane chatter and pop psycho analysis of Will Smith. I have to be honest – it’s like taking an intellectual holiday in Fiji. I hope he can find the courage to get himself into a court room and be held accountable in some way. Just as any one else would be in the same circumstance.
A new therapist might worth considering as well.
When news of William Smith’s behavior at the Oscars reached China, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I immediately checked the story with CNN. Having first witnessed the footage, I was shocked at what I saw. Chris Rock is a legend in comedy and to attack Chris in this manner is like slapping the Queen of England in terms of high-esteemed. As for Mr. Smith, we will get to how he could have handle the situation better later. People like William Smith are a unique circle of people, not to mention a representative of the black race. What he is doing is telling the world that no matter how high our racial status is, we are still niggers. Unfortunately, as harsh as that sounds, it is the ultimate truth. Some of us have already dedicated our lives to changing this stagnation. As Chris Rock once said: We took two steps forward, and some brother comes along and set the race back three steps. Even to be noticed, let alone be considered by the Academy as a talented actor in the industry. The level of prestige engraved in the Oscar’s honor goes much more profound than being given a “knighthood” in the English custom or being made a cardinal in the celestial Vatican society. Mr. Smith, what have you done?
Until the day and time, you fell from grace. I always thought you had the charisma, let’s call it a personality developed, to pioneer the grassroots of progressive politics as an American president. No one can come and tell me William Smith slapped Chris Rock on public television. I wouldn’t believe it. “Dude!” What have you done?
You have to be responsible for thinking about the consequences before you act because such actions have a ripple effect reaching parts of the world you probably can’t pronounce. You have a responsibility, sir. If somebody says something you don’t like, what message are you telling the world that violence is okay? As an ambassador in terms of culture, status, and self-respect, you have an obligationâa carrier of that metaphorical torch for all those who have gone before and after you. Let me tell you something about the Oscar Academy Award. The Academy represents the recognition not only of a famous actor but of an outstanding person who embodies the best of humanity, who is the best of us. That’s like one of the main pillars of the Academy. When that statue sits above your fireplace, that illumination represents untarnished truth.
What you have done violates the basic principles of the award. Personally, if you have any deep understanding of the folded mold that the Academy Award represents. You should give it back. Yes, give the Oscar back, and maybe, just maybe, you will save the integrity of what it means to win an Oscar. Let me share a story with you. When I was 12 years old, I was selected to be a member of the Safety Patrol. I was so honored by the appointment that I did everything to preserve its significance. Anyway, to make a long story short, I got into a fight at school. It wasn’t my mother, and it wasn’t the school that asked me to give up my belt and badge. I voluntarily gave it back because I knew, I felt, that I had tarnished the basic principles of the Safety Patrol, and that meant something. Mr. Smith. I truly understand the meaning behind honoring your wife. But in your anger, even humiliation. After the event, you could have pulled Chris Rock aside and said: “Hey man, I didn’t like what you said about my wife. Do me a favor, look, she’s standing right there, go over there and apologize for me. Do me this favor. Even amid your hurt and humiliation, you turned it into humility. What a noble man you would have become. There would have been no man more extraordinary than William Smith. That, right there, that’s what being an Academy Award winner is all about. I plead with you; Give it back to me.
Author, Gaston D. Cox
Grew up in a band of brothers, our 70s/80s parents had things to do so it was the universal culture of kids left to themselves — fight and fun . Yeah, violence. But some understanding/rhythm on some level.
Well said. The physical violence ended naturally post teens. Along with the brilliant verbal violence as well actually.
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