How we reacted to Will Smith's slap says less about him and more about us

Black and white illustration of a hand covering woman mouth concept for abuse or domestic violence.

As reactions to the Will Smith Oscars' slap snowballed Monday, it became clear the most revealing story wasn't about what occurred between Smith and presenter Chris Rock, but about what our intensely divergent reactions to that violence said about ourselves.

In a surreal moment initially mistaken for scripted comedy, Smith slapped Rock across the face and yelled profanities at the comedian after he made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, comparing her shaved head to Demi Moore in the movie G.I. Jane. Pinkett Smith has alopecia, an auto-immune disorder that can cause hair loss, a side effect the actress has called "terrifying."