Slapping in the name of love

Stage rage: Smith hitting Rock after he made a joke about Smith’s wife during the 94th Academy Awards in Hollywood. — Reuters

IT was a night of infamy for Hollywood. It was supposed to be the biggest night for American cinema: Hollywood paying tribute to itself. Stars in high spirits, donning the fanciest of dresses, congratulating each other with aplomb and finesse.

Nothing glitters more than when the prettiest and the most famous assemble at the Oscars.

Sadly, something terribly wrong happened.

One of the biggest bankable stars slapped one of the most famous comedians on stage to the horror of millions of viewers watching the ceremony live. The video of the incident became the most viral episode of the 94th Academy Awards.

By now probably billions have watched it.

Comedian Jim Carrey eviscerated Will Smith and all those at the Dolby Theatre for doing nothing when someone was attacked on global TV. The fact that Smith was allowed to sit through the entire event was mind-boggling. Hollywood is spineless he opined.

Just because he is Will Smith, Hollywood sets a different standard? What has happened to civility and respect? Anyone can come out to the stage and hit anyone just because one is not happy about the jokes?

It is a wake-up call for stand-up comedians the world over. Jokes beget violence.

Smith’s action is unacceptable. No amount of apologies matter anymore. The damage done is irreparable. He deserves the consequences of his action.

Chris Rock is Chris Rock. He makes a living making jokes, making fun of others and himself. He can be brutally honest. Comedians have haters, hecklers and enemies.

At the Oscars, Rock showed the highest level of professionalism, even cracking jokes while Will Smith was shouting the F-word from his seat after the slap.

In the 1997 hit movie, G.I. Jane, Demi Moore shaved her hair to play a woman soldier determined to join the Navy SEALS. Rock made a reference to that character when he mentioned Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett.

Perhaps unbeknown to Rock, Pinkett is suffering from alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss, and inflicts most men above a certain age, and women too.

Was Smith really defending his wife when he attacked Rock? Does love make him do crazy things? The last time I checked, their marriage was far from normal. Remember the phrase “open marriage” made famous by them?

A tumultuous marriage and allowing each other to have different partners is certainly not an idea of an ideal union.

Some labelled Smith’s action a manifestation of “toxic masculinity”, a concept associated with traditional stereotypes of men as socially dominant. This notion provides the excuse for them to normalise violence and aggression.

Being associated with Demi Moore’s G.I. Jane is in fact a compliment. And alopecia is not even a life-threatening condition. Pinkett even came out with a video to celebrate her baldness.

I must admit I was a fan of Smith’s movies. He is one of the most talented black movie stars of his generation. He weaves through comedies like Bad Boys and Men in Black and serious fares like Seven Pounds, Ali, Concussion and King Richard effortlessly. For King Richard, he won the Oscars for Best Actor.

But there must be consequences to Smith’s behaviour. I don’t think they will take away his Best Actor award. The hugely talented Roman Polanski accused of having an affair with an underage girl and the once celebrated Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein charged for sexual harassment kept their respective Oscars.

Smith was in tears when he accepted the Best Actor award. He apologised to the Academy and others, only later to Rock.

“I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness,” he said.

He also said violence in all its forms is poisonous and destructive.

Hollywood is known to produce some of the most violent movies known to men. But what happened that night was violence unscripted and unedited. Hollywood deserves what it asks for – a huge star perpetrating an assault and receiving not a reprimand but a standing ovation.

Is that Hollywood?

Johan Jaaffar is a journalist, editor and for some years chairman of a media company, and is passionate about all things literature and the arts. And a diehard rugby fan.

The views expressed here are entirely his own.