Comedians Rally Around Chris Rock, Express Concern About Violence Towards Comics

[Mysmi]

Source: Deadline

UPDATED with Carrey, Sandler comments: “Stand-up comics are very adept at handling hecklers,” tweeted Mark Hamill last night after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, “violent physical assault…not so much.”

Hamill’s tweet drew the distinction between speech and action that many have continued to drive home as the comedy community (mostly) rallies around Rock.

Howard Stern said on his SiriusXM show this morning, “You don’t hit people over speech, certainly not at the Academy Awards, and Will Smith’s got to contain himself.”

Jim Carrey agreed, telling Gayle King on CBS Mornings Tuesday, “If you want to yell from the audience and show disapproval or say something on Twitter [that’s ok]. You do not have the right to walk up on stage and smack somebody in the face ‘cuz they said words.”

Read more: https://deadline.com/2022/03/comedians-defend-chris-rock-will-smith-slap-1234989485/

[Walleye]

1. Would have expected a list at least a little preliminary repartee from an actor like Smith

“Everybody hates Chris”

[AZProgressive]

2. Not the first time someone assaulted someone for saying something

Insulting about their wife.

[NoRethugFriends]

4. And your point?

[AZProgressive]

6. I don't understand all the comics complaints about their safety

They spent years crying about cancel culture and now this happens. I usually try to avoid bullying people which is line professional comics often cross.

[luv2fly]

5. And Will Smith apologized

Can't say the same for the person who started the whole problem.

[pandr32]

8. Are you referring to Chris Rock?

If so, he did apologize. He explained himself and the apparent line he crossed. He seemed sincere, unlike the other person.

[luv2fly]

13. Seems to not be true

https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.69122/title.chris-rocks-team-shoots-down-rumor-he-apologized-to-will-smith-jada-pinkett

[pandr32]

85. Wow. True? Not true?

[dem4decades]

11. Please, blame the victim?

[luv2fly]

14. I'm not blaming Jada Pinkett Smith at all

Making fun of how people look is unacceptable.

Always.

[dem4decades]

15. Maybe you didn't see the clip of Smith doing just that to a band member?

After he said it he reminded everyone it was a joke.

[luv2fly]

17. False equivalence

As has been posted in other threads in recent hours. You can do the digging.

And of course it's not acceptable to hit people. But when you or your loved ones are attacked, it's understandable.

[dem4decades]

25. I didn't realize she was "attacked " they should have called the police on Rock then.

[luv2fly]

28. Yeah okay I get where you're at

Chris Rock good, Will Smith bad. Gotcha.

[dem4decades]

32. Yeah, me and the rest of the world.

[cstanleytech]

75. Who said Rock was "good"? I think what some people are missing though is that no one in this country

should ever be afraid of be physically assaulted no matter what.

[Moebym]

33. I thought Democrats were supposed to be empathetic

And recognize that psychological harm can be just as damaging as physical harm.

Laugh if you want, but losing all of one's hair to disease can be devastating, especially to a woman. To hear some schmuck call her a G. I. Jane because she's bald must have been hurtful to her, never mind members of her family.

[Polybius]

99. But she's embracing it, no?

If it bothered her that much, why not wear a wig? I think Rock had no idea how much it would bother her, because she was open about it. He was wrong of course.

[Katcat]

53. Jada Smith

Is a strikingly beautiful woman without her hair. I can’t say I paid much attention to her looks before last night but I’m sure both of the Smiths know she’s gorgeous and they could have laughed it off. Maybe Jada would have if she had been given the chance.

[LeftInTX]

83. Yes!

I googled her

[luvtheGWN]

80. Attacked? I don't think so.

Jada Pinkett Smith has hair loss -- alopecia areata -- so she decided to shave her head. And she makes a big thing about it. For those of us who have had total hair loss through chemo, we mainly chose to wear wigs or other head coverings (baseball caps, scarves etc.) so as not to draw attention to ourselves and elicit looks of pity.

Jada has drawn attention to herself. Chris Rock's remark was in no way insulting -- remember that GI Jane was a strong, powerful woman.

And Will Smith was shown laughing until he looked at his wife and she gave him a look that said "Stop".

Jada felt insulted, obviously (Although many of us can't quite figure out why). She wasn't attacked.

Chris Rock was attacked.

[womanofthehills]

94. Jada has a video out there - showing a strip about one inch

Going across the top of her head where her hair won’t grow. It grows on the rest of her head. She said it looks like a brain surgery scar.

[Shrek]

19. Always?

I wonder if I can find some threads mocking Trump's appearance.

[luv2fly]

21. Oh I bet you can

Orange turd is a common one.

[Shrek]

23. I bet I can find some Mitch McConnell mockery too

Comparisons to a turtle, maybe.

[Moebym]

35. Except he could *choose* his hairstyle and clothing.

For the millionth time, Jada Pinkett Smith didn't choose to be bald.

If she'd shaved her hair off by choice because she wanted that look and not because a disease caused her to lose it, then she'd be fair game.

Incredibly disappointed in DU today. Didn't expect so many users to have given Chris Rock a pass and defended his offensive "joke".

[questionseverything]

88. She isn't bald, she chose to cut her hair extremely short

She has a couple of tiny bald spots in a row that no one but her hair dresser could ever see if she hadn’t decided to highlight them.

[Mysmi]

30. Chris Rock apologized too

Today.

[obamanut2012]

102. Incorrect

[appmanga]

45. Once again...

...for people who just don't seem to get it.

The Motion Picture Academy doesn't make a lot of noise about their award show being a cheesy exercise of marketing and promotion; they present The Oscars as a celebration of art, progress, and most important movies being a medium of free speech that at times pokes, provokes, and even incites. They cling to the notion they're nurturers and protectors of a segment of the arts.

Chris Rock is every bit of an artist as Steven Spielberg of Meryl Streep, and he does what artists do. If a film was threatened to be banned, you could bet your last dollar every person in that audience would decry it as censorship and subjugation. Their right to produce and display their art must prevail even if the film depicts the basest brutality or the rankest profanity and emotion.

Chris Rock is entitled to serve his art form with the same tolerance and reverence those people have for theirs. There should be nothing any more sacred in his art than there is in movies or other media.

Years ago when somebody put a crucifix in a jar of piss, millions of people were outraged to the point of making death threats, and many in Congress swearing to shut down the NEA (fun fact: the idiots who make such a huge point abortion isn't in the Constitution threaten to take money away from the arts which are in the Constitution along with a mandate to promote them), those folks didn't realize the art wasn't a cross in urine; it was their reactions. They were set up to be a performance art project, and they fell for it. They were exposed for the ugly hypocrites they were and Will Smith was exposed as a coward and bum. In many quarters his family is regarded a bizarre troupe in an exhibitionist freak show, and you can find something to effect in the most cursory of Google searches. Smart people know the first thing you need to buy once you attain a certain level of success is a thicker skin. I wonder what the reaction would have been if Leonardo DiCaprio, or even one of his girlfriends had smacked the daylights of out Amy Schumer over one of her jokes.

It's a dick move to abuse people when they're doing their jobs. It's a bitch move to slap someone and scurry away. It's a punk move to slap around a guy you outweigh by 40 or so pounds. I continue to wonder if he steps to Jamie Foxx, LL Cool J, or even Ricky Gervais, like that. He's probably lining up Kevin Hart and Tig Notaro as his next opponents.

I wish Chris Rock would have simply said after Smith stopped yelling "Fuck you. You don't tell me how to do my job". Instead, he was intimidated. If you don't get the wrongness and implication of that, I wonder why the hell you'd be on this site.


ETA: but, nothing, not even a one-legged kid with cancer losing an ass-kicking contest is off limits

[luv2fly]

51. You don't make fun of someone's disability

And if you do, well, THAT's a dick move.

[Farmer-Rick]

81. Well said!!!

I so agree with what you said.

To tell you honestly, I didn't really care what those overpaid artists were doing. Everyone knows artists do outrageous things and some of their true proclivities come out at the Oscars, even though they like to pretend they are a different breed of artists...more sophisticated or something.

But you explain it well. It was a bad joke, no violence required.

I mean those roasts where some celebrity is chosen to honor with funny insults is not my cup of tea. Insults to me are not funny when directed at others but Redd Foxx made a nice living off it. So, it has always been considered fair game for comedians.

I once paid to see a comedian act in a New York night club and for some reason, I became the butt of 25 percent of his jokes. My spouse did not get up and slap him. It was funny, flattering at insulting all at the same time. I paid to see that.

Will Smith was displaying some out of whack behavior. He obviously hasn't seen a comic show in some time.

[NoRethugFriends]

3. Excellent on Chris Rock. Will Smith and wife are scientology assholes

[txwhitedove]

9. Maybe he checked it out, but not currently.

"Will Smith is a Christian. Jada had since denied the rumor of them being Scientologists and Will also openly talked about his faith in God. He was raised in a Baptist household and attended a Roman Catholic school and church."

[Coventina]

10. Inside Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's Scientology School for Kids

https://www.thedailybeast.com/inside-will-and-jada-pinkett-smiths-scientology-school

*snip*

One year prior, The Daily Beast had published an interview with Leah Remini, the ex-Scientologist turned whistleblower who alleged that Pinkett Smith was a devoted practitioner of Scientology—a costly endeavor (reaching its highest “Operating Thetan” levels can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars) that comprises tales of intergalactic overlords, dead alien souls, “body thetans,” and the curious theory that humans evolved from clams.

“I know Jada’s in. I know Jada’s in. She’s been in Scientology a long time,” Remini told me. “I never saw Will [Smith] there, but I saw Jada at the Celebrity Centre. They opened up a Scientology school, and have since closed it. But Jada, I had seen her at the Scientology Celebrity Centre all the time.”

Remini was referring to the Scientology Celebrity Centre in Hollywood, California, where its handful of famous acolytes take courses along the “Bridge to Total Freedom.” The King of Queens star’s claim prompted Will to clear the air.

*snip*

A little over a week ago, the couple confessed—in terribly awkward fashion—that the “swingers” portion of that statement was misleading at best. As for the “Scientologists” part, well, that doesn’t appear to be entirely true either. (The Smiths and the Church of Scientology did not respond to numerous requests for comment.)

[chowder66]

16. They are out. Here is an update.

Also, after the Oscars incident, journalist Tony Ortega, who often writes about the Church of Scientology, tweeted: “Yeah, I figured I was going to start getting this question, so here it is: Will and Jada Smith have been out of #Scientology since at least 2015. (Jada was heavy into it, Will was a dabbler.).”

.....

When a user asked Ortega, “They even started a Scientology school, correct?” he answered, “They financed a school that used Scientology curricula from 2008 to 2011. The school closed in 2013. By 2015 they were out altogether.” And when a user mentioned, “So she did lie to & gaslit Leah on Red Table Talk that she studies all religions and wouldn’t admit to being a full time with the school she created for her kids,” while referring to actress Leah Remini’s interview with Jada, where she insisted that she and Will were not Scientologists, the journalist added, “Yes, I said at the time that Jada was lying pretty badly during that show with Leah. Jada was heavily into Scientology at one time, and my sources on that are very good.”

https://meaww.com/are-jada-and-will-smith-scientologists-truth-behind-resurfaced-rumors

[Moebym]

27. Scientologists or not, making fun of someone's appearance who has an autoimmune disease

Is in extremely poor taste.

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm frankly sick of people always coming to comedians' defense for making jokes at the expense of people like whose physical appearance, race, age, ethnicity, etc., is not one of choice.

And it's not the first time Rock has made fun of Jada.

(And before you attack me for defending Smith's violence, I think Smith should have handled that in private and without violence.)

[eissa]

7. Already bought our tickets to Rock's show

Can't wait to see him in Oakland in July.

[dem4decades]

12. I'm glad you're supporting him.

[chowder66]

18. Chris Rock didn't press charges. Other comedians most likely will if physically assaulted.

[stewrat]

20. It's called the Jesters Privilege - in the middle ages a court jester had the privilege to talk and

mock with out punishment. Doesnt mean they cant be heckled for crappy jokes, though.

[questionseverything]

92. Heckled is one thing, physical assault is another

N/t

[pnwmom]

104. This wasn't an English court and there's no jester. n/t

[Slammer]

22. mocking

If a comic mocks the physical appearance of someone's family member or loved one in front of them when that appearance is caused by disease, some percentage of the time the comic is going to be physically assaulted.

It would have been ugly if someone had mocked the appearance of one of Jerry's Kids in front of Jerry Lewis.

[left-of-center2012]

26. There is no excuse for a physical assault.

none

[Traildogbob]

40. Like trump mocking

Disabled reporter? I would have supported a good mug slapping at that shit show.

[Javaman]

24. I just heard something and then it occurred to me that Chris Rock may not even be responsible...

All the presenters read from teleprompters...even Chris Rock.

And I had forgotten about something that I heard several years ago but was reminded by a podcast I listen to; today.

there are a team of writers that contribute LIVE to the monologue that Rock was giving

that means, he has no idea what is coming up and what will be said.

Yes, Chris Rock is a great improve comedian, but the oscars are a multi-million dollar if not several billion dollar international broadcast.

the producers, who may or may not like Rock, will not allow him to go off on a tangent. everything with the oscars is controlled within an inch of it's life.

so the very reasonable explanation is that Rock was fed a line by a line writer behind the scenes, who knew nothing of Jada's Smiths condition other than she was bald.

that's why, will smith's marching up to the stage is that much more stupid, because, smith is also probably aware of the writers as well.

to me, it kind of reeks of faux outrage.

[Moebym]

29. I have it on good authority that

Rock has made fun of Jada before. Can't use the "it was the scriptwriters' fault" all those other times, can we?

And honestly, even I as an ordinary person have known for a while that she had alopecia, so Chris Rock had very little excuse not to have known about it himself, running in those circles.

(Again, I think Smith was way out of line, but I also don't think Rock should be able to get away scot-free with insulting someone with a terrible disease simply because he's a comedian.)

[dixiechiken1]

56. And even I as an ordinary person...

Had no idea she had alopecia. Why assume that CR knew? Whatever CR said, they were words. Dumb, yes. Insensitive, absolutely. But they were WORDS.

WS resorted to violence. Over words.

Anyone who has ever been abused or has witnessed abuse close up could tell from that display that there is zero chance that that was an isolated or a first time incident. ZERO. CHANCE.

And then his son, Jaden, tweeted: "And That's How We Do It."

So it appears that WS is keeping the cycle of abuse alive that he witnessed with his father by teaching his son that "that's how we do it."

[pnwmom]

58. I assume Chris Rock knew because he was the producer of Good Hair, a documentary

about the struggles of Black women with their hair. And he interviewed a woman who had lost all her hair to Alopecia.

And in putting together that show, he must have learned that almost half of Black women have one form of hair loss or another, and 15% have an auto-immune form that is exclusive to Black women.

So when he sees a bald headed Black women, he should ASSUME she didn't shave her head for fun.

[questionseverything]

89. Actually half of all women have some hairloss, it's natural

N/t

[pnwmom]

90. 15% of Black women have CCCA, a type of immune related alopecia that's almost exclusive

to Black women. Other Black women have traction alopecia (caused by hair products and styles most often worn by Black people), Alopecia Areata, and other forms of hair loss.

By contrast, less than 1% of the overall US population has auto-immune Alopecia Areata, the most well known kind of immune-related alopecia.

Alopecia is a common problem among Black women, and Chris Rock knows that.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160304093239.htm

Survey: Almost half of African-American women have experienced hair loss
Date:
March 4, 2016
Source:
American Academy of Dermatology
Summary:
African-American women are prone to hair loss, and new data illustrates the scope of this problem, which often goes undiagnosed. Women who are concerned about losing their hair should consider changing their styling practices and see a dermatologist if they notice any signs of hair loss.

According to Dr. Lenzy, the No. 1 cause of hair loss in African-American women is a condition called central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA), a disorder in which inflammation and destruction of hair follicles causes scarring and permanent hair loss. She says this population is also prone to traction alopecia, a type of hair loss caused by styles that pull the hair too tight. In addition to these conditions, she says, African-American women also may be affected by other hair disorders like female pattern baldness.

Dr. Lenzy and other experts believe that genetic predisposition may be a major factor in hair loss among African-American women. Additionally, she says, these women may increase their risk of hair loss by frequently engaging in damaging hair styling practices like braiding, weaves and chemical relaxing. "When hair loss is caused by styling practices, the problem is usually chronic use," she says. "Women who use these styling practices tend to use them repeatedly, and long-term repeated use can result in hair loss."

INVESTIGATING THE ISSUE

Dr. Lenzy partnered with the Black Women's Health Study at Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center to survey African-American women about their experiences with hair loss. Of the 5,594 women who have completed the survey so far, 47.6 percent reported hair loss on the crown or top of the scalp.

Although hair loss is common among American-American women, Dr. Lenzy says, this problem often goes undiagnosed because patients don't know they should visit a dermatologist for evaluation; the vast majority of survey respondents (81.4 percent) indicated that they had never seen a physician about hair loss. Moreover, while 40.9 percent of respondents reported a level of hair loss consistent with CCCA, only 8.8 percent said a doctor had diagnosed them with this condition.

[Escurumbele]

39. If you read something from a teleprompter that you know is not right...don't read it.

It is very simple...or change it...you have to know that you are going to offend someone.

[pnwmom]

57. Nope. It wasn't in the script. He ad-libbed that "joke."

As part of a report regarding the incident, Rolling Stone spoke with various sources who were familiar with the behind the scenes matters for the Oscars ceremony. Said sources confirmed that Rock's G.I. Jane joke wasn't included in rehearsals in the days before the broadcast, further confirming this was not a scripted stunt. Though it's now pretty certain that the slap wasn't a bit, there was a lot of confusion in the initial moments after Smith got out of his seat.

https://screenrant.com/oscars-chris-rock-will-smith-joke-not-rehearsed/

[Javaman]

60. Thanks for the info!

Rock has since apologized.

[pnwmom]

63. Is that today, because yesterday there was a fake statement that his team disavowed. n/t

[The Grand Illuminist]

95. The producer must approve of anything that is off script in advanced.

It is common practice since the mid 80s after Andrew Dice Clay's performance at the MTV Awards.

[pnwmom]

96. What's the producer going to do if an unapproved joke slips out?

In any case, this isn't a joke that the script writers put in Rock's mouth, as some have theorized.

[The Grand Illuminist]

97. If it was unapproved, we would've known now.

Nt

[pnwmom]

98. We do. The Rolling Stone report said it wasn't in the script or in the rehearsal.

If it had been approved Rock's team would have disputed that story, but they didn't.

[The Grand Illuminist]

100. Still has to be approved

Even at the last minute. Scripted or not. Required procedure.

[pnwmom]

101. And yet they are saying it wasn't approved. He just decided to throw it in

and it's not like they could stop him.

The swearing wasn't in the script either.


https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/oscars-abc-will-smith-slap-chris-rock-rob-mills-1235217294/

“Chris Rock came on and he was doing, I think, material based on what happened that night as any comedian will do,” Mills recalled to Variety the day after the now-infamous Will Smith/Chris Rock Oscar Slap. “He made the [‘G.I. Jane’] joke. Obviously, you could see the joke did not land with Jada. And then you see Will start to get up and walk up.”

The professionals in the control room are used to unplanned incidents — including Weiss, a live TV veteran who also directed the Oscars the year “La La Land” was mistakenly announced as best picture before “Moonlight” ultimately won. “There have certainly been unpredictable moments where people have gotten up and done things, so we thought this was one of those,” Mills said.

The “G.I. Jane” quip was an ad-lib not in the script, Mills added. The severity of the situation quickly became apparent when Rock and Smith both started swearing. “You started to realize this is real once Chris, who certainly knows the limits of broadcast standards, said, ‘Will Smith slapped the shit out of me,'” Mills said. “That’s when it became obvious that this was not a joke.”

For viewers at home, the confusion continued as ABC’s censor dropped out the audio for a lengthy period of time. “When you’re on the button, which I wasn’t but our our standards people were, I think you obviously go towards overcorrection than letting something get through,” Mills said.

[left-of-center2012]

31. There is no excuse for a physical assault.

I wish Chris Rock had filed charges.
Will Smith is every bully's hero.

The police should go ahead and charge Will Smith.
They don't need a complainant.

The evidence is on video for the world to see.
The cops see video of a crime and say "Well, no one complained" ?

[twodogsbarking]

36. If you are keeping score at home....

One verbal personal attack and one personal intentional physical attack (and numerous verbal attacks).

[Escurumbele]

37. Sorry but, no one has the right to belittle anyone, if you are a comic then tell jokes that do not

offend people directly.

I am not saying that what Will Smith did was right, he should have talked to Chris Rock after the show, a display of violence is never good, and if you are black then you are giving white supremacists a chance to talk trash.

But if you are a comic then tell jokes that do not offend people, least of all those who have a medical condition.

Yes, go after politicians, they deserve it because they affect our lives, and those who are crooks, but not regular people, no matter how rich or famous they are.

THINK BEFORE YOU ACT...That can be said for Chris Rock and Will Smith, they both screwed up.

[Moebym]

44. If Jada had shaved her hair off because she liked the look

By all means, mock away.

But she didn't choose that hairstyle. Her disease did.

Will Smith's actions are a reflection of our culture's glorification of violence as a means to solve our problems, but Chris Rock's crass joke and the fact so many people have defended his right to poke fun at a person with an autoimmune disease for having no hair is reflective of a different but no less serious problem.

[Captain Stern]

87. Actually, pretty everyone has the right to belittle others n/t

[old as dirt]

38. Kramer's Racist Tirade (Micheal Richards)

Last edited Tue Mar 29, 2022, 06:46 PM - Edit history (1)

Folks in the audience heckled and started walking out. His career was ended.

[Traildogbob]

41. Maybe Will

Could have responded like other classless Philadelphians, Wills home, just sit there and scream like a rabbit animal and throw batteries at Chris. It was effective against Santa Clause at a Philly football game.

[Moebym]

42. Of course comedians are coming to his defense.

Must always circle the wagons to protect one of your own, even if he had just poked fun at a woman who lost her hair to disease.

Need we remind them that words can hurt a person just as badly as physical violence can, even if there are no obvious scars?

[old as dirt]

47. They are coming to their own defense.

Of course comedians are coming to his defense.

This has very little to do with Chris Rock.

[Moebym]

50. Point taken.

Are they afraid that they will no longer be able to tell offensive jokes because everyone's so sensitive these days? If that's it, then I've lost any respect for them that I might have had.

[old as dirt]

52. They are afraid that hecklers will escalate to violence.

They've already got hecklers,

[ripcord]

69. Where would the world be if comedians weren't allowed to mock people? nt

[NoRethugFriends]

71. You don't understand how comedy works, do you?

[onetexan]

43. I disagree. While i don't condone Smith's violence, i also can't stand Chris Rock for making Jada

the butt of his jokes. He deserved to be slapped, just not in front of the tv cameras millions of people are watching live. I'm also glad Smith didn't apologize to him, but to the Academy. My thing re: comedians is they should not do jokes at the expense of other people or their wives or relatives, OR in this case a person with a known condition she's been very open about to help other people, in particular women. Let's face it - bald men have it alot easier than bald women.

I've never liked Chris Rock and i like Will Smith a whole lot better. Yes in this case his better angels did not prevail but from me he gets a pass. Will & Jada have spent millions in philanthropic work. I thought the smug SOB Rock deserved a sucker punch, not just a slap.

[Moebym]

48. Smith should not have used violence to get his point across

But otherwise, I agree.

We can't pretend that Rock's joke is not reflective of a larger problem of people using free speech and one's occupation to excuse deeply offensive language that causes real and lasting damage. Joe Rogan also comes to mind.

[old as dirt]

49. He did.

I'm also glad Smith didn't apologize to him

They both apologised.

Elton John - Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word

[Aussie105]

54. Why the outrage, why the backlash?

America is one of the most violent countries in the world.

Look at gun deaths, look at street violence.

It happened between two people we all know, in front of a camera. Does that suddenly make it more important, more relevant?

Words have consequences. 'Comedians' need to think about what they are saying, and how people may interpret them, because hurtful words can have hurtful consequences. 'I was only joking' doesn't do it.

It's a smoke screen for more important things to be concerned about. Move on, nothing to see here.

[BigmanPigman]

55. She is a victim?!? What BS!!,

Do some research. That is total BS. And I am a woman. Will is a fucking asshole and should lose his Oscar. He was a 100% asshole who acted inappropriately and wants to get away with assault. He assaulted someone and should go to jail, pay a fine and lose his Oscar, like anyone who isn't a Hollywood Elite would have to do.

Stop the shit about her being upset. She was NOT upset. Look at the unedited videos. Will was laughing at the joke until he looked at her. She wasn't upset or hurt. She was almost bored, rolling her eyes, "Oh, another lame joke about my hair". Look at her face. She is proud of her short haircut and has said so many times. Both Will and Jada have major issues with their relationship and the slap in the face is another example of it. Will really wanted to hit Jada's boyfriend and feeling emasculated he hit the wrong person. He-man behavior is NOT OK!!!!! The Hollywood Elite get away with murder. Will is a dick and I will never support him in the future. He is a knuckle dragging asshole! Grow the fuck up you big, emasculated baby! He is getting away with murder. Actually, if he killed Jada's boyfriend he would get away with that too. Double standards for Hollywood. Comics understand this.

[Aussie105]

59. Try to stay calm, will you?

Comic said not-funny joke, comic got slapped, slapper apologized, slapee said ok.

Nothing to do with Scientology, boyfriends, relationship concerns, etc.

[BigmanPigman]

65. He has major mental issues and needs help.

No one should act this way and no one should be allowed to get away with it. It is NOT OK to assault someone. Period. I hate the double standard BS I have heard from people. You DO NOT do this, no excuses!! Will needs to be treated like everyone else. No special treatment fo the poor emascuted movie star.

[pnwmom]

61. Have you ever heard of "putting up a brave front"? That is what Jada had been doing lately,

as she talks about how liberating her bald head is now.

Anybody who's ever loved someone with the disease of Alopecia can see past that front. Or even most people with empathy who have listened to her talking about her struggles.

The reason her bald head is so liberating is because SHE CAN'T LOSE ANY MORE HAIR. She finally took control when she shaved it all off -- because of the disease, not because she loves being bald. She has talked about how devastated she was a few years ago, as she was trying to live with the diagnosis, watching herself lose more and more hair. But her daughter finally convinced her to stop fighting it and to shave her head -- and her daughter shaved her own head, as an ally.

That does NOT give any of the rest of us reason to say she wouldn't be upset about a bald headed joke. She's doing her best to live with it, saying she's decided God must have wanted this for her. But she doesn't need people to bring her shaved head into their comedy routines.

[BigmanPigman]

66. Did you take the time to actually look at the video of HER reaction

as well as Wills? He was laughing at the joke!!!! What do you say about that? Should she have slapped Will in public after he laughed at the joke? If you want to direct anger at the right person, it should be at him for laughing at it. Listen to Colbert and Kimmel from their monologues. They are available on You Tube. They say it better than I ever could.

[pnwmom]

67. You mean the video in slow mo and on repeat?

So what?

The movie is 25 years old -- not on the top of most people's minds these days. Smith heard a reference to his wife being GI Jane. He probably laughed at the idea of his wife being a GI, as my husband would laugh about my complete non-interest in being a soldier.

And then it sunk in -- maybe because of Jada's eye roll. Rock was bringing up that movie because it included a shaved-headed actress. He was making light of Jada's shaved head. And that's when Smith lost it.

[BigmanPigman]

68. No, the video of them at the Oscars as Chris said the joke...

It is really short but a lot can be seen.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017724921

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017724844

[pnwmom]

70. Yeah, he appeared to laugh for a second or two before he realized who GI Jane was.

As I said, the movie is 25 years old -- not on the top of most people's minds these days.

Smith heard a reference to his wife being GI Jane. He probably laughed at the idea of his wife being a GI, as my husband would laugh about my complete non-interest in being a soldier.

And then it sunk in -- maybe because of Jada's eye roll. Rock was bringing up that movie because it included a shaved-headed actress. He was making light of Jada's shaved head. And that's when Smith lost it.

[ShazzieB]

74. Tell it to Chris Rock.

The reason Will Smith "got away" this (i.e., without any jail, fine, or whatever) is that Chris Rock chose not to press charges, not because he's "Hollywood elite."

Your anger seems to be misplaced.

[Conjuay]

62. Rock is nothing more than a verbal bully.

He should learn to duck faster.

[ripcord]

64. Being a comedian means never having to say I'm sorry for insulting people

Honestly if insults are the best they can come up with they really need a new shtick.

[Emile]

72. Violence performed in the name of protecting wronged women only

steals away the attention from where it belongs: on the wronged woman. Will Smith made it all about him!

[BobTheSubgenius]

73. Maybe Will has been spending too much time with his loony kids.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

76. If only there was a white man involved in all this ...

then we'd all collectively know who the bad guy obviously was, instead of being at each other's throats.

[tirebiter]

77. Smith is management. Rock is not. This was worker harassment by Will

The Awards was a work environment. Chris was hired to be Chris.

[nowforever]

78. Bad comedy

Only comics that need to worry are the ones that derive their humor from insulting an audience member for the amusement of other's. Trump has more than earned about a 1000 of those. If Gen. Kelly had slapped him after his insult about dead soldiers, which included his son, it would have maybe started to wake up that malignant narcissist. Bullies sometimes need a physical correction to stop their bullying. Comics don't have free license to mock and humiliate audience members and those type of comics are on the lowest rung of talent. Bottom line Chris Rock was deserving of that wake up call for the ignorant insult and just bad comedy. And he has had a close relationship with Will Smith since the 80's so he knows about the hair issue.

[LiberatedUSA]

79. Ok.

So let’s say a woke comedian you do like, one of color, insults a trump supporter on their looks. You’ll be ok with that MAGA going up there and giving a good fucking beating, right? You won’t do a 180 on your deciding that it is ok to use violence when one is offended by a joke, right? After all, you are defending Will Smith and his violent rage.

[The Jungle 1]

82. It was a staged event!

They are both at fault.
Rock stood there leaning in with his chin. Why didn't Smith punch him? No body smacks.

[ripcord]

84. Maybe comedians should just stop making jokes about people's appearance

It is a very low form of humor akin to freak shows.

[Tree Lady]

91. Do comedians share their jokes first

With oscar producers? Or was the joke off the fly last min because they were sitting close?

Just wondering if they knew ahead of time what joke was. I have heard before of comedians having to change what they were going to say.

[pnwmom]

105. In general, because there's a script and a rehearsal. But Rock ad-libbed this joke. n/t

[eissa]

93. The trashing of the Smiths has already begun

At a comedy festival comedians were storming each others' sets and slapping the shit out of each other last night. The evening was kicked off with "before we bring our acts out, does anyone here have a bald wife?"

Will Smith has ensured that a throwaway joke that would have been forgotten in 20 seconds will live on forever, and that he and his family will be the butt of many comedians' jokes for the foreseeable future.

[obamanut2012]

103. Mega Streisand Effect