The Will Smith-Chris Rock Debacle Made the 2022 Oscars Relevant

The internet is never going to run out of things to debate on, but 2022 Oscars wanted to throw in their contribution to the mix, and well, at least make it to Twitter’s trending topics in some way.

Yup, I’m talking about the Will Smith smack that was one of the few things that got folks talking about the Oscars.

Before we get into the right and wrong, let’s pin down what exactly happened.

At the 2022 Oscars, comedian Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head, being insensitive about her suffering from alopecia.

After gauging her response, husband Will Smith went on the stage and slapped Rock for the remark, reprimanding him not to talk about his wife in such a manner.

Alopecia, if some of you don’t know, is a medical condition that causes patchy hair loss on the scalp, face, and other parts of the body. The joke likened Pinkett’s hair condition to Demi Moore’s crew cut for her character in GI Jane.

So here is Rock pitter-pattering what I truly think is a script written for him, rather than by him (Copy/Scriptwriters exist for a reason). It’s not to excuse Rock of all blame, but how much can you condemn the messenger?

Deep digs on Hollywood award shows are nothing new—even Leonardo DiCaprio was called out for dating women who are way too young for him on national TV.

In fact, what certain netizens have reshared are clips of Smith himself laughing at the joke before glancing over to Pinkett for her response. That’s when he “reacted emotionally.”

Rock, though stunned by the slap, concluded the act quickly and without any retaliation, calling it “the greatest night in the history of television.” Not sure about that, but it will sure keep people talking for a few days, till the next big thing happens.

It was reported that Rock and Smith both met backstage where things returned back to being cordial. Rock also chose not to press any charges against Smith.

The Academy in turn publicly condemned Smith’s actions and said they’d process due ramifications. What exactly would this be? It is highly doubtful that Smith’s first Oscar will be rescinded.

Some speculate that his membership to the Academy may be suspended. In all likelihood, he’s going to be let off with a warning.

The day after, Smith issued an apology on Instagram calling his actions unacceptable and inexcusable, but still cites that he reacted because the joke was a poor and unnecessary dig at someone’s medical condition.

He apologized to Rock, the Academy, and the Williams family in particular. 

Rock is yet to respond to Smith’s apology or make any public statements.

Given the public’s recent disdain for award shows and biased selections, the slap sure does come across as a successful PR stunt (by fluke) to keep the Oscars relevant even after the dust settles.