philip964 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 26, 2021 6:25 pm
... This was so they could devote extra time to the assumed winner, the actor who died. But, he didn’t win and the actual winner, an old white guy, Anthony Hopkins didn’t show.
When I heard on the news, it brought a smile to my face. There are some old conservative actors who still vote.
I had not paid any attention to the Oscars, just chortled at the headlines about its decline. However it's interesting and pleasing that Anthony Hopkins won best actor. He made a very insightful comment awhile back:
"When Will Smith stormed onto the Oscar stage to strike Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife's short hair, he did a lot more damage than just to Rock's face. With a single petulant blow, he advocated violence, diminished women, insulted the entertainment industry, and perpetuated stereotypes about the Black community. That's a lot to unpack. Let's start with the facts: Rock made a reference to Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, as looking like Demi Moore in 'G.I. Jane,' in which Moore had shaved her head. Jada Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia, which causes hair loss. Ok, I can see where the Smiths might not have found that joke funny. But Hollywood awards shows are traditionally a venue where much worse things have been said about celebrities as a means of downplaying the fact that it's basically a gathering of multimillionaires giving each other awards to boost business so they can make even more money. The Smiths could have reacted by politely laughing along with the joke or by glowering angrily at Rock. Instead, Smith felt the need to get up in front of his industry peers and millions of people around the world, hit another man, then return to his seat to bellow: 'Keep my wife's name out of your _______ mouth.' Twice. Some have romanticized Smith's actions as that of a loving husband defending his wife. Comedian Tiffany Haddish, who starred in the movie 'Girls Trip' with Pinkett Smith, praised Smith's actions: '[F]or me, it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen because it made me believe that there are still men out there that love and care about their women, their wives.' Actually, it was the opposite. Smith's slap was also a slap to women. If Rock had physically attacked Pinkett Smith, Smith's intervention would have been welcome. Or if he'd remained in his seat and yelled his post-slap threat, that would have been unnecessary, but understandable. But by hitting Rock, he announced that his wife was incapable of defending herself—against words. From everything I'd seen of Pinkett Smith over the years, she's a very capable, tough, smart woman who can single-handedly take on a lame joke at the Academy Awards show. This patronizing, paternal attitude infantilizes women and reduces them to helpless damsels needing a Big Strong Man to defend their honor least they swoon from the vapors. If he was really doing it for his wife, and not his own need to prove himself, he might have thought about the negative attention this brought on them, much harsher than the benign joke. That would have been truly defending and respecting her. This 'women need men to defend them' is the same justification currently being proclaimed by conservatives passing laws to restrict abortion and the LGBTQ+ community. Worse than the slap was Smith's tearful, self-serving acceptance speech in which he rambled on about all the women in the movie 'King Richard' that he's protected. Those who protect don't brag about it in front of 15 million people. They just do it and shut up. You don't do it as a movie promotion claiming how you're like the character you just won an award portraying. But, of course, the speech was about justifying his violence. Apparently, so many people need Smith's protection that occasionally it gets too much and someone needs to be smacked. What is the legacy of Smith's violence? He's brought back the Toxic Bro ideal of embracing Kobra Kai teachings of 'might makes right' and 'talk is for losers.' Let's not forget that this macho John Wayne philosophy was expressed in two movies in which Wayne spanked grown women to teach them a lesson. Young boys—especially Black boys—watching their movie idol not just hit another man over a joke, but then justify it as him being a superhero-like protector, are now much more prone to follow in his childish footsteps. Perhaps the saddest confirmation of this is the tweet from Smith's child Jaden: 'And That’s How We Do It.' The Black community also takes a direct hit from Smith. One of the main talking points from those supporting the systemic racism in America is characterizing Blacks as more prone to violence and less able to control their emotions. Smith just gave comfort to the enemy by providing them with the perfect optics they were dreaming of. Many will be reinvigorated to continue their campaign to marginalize African Americans and others through voter suppression campaign. As for the damage to show business, Smith's violence is an implied threat to all comedians who now have to worry that an edgy or insulting joke might be met with violence. Good thing Don Rickles, Bill Burr, or Ricky Gervais weren't there. As comedian Kathy Griffin tweeted: 'Now we all have to worry about who wants to be the next Will Smith in comedy clubs and theaters.' The one bright note is that Chris Rock, clearly stunned, managed to handle the moment with grace and maturity. If only Smith's acceptance speech had shown similar grace and maturity—and included, instead of self-aggrandizing excuses, a heartfelt apology to Rock."
Chris Rock did handle that really well. My hat's off to him!
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I have to be honest, I would have loved to hear that Chris Rock threw a punch back and knocked Will Smith out. There are a lot of Hollywood performers that Will Smith would never had the guts to slap like that. He simply felt emboldened because he knew Chris Rock wouldn't throw back. I think Chris Rock handled that like a true professional. Personally, I would have come back with a right hook to the jaw, Will left exposed after slapping him.
We should discuss the deadly force self defense aspects of this.
agreed chris rock, did do the mature thing and not throw down, and acted like a gentleman. He did resist making a few more IMO good punch lines
however, i bet monday his accountant called will smiths attorney to discuss compensation of sorts
smith had/has been in some good stories, but he is an actor and is paid to be the bully, the good guy, the liar etc. so is rock.
then i remember smiths wife having an affair.....
i first thought it was a gag, i was not watching it live but did see the whole unedited parts.
i laugh at karreem writing an oped telling anyone how to behave or how it puts people back into a stereo type
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Sorry. I think Chris's comment was low class and uncalled for. He's no hero in this sorry story. I'd feel better about Will Smith's actions if he hadn't first laughed. I can't believe there are many members on this board who wouldn't respond to some ass hat popping off about his wife's medical condition.
Again, Rock ain't no hero.
Like so many, I wasn't watching the self aggrandizing festival this has become. Hollywierd can wring their hands until the cows come home, this is the best thing that has happened to them so far as ratings and relevance in decades.
Life was more fun when people could joke and laugh. In this instance Chris wasn't trying to insult, but he did push his luck a bit. If Jada was actually a good person I'd be more sympathetic to Will, but he could have done a lot better and should have never married her in the first place.
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BigGuy wrote: ↑Wed Mar 30, 2022 9:41 pm
Sorry. I think Chris's comment was low class and uncalled for. He's no hero in this sorry story. I'd feel better about Will Smith's actions if he hadn't first laughed. I can't believe there are many members on this board who wouldn't respond to some ass hat popping off about his wife's medical condition.
Again, Rock ain't no hero.
I don’t pay much attention to the goings on in Holllywood, so I wonder if her medical condition is widely known. If it isn’t, the joke is much less offensive. There are many women who have shaved their heads on purpose.
BigGuy wrote: ↑Wed Mar 30, 2022 9:41 pm
Sorry. I think Chris's comment was low class and uncalled for. He's no hero in this sorry story. I'd feel better about Will Smith's actions if he hadn't first laughed. I can't believe there are many members on this board who wouldn't respond to some ass hat popping off about his wife's medical condition.
Again, Rock ain't no hero.
I don’t pay much attention to the goings on in Holllywood, so I wonder if her medical condition is widely known. If it isn’t, the joke is much less offensive. There are many women who have shaved their heads on purpose.
I was unaware it was a medical condition at the time of the joke. I originally thought she may have been in the first movie, GI Jane 01?. The wife, who knows all this Hollywood stuff, said no that was Demi Moore. Chris Rock could have not know.
My mother in law lost a lot of her hair from old age and wore a wig, when she went to church. She looked very nice with the wig. Jada could do that, but everything is about wokeness now, so it would be inappropriate for me to suggest that.
Besides Jada, I think believes she is free now having a buzz. She complained about how directors would do this and that with her hair, for the movies. It made her feel less about her self that her natural hair was not good enough.
She's a nut job. Are any of their kids sane? The transgender son/daughter who is now just gay, just outed a rapper he/she dated. After he/she told the press he/she dated the rapper, the rapper had to tell his fans he was gay. Nice.
BigGuy wrote: ↑Wed Mar 30, 2022 9:41 pm
Sorry. I think Chris's comment was low class and uncalled for. He's no hero in this sorry story. I'd feel better about Will Smith's actions if he hadn't first laughed. I can't believe there are many members on this board who wouldn't respond to some ass hat popping off about his wife's medical condition.
Again, Rock ain't no hero.
I don’t pay much attention to the goings on in Holllywood, so I wonder if her medical condition is widely known. If it isn’t, the joke is much less offensive. There are many women who have shaved their heads on purpose.
I was unaware it was a medical condition at the time of the joke. I originally thought she may have been in the first movie, GI Jane 01?. The wife, who knows all this Hollywood stuff, said no that was Demi Moore. Chris Rock could have not know.
Again, I don’t much care. I’m just supposing that, if it wasn’t widely known in Hollywood that she has a medical condition, then Chris Rock pretty much gets a pass from me on the joke. If he knew it was related to a medical condition, and made the joke anyway, he’s pretty crummy in my book. Neither case justified Smith attacking him.
