Chris Rock versus Will Smith

[Revoltingest]

That's over the top, IMO. He already apologized.

Smith had the opportunity to apologize to Rock
during his long pitiful tearful acceptance speech.
This would've been the time. But he specifically
left Rock out of his apology to others there.

He slapped Rock in front of that crowd. He should've
apologized in front of that same crowd...not wait until
doing it with a sterile text on the internet. The apology
should've been man to man. But it was up to Rock to
be the man in that encounter.

I must have missed the part about God, but really the whole thing is being blown out of proportion. He's a good actor and I'm sure he deserves an Oscar.

In this weak & weepy evasion of responsibility
for his own actions....

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

You don't diss a man's wife. Period.

It was barely a "diss" in the first place. "What if the reason you shaved your head was for a role in a G.I. Jane movie? Wouldn't that be funny?" Do you think that line of questioning should get someone punched? That's basically where Chris Rock went, but with brevity in order to make it snappier as a one-liner. There may have been callousness there, but not malice.

Also - guess who was seen to be laughing at the joke for some number of seconds before noticing his wife's reaction? Take a guess. If it was such a "diss" then why did he laugh so heartily to begin with? Shouldn't there have been an immediate understanding that someone had just come after his wife?

 

[SkepticThinker]

You don't diss a man's wife. Period.

So taking offense to words is now a reason to physically assault another person? Is that what our society has come to? That's a sad state of affairs. It's also a crime to physically assault someone, but who cares anymore, I guess. We should just start teaching our kids that hitting people will solve our problems.
Is that what Jesus would do, do ya think?

 

[SkepticThinker]

Oh, please. Will lets other men have sex with his wife and the whole world knows about that crap, but can't take a little joke that wasn't even offensive (GI Jane is actually one of Demi Moore's best movies, and who can remember the last time Jada had a leading role in anything). It was unhinged, trashy behavior. Honestly, both Will and Jada are bizarre and they messed up their kids, too. (Cross dressing Jaden, who Will enjoys forcing to kiss him on the lips, will probably have a mental breakdown sooner or later, and they forced Willow into the spotlight, too.)

Right? The joke wasn't even bad. GI Jane is a movie about a strong, empowered woman.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Right? The joke wasn't even bad. GI Jane is a movie about a strong, empowered woman.

Exactly. I remember liking that movie as a kid. Like I said, who remembers the last time Jada had a lead role in a movie? I sure don't. So Chris was actually wishing for the best for her career, is one way of looking at it.

 

[Revoltingest]

Right? The joke wasn't even bad. GI Jane is a movie about a strong, empowered woman.

And what could be more insulting to Smith's
family than his taking $20,000,000 for starring
in The Wild Wild West. For that performance,
he owes the Academy an Oscar.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

And what could be more insulting to Smith's
family than his taking $20,000,000 for starring
in The Wild Wild West. For that performance,
he owes the Academy an Oscar.

Lol, I saw that movie in theaters and really liked it as a kid. It's a dumb movie, but still a lot of fun. I think he turned down the role of Neo to be in it (the Wachowskis wanted him before they offered it to Keanu, as I recall), so that's the real insult.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Right? The joke wasn't even bad. GI Jane is a movie about a strong, empowered woman.

While I haven't seen G.I. Jane myself, I understand from my wife that in the context of the film, she shaves her head after other soldiers grab her by the hair to restrain her while they attack her, so she wanted to make sure they couldn't do that again.

... so the baldness in GI Jane has a lot of darkness associated with it, apparently.

 

[Revoltingest]

Lol, I saw that movie in theaters and really liked it as a kid. It's a dumb movie, but still a lot of fun. I think he turned down the role of Neo to be in it (the Wachowskis wanted him before they offered it to Keanu, as I recall), so that's the real insult.

Smith as Neo? Ugh.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Smith as Neo? Ugh.

Yeah, I can't see it. It was for the best that that happened. Keanu was born for that role.

 

[Revoltingest]

Yeah, I can't see it. It was for the best that that happened. Keanu was born for that role.

The physicality of the role suits Reeves better.

 

[Wildswanderer]

Oh, please. Will lets other men have sex with his wife and the whole world knows about that crap, but can't take a little joke that wasn't even offensive (GI Jane is actually one of Demi Moore's best movies, and who can remember the last time Jada had a leading role in anything). It was unhinged, trashy behavior. Honestly, both Will and Jada are bizarre and they messed up their kids, too. (Cross dressing Jaden, who Will enjoys forcing to kiss him on the lips, will probably have a mental breakdown sooner or later, and they forced Willow into the spotlight, too.)

Well that's gross. I guess I shouldn't be surprised by Hollywood anymore but I always thought Will was better than that for some reason.

 

[Wildswanderer]

I don't advocate taking away his award. People who are bringing that idea to bear are missing the point that he did this after he already earned that award. There is no reason to punish him in a way that is completely unrelated to the crime.

However - the whole thing is NOT being blown out of proportion, in my mind. The idea that people should be struck for saying any number of words that someone finds subjectively offensive is ludicrous. And that is the idea that Will Smith presented to the world, to our children, and there are those who "understand" why Will Smith did what he did. This topic obviously needs discussed, as there are apparently a good number of people who haven't thought deeply enough about this issue.

I would have no problem with punching someone for serious dis respect of my wife or my kid. I think there's line crossing that should not be allowed verbally. But I'm old fashioned that way.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Well that's gross. I guess I shouldn't be surprised by Hollywood anymore but I always thought Will was better than that for some reason.

Nope. I've been disappointed in him for a few years now, after noticing all this weirdness with him and Jada, and their kids. I think they're Scientologists, on top of all that other nonsense, too. Another childhood fave falls from grace. Starting to be a regular thing, and that's sad.

 

[Revoltingest]

I would have no problem with punching someone for serious dis respect of my wife or my kid. I think there's line crossing that should not be allowed verbally. But I'm old fashioned that way.

It would be a good use of my taxes
to put you in prison for assault.
Such behavior should not be tolerated.

 

[Wildswanderer]

It would be a good use of my taxes
to put you in prison for assault.
Such behavior should not be tolerated.

People should not be allowed to verbally abuse your loved ones. If you don't stand up for them, you should.
Putting someone is prison for such things is part of why our system is so messed up.

 

[Wildswanderer]

So taking offense to words is now a reason to physically assault another person? Is that what our society has come to? That's a sad state of affairs. It's also a crime to physically assault someone, but who cares anymore, I guess. We should just start teaching our kids that hitting people will solve our problems.
Is that what Jesus would do, do ya think?

I don't think Will should have done it, (he should have explained his anger to the offender later) but it was a sissy slap, an insult at best.
No Jesus would not have answered insult for insult.
But by the same token, Jesus would tell you to forgive the one who did.

 

[SkepticThinker]

While I haven't seen G.I. Jane myself, I understand from my wife that in the context of the film, she shaves her head after other soldiers grab her by the hair to restrain her while they attack her, so she wanted to make sure they couldn't do that again.

... so the baldness in GI Jane has a lot of darkness associated with it, apparently.

This is true.

 

[SkepticThinker]

People should not be allowed to verbally abuse your loved ones. If you don't stand up for them, you should.

A mild joke by a host at an awards ceremony where such jokes are quite typical is verbal abuse? Boy, some people are really easily offended. I think we'd all be doing ourselves a favour if we could laugh at ourselves a little more. Will Smith sure laughed when the joke was initially made.

You know, you can "stand up" for someone without putting your hands on another person. Especially in response to something that was just WORDS.

Amy Shumer made a joke about their marriage earlier in the show. Do you think Will Smith should have slapped her too?

Putting someone is prison for such things is part of why our system is so messed up.

So physical assault shouldn't be a crime? The system is "messed up" because we jail people when they physically assault people?
I couldn't disagree more. Surely you can't be serious.

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

I would have no problem with punching someone for serious dis respect of my wife or my kid. I think there's line crossing that should not be allowed verbally. But I'm old fashioned that way.

It's emotional instability that fosters such, in my opinion. One can't control themselves emotionally when someone is saying things to them, and likely also are not confident in their ability to muster a sufficient retort intellectually... so they lash out physically... the only real recourse they feel that they have. Don't have what it takes to play on equal footing? Pull out a weapon!

Sound about right @Wildswanderer?