As far as violent acts to commit on live television go, a slap is pretty tame.
Whether or not you think Will Smith was justified in his actions on the night of March 27 or not, the most extreme part of “the slap heard ‘round the world” has been the reactions from other celebrities and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
In a since-deleted tweet, director Judd Apatow said that Smith “could have killed” Chris Rock. Really? One singular slap to the face could’ve killed a grown man. Filmmakers are liable to stretch the truth for their movies but this is going a little far.
Despite condemning Smith’s “out of control rage and violence,” Apatow has kept silent regarding frequent collaborator James Franco’s alleged abuse and assaults over the years, which users replying to his tweet were quick to note.
Oscars co-host Amy Schumer said that she was “triggered and traumatized” by the incident that she wasn’t even a part of. That reaction might be understandable if Smith had slapped her. But he didn’t. How detached is Schumer from the struggles of regular life that she’s traumatized by something that didn’t even happen to her?
Why did the Academy wait until 2018 to expel Roman Polanski, who raped a 13-year-old in 1977, and also gave him both a Best Director award and a standing ovation in 2003, yet was ready to kick out Smith for slapping an adult within the week?
Let’s not forget that when Polanski was arrested by Swiss police in 2009, over 100 filmmakers signed a petition for his release.
If Louis C.K. can win a Grammy for Best Comedy Album five years after admitting to forcing multiple women to watch him masturbate, these award-show voters need to evaluate which violence is condemnable.
At that same ceremony, Jared Leto — who has a history of allegations of sleeping with underage fans as young as 14 — presented the award for Best Vocal Pop Album to Olivia Rodrigo. Did no one think about this?
Was Will Smith wrong for slapping Chris Rock? Yes. Is it the greatest stain on the grand tapestry of cinema? Absolutely not.
