On March 27th, no one expected the 94th Oscars to be so eventful. However, the fallout from the slap seen worldwide had a mass effect on all parties involved: Will Smith, Chris Rock, Jada Smith, attendees, and the Academy.
Apologies to Go Around
Will Smith apologized at the event following the altercation, yet his apology left out Rock. However, a day later, Will again addressed the issue, including Rock in the apology. Jada responded not long after Will. While the Academy announced they were reviewing the situation at the time, there were no other public statements to be made. But today, the Academy has brought forth new information.
The Academy’s Silence
Will’s reaction to a joke caught many off-guard. However, there was much discussion surrounding the Academy’s response during the event or lack thereof. Many astute viewers questioned why wasn’t direct action taken against Will immediately following the incident? Some even spurned the Academy for allowing Will to stay in attendance, given the nature of the incident, questioning if any other actor would have received the same treatment. At the time, the Academy was silent.
The Academy Responds.
Today the Academy has revealed that they did ask Will to leave following the incident, but the star refused. A statement from the Academy reads thus,
“While we would like to clarify that Mr Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.”
Although this is an informative answer, it is still a weak response. Because the question remains if it were any other celebrity, would the Academy have persisted? And why exactly was this situation handled differently?
A Comedian’s View on The Academy’s Lack of Response
Before the issuance of this response, some had their response to the Academy’s actions. Wanda Sykes, a fellow comedian, expressed her disgust with the progression of events citing the poor way the Academy dealt with the incident.
“And for them to let him stay in that room and enjoy the rest of the show and accept his award, I was like, ‘How gross is this? This is just the wrong message’.”
No one can deny she has a point.
What About Rock?
One disturbing thing about this event is the treatment Chris Rock received. Rock was not protected from the assault, although the point of contention is that no one expected it. Rock was also not protected after the assault. Instead, he was expected to carry on despite the injury to his person. Sadly, there were few, if any, public apologies to the comedian. Now It is with the understanding that Rock eventually got an apology from Smith and the Academy, who issued theirs with the new revelation.
“Mr. Rock, we apologize to you for what you experienced on our stage and thank you for your resilience at that moment.”
But what about the day of?
Overlooking Chris
It is indeed an issue of neglect or disrespect. Rock received nothing at the time of the incident as an assurance of the protections he, too, deserved. So, Chris Rock had to contend with humiliation, injury to his person, and whatever emotional distress it might have caused. And he had to go home knowing Smith slapped him for telling a joke, and no one had the decorum to issue a public apology that night.
Waiting for Rock to Respond
Rock has yet to respond, and who can blame him. According to a source, he is taking the time to process everything. As the source notes,
“Chris Rock says he is “still processing” his altercation with Will Smith at the Oscars but will talk about it “at some point.” He referenced the incident at a stand-up show and promised that when he did comment officially, it would be “serious and funny”
Academy’s Current Focus
The Academy is currently reviewing the incident to determine the repercussions Smith will face. However, much of this is now water under the bridge. What has been done has been done. The most we can hope is everyone learns a valuable lesson from this incident.
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Written by Renae Richardson
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Have you read Dame Dash’s response to the Oscar’s incident? If not then check out FM Hip Hop’s retrospective article.
