American popular culture wrongly and unfortunately venerates "personalities" and creative types to levels of public attention and following that are undeserved. Messages sent and conduct displayed by these people are far from typical or representative of what's familiar to most. Is it voyeurism and escapism that accounts for the public attention? That only encourages more bad behavior.

On the other side, there are no personality, educational, or suitability screenings to determine which individuals have the right stuff to be followed closely and seen as role models. The vast wealth many accumulate unfortunately lead many to thinking they are "entitled". To do, say, act, etc., as they wish. It's a deadly mixture because far too many of them do not have the right stuff, as mentioned just before, to successfully deal with their fame and carry out what's an indirectly bestowed obligation to give the right impressions in their positions of influence and public attention-getting. Some do, most don't.

I didn't watch the show but have seen videos of the incident. What was said was insulting, not funny (entitlement) and the reaction was waaay off the deep end of acceptability (more entitlement).

Will Smith is one of the most powerful and most bankable people in the movie industry and has now become more bankable with his Oscar win. No one is dragging him off of any stage.

Has his public personnae taken a hit - probably, but that won't stop his stay at the top one bit.

If I were Jada, I would have been very embarrassed by my husband's behavior. I find what he did to be extremely inappropriate! You don't go hit someone because they make a joke even if it was in poor taste! I feel like Will acted like a teenage boy and not the influential man that he should be! What sort of an example is the setting for his young male admirers!? A VERY BAD ONE!

I just came back to read more about this. I do agree that it was totally out of line ( and now I guess I was wrong and it was not staged). I agree with Zalco he should have been removed and arrested and only if Rock decided to drop the charges-----but can you imagine if he was escorted off the stage and arrested? I can't even imagine the comments and outrage at the police. Seriously.

Radio talk shows was discussing if this was staged or not. It all seemed surreal to be real from the play backs. I don't watch these type shows, only saw one of the movies up for an award. The clips are tough to read. Chris's joke went right over my head..I don't comprehend it at all so there's that. They showed Will laughing but Jada rolls her eyes--not happy. Off camera she must have said something to Will to set him in motion? From what I heard it isn't only up to Chris to want charges. Will broke the law in front of everyone so the police have fair game. The law's the law.

49mCNN Breaking News@cnnbrk·

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences says it condemns Will Smith's actions at the Oscars and has opened a "formal review" of the onstage incident involving Chris Rock

"It's a deadly mixture because far too many of them do not have the right stuff, as mentioned just before, to successfully deal with their fame..."

Could not agree more. Waaaaay too many of them!

I have always been a huge fan of Will Smiths work. But he made himself look like an absolute fool ,considering how his wife, the woman whose honor he acted upon, has been openly unfaithful, and aired all of Wills traits that she despises on her talk show for the whole world to ridicule him. More than once. I have seen several comments on the internet that say something to the effect of "So its okay to sleep with Will Smiths wife but not to make a joke about her. Got it." He looked stupid. And based upon Jadas past behavior and the character that she has shown, she likely both ate it up, and was still not satisfied, likely wanting more violence. The fact is, Chris Rock would likely have been slammed by the general public for making such an insensitive joke at her expense anyway. There was no need for a temper tantrum. I hope all involved can heal from this, in whatever way needed, physically, emotionally, professionally.

I am left wondering if Chris Rock knew about her condition. I certainly didn't, as she isn't someone that I care to listen to, nor have I ever seen her talk show. Why is assumed that everyone should have known she had a medical condition? Many, many celebrities have sported radical hairstyles.

I'm sure more info will be forthcoming.

I think Chris knew. If you follow celebrities then you would know--she has a talk show of some sort and has discussed it, everyone is saying. This isn't WOKE but if she really hates being reminded etc why wasn't she wearing a wig? I would put money that most if not near all of the women of color there were wearing wigs. She has opened her life up to scrutiny talking about her lovers, while married, her medical stuff... Maybe he thought she talks about it so it's fair game?

It's a start, a very tiny one. I'm sure his agent, publicist, attorney and many others wrote it.

I saw that he apologized ( finally) to Chris Rock and in general more fully, which I think was totally warranted. I agree that others probably had a hand in it, but at least it was done.

If Chris Rock knew Jada suffered with Alopecia and still decided to make a joke about her hair style last night, then he was insensitive to the point of being cruel. Comedians who make jokes about people's physical looks have no place in comedy. Maybe jokes about a celebrity's fashion choices, or money spending choices, or movies that bombed are one thing, but never derogatory things about their physical looks.

Demi Moore shaved her head for her G.I. Jane role, and I recall Natalie Portman and Charlize Theron, also shaved their heads, for roles in V for Vendetta and Mad Max. They all still looked beautiful, like Jada does with her buzzed hair. But If Chris Rock was actually unaware of her condition, then pointing out that she could do a G.I. Jane sequel, was not an insensitive jab, but just a joke because she shares the same hairstyle as the actress had in that movie.

Will Smith's apology to Chris Rock clarified that he should not have used any violence, which was totally wrong and he regrets it. He said people can make jokes about him, but he got overly emotional (or triggered) to hear a joke making fun of his wife's medical condition. I feel that part of the apology is only fair if he knows for sure that Chris Rock knew his wife had Alopecia. Because if Rock didn't, then Smith would have to realize one clearly can't make a joke about someone's medical condition if they were unaware there was one.

Regardless, if an Oscar contending male had walked up onstage and slap/punched a female comedienne, he would have been hauled off the stage and taken out of the building within seconds. Yet somehow it was ok for Will Smith to just mosey on back to his seat and proceed with his evening. I love Will Smith's acting, way more than I like Chris Rock's comedy, but I definitely lost respect for Smith on a personal basis last night. I'm currently neutral about my judgement of Rock, but he'll be just as bad in my books if he acknowledges he knew and still make the joke.

Just my 2 cents...

Alopecia is commonly referred to as pattern baldness. In men it is male pattern baldness, and in women it is female pattern baldness, though it seems to be called alopecia more often in women.

Just about every joke that has been made about a bad comb-over has been made about someone who is uncomfortable with their alopecia. No one seems that upset about men being made fun of, or given a funny moniker for their medical condition, so I struggle with people now playing the medical condition card.

Personally, I made a lot of jokes about our former president's alopecia. So please let's make an orderly slap line for me.

ETA: The irony being, Will Smith made a joke about someone's alopecia in 1991 and when the crowd booed he said, "Ahh, these are jokes, come on!"

It's at the 6:30 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrOKbtJiglI

I honestly don't care. Drama. Meh. "Celebrities." Meh. "This is news!" Meh.

How do we know Chris Rock knew she had a disorder? I didn't get it and just thought he was commenting about her shaved head. I read that he did not include that joke in rehearsal. He might have made the joke when he saw her. He said G.I. Jane who had a shaved head. He didn't reference a disorder.

No matter, Smith should have been escorted off the stage. I saw the incident and it sounded like a punch.

He went back to his seat with a smirk, got his award for best actor, everyone clapped. He then went to the Hollywood parties and danced the night away. So did his wife. I think the whole thing was outrageous and he should pay a price for his violence despite what Rock decides to do.

I feel the Academy should have taken his award away until the Committee met and decided how to handle it.

Jane

Best line I heard. Smith has several inches and many pounds on Rock a punch should have laid Rock out: "Now we know why he didn't get an Oscar for playing Ali"

🙄 he didn’t punch him. That would be a very different conversation.

Heard a story that Smith has "roid rage"...after taking steroids to bulk up for movie part. Not

sure if I believe that...but who knows. Whatever the reason...Smith should be punished

somehow. I would remove the Oscar, but they won't do that.

They didn’t take back Weinstein’s or Pulaski’s Oscars. But they can kick Smith out of the Academy.

They will. The longer this goes and stays in the media--reports of how they tried to get Will to leave, how many thought it was staged--as in produces and asked Chris 'did he REALLY slap you"?, reports that Chris is the one who encouraged them to not make more of a scene by removing Will, Chris taking the high road at his concerts...Will and the academy are done, and will be all the better for it. Two characters are on display. Will's is lacking. Goes to show what a good actor he is--all these years playing at being a REAL man.....

Just read an interesting commentary on the Atlantic's website pointing out that what most people saw was edited, and most of us did not see a lot of things that were happening before, during and after the slap.

"I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate," Smith said in a statement shared with CNN by his publicist.

It wasn't a punch, it was a slap -- and that's one of the several reason's I think it was staged.

If it was staged they would have explained right away. Also, Will wouldn't have continued with profantites when he got back to his seat.

He ruined his career. Chris Rock took the high road and he is the class act. Smith is a bully and the whole family is a narcissistic bunch. I wonder if the bully slapped his wife's lover?

Jada has an open marriage with an affair with their son's friend. On her Red Table discussion Will said it was fine. .That's common knowledge. Did Will stop laughing when he saw Jada made a face? Yes he did.

They need to work their marital problems out at home. She's not required to take offense. She looked beautiful. Lots of women do it and don't feel disrespected. She provoked the whole thing and liked it.

Will was up for an Oscar after playing Ali. When another won, Will and Jada walked up the aisle and out the door before the winner could speak . it was a spectacle and the camera caught it.

"If it was staged they would have explained right away. Also, Will wouldn't have continued with profantites when he got back tomhis seat"

Not in my opinion - not if they didn't want everyone to know it was staged (which is usually the point of staging something to get attention). Call me suspicious, but a TV show promoting movies has had dramatically falling viewership for years is now the talk of the town, and after the movie industry has had a horrible few years due to the social and public health crises......To me, that makes a staged event much more likely.

It's been stated by all involved IT WAS NOT STAGED. Time to move off that theory.

If it was staged, why would he apologise and resign from the Academy?

When I saw him do that, I wondered if he reacts violently at home as well....it was so uncalled for. I'm glad he's resigned...maybe now he'll learn that being a man* means taking responsibility for your actions.

---------

*now there's a word that we need a neuter for for sure!

Will Smith resigning from the Academy is largely meaningless. Jada is still a member and so the only benefit he loses is voting.

I also don't think it was staged because his original reaction was a laugh. Were it staged he would have acted upset the entire time.

-----

I think Will and Jada Pinkett Smith are both fine actors, who constantly demonstrate they are less than fine people. From Will and Jada naming their kids Willow and Jaden, to Jada noting in interviews that she was stepping out on Will because he was bad in bed.

"It's been stated by all involved IT WAS NOT STAGED. Time to move off that theory."

Sure.....because when you stage something to look like something else, you always admit it later (eye roll). There have been plenty of publicity stunts that were never revealed as hoaxes for years, if not decades.

The staged slap would be one thing, i can kind of see it being staged. But the language that spewed from Smith’s mouth, no. That goes against all kinds of television codes and is massively offensive to many. Of course, Rock swore, too. No decorum in the Oscars.

He assaulted a person in front of millions of people, young and old. He should have been arrested stat. He's not what his smile shows, I have an acquaintance who has worked with him many times and he says Will is a bully and has made directors get rid of anyone he doesn't like. Can you imagine what would happen if he had done that to a white person?

There really was more going on than the general public was privy to, and some of it is coming out now.

It does not matter what else was going on. The show is what mattered. The punch mattered. What happened in the background is immaterial. Try being a black kid explaining what was going on in the background as you get arrested to assault. Punching matters. What leads you to punch, unless it is self defense, from a physical threat, does not, and should not matter.

PS The LAPD's behavior is inexcusable here. They did not need Rock's assent to arrest. Putting the onus on the victim was a despicable move. Rock's assault was broadcast live. He did not need to testify.

Did you listen to the director's comments? He credits Rock for not letting the ceremony become a train wreck.

Yes, but the words, There was more going on, do not fit with what the director was saying, and were frankly misleading. The director said nothing the world did not see. The comment, more was going, on suggests there were extenuating circumstances. I don't make the rules about how language works. And I don't post clickbait.

Not posting clickbait, I'm referring to the fact that multiple other people were involved afterwards, which was not publicized in much of the initial media coverage. I just watched that segment earlier on headline news and wanted to share.

There's always more to a story than is often made known to most people.

Always skeptical about rushes to judgement.

Am I the only one who was offended and appalled at Smith's comments when he sat back down?

bpath, I was appalled, if not exactly offended. That's when I knew it was real. Smith was raging.

"Am I the only one who was offended and appalled at Smith's comments when he say back down?"

I wasn't offended or appalled. Shocked, perhaps, that it happened at that event.

I agree that the police didn’t need Chris Rock’s permission to arrest, but with no apparent injuries, it would be difficult to prosecute without a cooperative victim. This is one of my biggest criticisms about how domestic violence calls are handled in most jurisdictions. It is totally possible to prosecute with an unwilling victim, but difficult. Just like you don’t need the testimony of a dead person for prosecuting a murder, the same can be true for other crimes. But it is a lot more work and it IS Hollywood after all.

Every time I read the title of this thread, it makes me thirsty.

^^^^^Ha, Olychick!

Well,now I‘m not thirsty any more!!

Think it will be on the bar menu at next year’s ceremony?