The misguided chivalry of Will Smith

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

In the moment before Jada Pinkett Smith's husband strode onstage to slap another man during Sunday night's Oscars ceremony, the camera panned briefly to her face. Comedian Chris Rock had just made a joke at her expense, and she did not appear happy. She rolled her eyes. She clasped her hands tightly in her lap. She sat ramrod straight, wearing a high-necked emerald gown - there was almost a genteel Victorian sensibility to her restrained displeasure.

Pinkett Smith's reaction to the joke potentially contained multitudes: Embarrassment? Irritation? Self-consciousness? But instead of Oscar viewers focusing on how she felt in that moment, the narrative of Sunday's ceremony became that Will Smith smacked Chris Rock on live television.

In case you missed the shocking and bizarre sequence of events: From the stage, Rock noted Pinkett Smith's current lack of hair and joked that he would see her "in 'G.I. Jane 2.'" From the audience, Will Smith first appeared to laugh, but the next frame showed him crossing the stage and slapping Rock squarely across the face. "Keep my wife's name out your f— mouth," Smith called out, moments later. A dumbfounded Rock replied "Wow, dude! It was a 'G.I. Jane' joke!" and a visibly angered Smith repeated himself.

A short while later Smith won the best-actor award for his role in "King Richard," a film about the family of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, and used his acceptance speech to apologize to the Academy, but not to Rock, for his behavior. "I look like the crazy father," he said, likening himself to the protective tennis patriarch he portrayed on screen. "But love will make you do crazy things."

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/misguided-chivalry-smith-181208236.html

[Clash City Rocker]

1. A friend who escaped an abusive relationship told me that his comments

sounded like something an abuser would say.

[secondwind]

2. Interesting. And your friend should know... I thought he went way too far.......

[Clash City Rocker]

6. "Love will make you do crazy things" sounded a little disturbing to me

[Moebym]

3. "Dude, it was a 'G. I. Jane' joke!"

"Geez, it was just a joke."

"Relax, it's not like she had cancer or anything."

"He's a comedian, and it's his job."

I've heard several variations on the above across the Internet over the past few days...including here on DU, from people who by all accounts should possess at least a shred of empathy.

So people with illnesses that affect their physical appearance are fair game to comedians now, and calling out comedians for jokes that cross the line is an attack on their free speech? Is that what we've come to?

[regnaD kciN]

4. "Calling out" is fine. Physical violence is not. Period.

[Moebym]

5. Where in my post did I say that I believe that Rock deserved to be slapped?

[Clash City Rocker]

7. Chris Rock is a really funny guy, but he crosses the line often

Check his routine about the n-word, if you can find it. That’s a clear example.

He seems to ascribe to the classic comedian code that the only offense is not being funny. It’s a line that everyone draws in a slightly different place for different issues.

If Smith hadn’t slapped him, Rock would be vilified all over the place right now. Instead, the blame is passed between them in most quarters. So, in a way, the slap worked in Chris Rock’s favor.

[Skittles]

9. so in your world, women cannot take care of themselves

they need a man to physically attack to defend their honor?

[Skittles]

8. it is TOXIC MASCULINITY

NOT CHIVALRY