Smith v. Rock....remember Andy Kaufman v. Jerry Lawler on Letterman 40 years ago?

[MerryHolidays]

Last edited Mon Mar 28, 2022, 08:38 AM - Edit history (1)

The latter was staged. Why wouldn't the former be staged too?

Interesting throughout, but the fireworks start at around 4:50. Several years later Kaufman v. Lawler was exposed as completely staged, and that Jerry Lawler and Andy Kaufman were actually very good friends:

Link to tweet

[Croney]

1. Because who would stage a joke about a medical condition?

Jada would have had to be in on the joke. Highly unlikely.

[MerryHolidays]

2. That was exactly the set-up 40 years ago

Jerry Lawler was laughing at Andy Kaufman for wearing a neck brace from an alleged injury that Lawler gave to Kaufman 5 months before.

At least in this hoax, Andy went down. Chris Rock didn't, and from what I can tell, he's much smaller than Will Smith.

Seemed stage to me, and why would Jada Pinkett be on it? I thought all three were good friends. They certainly got a lot of coverage out of it, similar to Kaufman v. Lawler exactly 40 years ago this year...take a look at how many OPs there on this episode just on DU.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but something just doesn't seem real about what happened at the Oscars. Might it be performance art, like Kaufman and Lawler?

Everyone thought it was real back then...until it wasn't more than a decade later after Lawler confessed it was all (brilliantly) staged.

[Doc Sportello]

3. No it wasn't staged

Lawler was a professional wrestler, a "sport" which is staged, while Kaufman was a fan of the sport whose act was putting the audience on. And no, everyone did not buy it.

I won't bother to post the numerous videos and stories out there that show what Smith did was not an act. A little searching will prove that. Sheesh, Smith apologized. Was that part of the act? Was his wife in on it? Denzel, Schumer, et al. I can't believe on DU are pushing this line. But I guess I can.

[MerryHolidays]

4. Glad you seem to be so sure. Lots of people were in on Kaufman and Lawler

And many, many people believed it. Sorta' like now.

CNN is still using words like "appear" and "seemingly" to describe the incident. But you definitely appear to seemingly know more than CNN does.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/28/entertainment/chris-rock-will-smith-charges-intl-scli/

[Doc Sportello]

6. Wrong again

Read Zamudia's book for an inside account. No, "many" people were not in on it. I don't know where you get the idea that CNN is the only sourc; they are just being cautious. Many credible news sources are calling it a slap, hit, whatever. No credible news source is reporting it was faked. I watched the Lawler-Kaufman thing in real time. It was questioned by many at the time whether it was real or not.

I don't seemingly know more than CNN. I know from everything I saw and read that it was real. If you have any credible news sources siding with your giant conspiracy point of view, please do share. Oh, and come up with any reason why Denzel, Jada, Schumer, et al would be in on it.

And please also explain why Will Smith would do this on a night when everyone knew he was going to win, putting a cloud over one of the biggest moments of his life. That's just silly.

[MerryHolidays]

9. It kinda' goes with his nominated role, don't ya' think?

Protecting his family in "King Richard"? There are a lot of folks who think it was staged. I still do.

Even Andy Kaufman had the presence of mind to fall down. Chris didn't even do that, and Will is MUCH bigger than him.

I just don't believe everything I see without critical analysis. It's a good rule to live by.

This is the first (and perhaps only) time I will cite the Daily Mail: take a look at the slo-mo video. Chris is leaning into where Will is going. That's quite a slap/punch that Will unleashes, and Chris is still standing? Not even fazed. Ya, right....pull the other leg, now.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-10659349/Will-Smith-Jada-party-children-Jaden-Willow-Vanity-Fair-bash.html

[Doc Sportello]

10. Oh, CNN just called it a slap

They are doing a segment now. It's not evne a question as to whether it was staged. I'm not going to argue about something that is so silly and obvious.

"Many people do" is the kind of thing dump and his cultists do to justify their lack of facts. I've looked at the uncensored Japanese and other videos. You are simply wrong and you thought by coming up with this false equivalency of Lawler-Kaufman tit was a great comparison. It isn't - they simply aren't the same.

You're just pedaling conspiracy BS. And there is no way to convince you any more than there is to convince a trumper.

Bye.

[MerryHolidays]

11. Glad you're such an expert! You seem to know so much!

Can't wait to write when it's clear this wasn't real. Bye!

[Algernon Moncrieff]

7. Smith sorta apologized

Smith apologized to the nominees and the academy- not to the guy he struck (who, Smith should note, declined to press charges). Frankly, I found his speech to be self-serving. At the end, he noted that the academy might not invite him back. I think they shouldn't - at least for a few years.

[Doc Sportello]

8. The best actor winner gives the award for best actress

So he'll probably be back next year to do that and there will be jokes about it. His speech was self-serving. It was a combination of justification and award acceptance that did't go down well. Why anyone would think he planned the slap at this huge moment in his life is beyond me.

[MerryHolidays]

12. So he knew he would win for sure? nt

[Algernon Moncrieff]

14. To be fair, most people thought Smith winning was a forgone conclusion

...and they might have even told him on the d/l because they absolutely did not want a repeat of last year when everyone assumed Chadwick Boseman would win.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

5. When I saw it in real time, I thought it was a bit

It looked like a perfectly choreographed Hollywood punch.

While I wouldn't put a publicity stunt of this magnitude past Hollywood, this seems like one in which there are no winners.

[MerryHolidays]

13. Something is just very odd about the whole thing. nt

[Algernon Moncrieff]

15. You might end up being right, but truth is stranger than fiction

I think this is a strange, true thing that happened.

[MerryHolidays]

16. Take a look at this video

Watch Chris, his hands behind his back, lean into Will. Watch Will's right hand carefully before, during, and after "the slap".

And then watch both Chris and Will smiling after "the slap"...great acting by both!

Link to tweet

[intrepidity]

18. Also, catch Will's smirk just before he fully turns back to the audience

He had a big grin on his face while he was watching Chris.

That doesn't fit the "angrily defending his wife's honor" narrative very well.

I could buy this being a set-up.

[Ocelot II]

17. Why is this even worth discussing?