Everything Wrong With Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock At The 2022 Oscars

The 2022 Oscars aired last night, and the only thing I’ve heard much about is Will Smith slapping Chris Rock. If you’re not offended, you should be, and I’m about to go into the bigger picture of why it isn’t very respectful and way beneath us as a society.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4t1CC7-UFE

Will Smith Slaps Chris Rock

In the age of media monetizing violence, Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars is nothing unique, and its main problem is timing and delivery. People worldwide are denouncing violence after Putin invaded Ukraine. Now, Hollywood gives us a man getting slapped for a lame joke?

Bad timing is the start of everything wrong here.

Why It Looked Fake

There are several reasons Will Smith slapping Chris Rock looked fake. The first is that nobody leans their face forward when an angry man approaches you. Chris Rock didn’t even seem mad about getting slapped on stage, where he is technically at work.

Another reason it seems scripted is that the joke about Jada was not clever at all. In other words, it was hardly comedy gold, so why would Chris Rock even put the gag in his show? The reality is jokes about Will and Jada are too played out.

Why It Sets A Bad Example

You can’t be out there teaching the world kids you can solve problems by slapping someone. To do so only reinforces our heavy, violent society and negative stereotypes.

This type of altercation should not have made it on-air, and it shouldn’t be celebrated for these facts alone. But there’s even more.

Too Cringy For T.V

You might have a high tolerance for cringe, but I think you will agree. The above video of Chris Rock getting slapped by Will Smith was a top-shelf cringe, and that doesn’t create a positive viewing experience in any way. If people want to cringe, they can make a choice and turn on what they know is cringy.

When people watch the Oscars, they are right to expect lighthearted fun; not a guy getting slapped in one of the easily most cringiest moment of 2022.

Comedians And Cancel Culture

I remember hearing a lot recently about comedians being allowed to be offensive. So, what happened? I realize Will Smith is catching a lot of flak for slapping Chris Rock, but nobody is repeating the line about comedians getting a pass.

As a society, we are being exposed to a significant double standard. The same people telling us not to take comedy so seriously are taking it seriously. Why can’t we decide on an average for comedians and stick with it?

Consistently Bad, Is Still Consistency

Will Smith slapping Chris Rock will be brushed aside as another clickbait story amongst millions of others. So we are consistent, even though it’s the wrong consistency.

Idk why do we settle for so little when it comes to T.V. More importantly, I doubt anyone will be held to account for this, and there are plenty of faults to go around.

Should Will Smith Be Punished?

Yes, he should be charged with assault. For law enforcement not to charge him sends a clear message that slapping people is ok. I get that an assault case against Will Smith isn’t a high priority, and charging him will only be symbolic. But it’s necessary to do so and keep up appearances.

To be clear, I’m not saying throw the book at a man who made a mistake. This is mainly about optics, in that it looks horrible for the law to do nothing.

Final Thoughts On Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock

We deserved better than this clickbait from the 2022 Oscars. The real mystery is how orchestrated was Will Smith’s slapping of Chris Rock. Who knew about and when did they know about it?

If the 2022 Oscars organizers planned this, they should be held accountable. It’s time for us to tell Hollywood enough is enough, and we aren’t buying it anymore.

Originally published at https://viableoutreach.com on March 28, 2022.