The Slap Heard Round the World: The Back Story To Why Will Smith Hit Chris Rock at the Oscars
It was the slap heard round the world.
Last night at the 94th Oscar Awards, Will Smith stormed the stage and smacked Chris Rock across the face after the comedian made a joke about actress and Smith's wife Jada Pinckett Smith. This biff broke the internet, shuffling everyone into two clearly divided sides: Will Smith and Chris Rock.
As the dissemination of misinformation, in true tortoise-and-the-hare fashion, is always faster than the facts, we think it's important to go over why Will Smith did what he did before you set up camp on either side.
Before moving on, however, it is important to discuss the elephant in the room. Had anyone else, in a normal comedy club, heck, even a non-award nominee at the Oscars, stormed the stage and attacked a comedian, they would have been kicked out and arrested for assault. The double standard is glaring and unavoidable. This upcoming article is not about contradicting that or supporting violence, but instead providing much needed context to the events of last night.
What Was The Joke?
Rock was giving a comedic Oscars monologue, as comedians are known to do. In his joking back-and-forth monologue, the comedian turned his attention next to the actress. He jabbed:
"Jada, I love you. GI Jane 2, can't wait to see you."
For those who require context about this twenty-five year old film in order to understand this 2022 cultural moment, G.I. Jane was a poorly rated 1997 film in which Demi Moore had a buzz-cut. Therefore, in Rock's joke, it can be understood that he was making a joke in regards to Jada's bald head and suggesting she looked ready to be in a sequel to a terrible movie (Not that the movie IS terrible; just joke analyzing.)
While many across the internet have deemed Will's stage rush an overreaction, there is a deeper reason that this joke hit harder than it should have (pun ABSOLUTELY intended.)
Jada Pinkett Smith is Struggling with Alopecia
The actress has been open about her current struggle with alopecia. The disease, which causes her to lose all of her hair is one that she has been living with and accepting. That does not mean that it is not a sensitive topic or a source of insecurity.
For someone who is as stunning as Jada Pinkett Smith, it can be difficult for the masses to understand that she could ever feel insecure (Like, did you SEE HOW STUNNING she looked last night?), but she is a human first, celebrity second. Back in 2018 in an episode of Red Table Talk, she discussed the fear that accompanied this diagnosis.
"It was terrifying when it first started...I was in the shower one day and had just handfuls of hair in my hands and I was just like, 'Oh, my God, am I going bald?' It was one of those times in my life where I was literally shaking in fear. That's why I cut my hair, and why I continue to cut it...Taking care of my hair has been a beautiful ritual, you know?...And having the choice to have hair or not, and then one day to be like, 'Oh, my God, I might not have the choice.'"
In 2021, the star was continuing to struggle but had worked hard to embrace what she was going through. In an Instagram video from December 28, 2021, just three months before last night's Oscars, Pinkett Smith spoke about updates with her illness plainly. The caption read, "Mama's gonna have to take it down to the scalp so nobody thinks she got brain surgery or something. Me and this alopecia are going to be friends ... period!" In the video she shared:
"Now, at this point, I can only laugh...Y'all know I've been struggling with alopecia and just all of a sudden one day, look at this line right here. Look at that. So it just showed up like that and this is going to be a little bit more difficult for me to hide. So I thought I'd just share it so y'all are not asking any questions."
She has been working with herself to deal with her alopecia, and it is an obvious source of insecurity. Yes, Chris Rock was just making a joke which is his job, but he hit on something that is an open insecurity for the actress, one that she has spoken plainly about feeling insecure about. Furthemore, this most recent discussion of it on her Instagram is not one of someone who is completely okay with what is happening to her. It is that of someone who is learning to be.The joke hit a sore spot far too soon.
This is Not The First Joke Chris Rock Has Had About Jada
Back in 2016, Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith boycotting the Oscars. Will Smith had not been nominated for an award, one that he should have been nominated for. The mid-twenty-teens joke went as such:
"Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna's panties. I wasn't invited."
At this time, Smith and Pinkett-Smith were titular in starting the hashtag, #OscarsSoWhite, pointing out the problematically homogeneity of the awards which did not accurately give representation and opportunity to a diverse population. Rock ended his speech using his platform to bring more attention to this important movement, thereby aligning his message with that of Smith and Pinkett-Smith.
We can cast the boycotting joke up to a playful jab that ultimately resulted in a common ground agreement, but we can understand how the King Richard actor may have cataloged that in his list of number-of-times-Chris-Rock-has-made-a-joke-about-my-wife.
So, Should Will Smith Have Attacked Chris Rock?
No.
Chris Rock is a comedian. It is his job to make jokes, to lightly roast the people in the room, and keep everyone having a good time. With the nature of humor, specifically humor that makes jabs at other people, sometimes a playful jest strikes the wrong chord. Should Rock have done a little more research or run the joke by Jada and Will prior to telling it during the awards show? Yes. However, the joke was evidently not mal-intentioned or made to hurt the actress. It was an honest mistake, and it is something that could have been dealt with off-screen and without violence.
However, on the side of Will Smith, he has a first hand understanding of the struggle his wife is going through, and he immediately acted to defend her honor. While the methods were not those that many can get on board with, his devotion to his family can't be questioned.
