Will Smith punching Chris Rock

[GulDukat]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gMjRS08Ujk

I just posted this in the random headline thread, but feel this deserves its own thread.

Smith should have been removed on the spot.

[Wretchedest]

I posted this in the celebrity thread but will post it here for proper discussion and maybe to amplify my story....

This was probably staged. It comes at a time when the Oscars have been desperate for attention for more than a decade, the blocking and audio are all a bit too professional.

Ableist and mysogynistic jokes slowly boil people into fascist frogs. We shouldn't tolerate them.

It's also a GI Jane joke, in a different world, we are talking about how our of touch and out of date that is.

I have a super weird Will Smith story while he is topical. My brother and I both went to (different) schools with his kids. But this other story is kind of dark and the veracity of it is hard to gauge. I lean towards believing it, mostly because of the chronology of it.

So I have this friend, J, who became a pornstar in like idk 2009/2010ish? Maybe a little later than that. He worked at one of the biggest studios in Hollywood, and as is well known, many of those pornstars also work as escorts, and ostensibly this was the case with J. One day a year or two in, he comes to my a few of us with a dilemma which is that he had been offered to sleep with Jada Pinkeyt Smith to the tune of like $20,000 to which we were all like yeah sure fuck it.

Shortly after J moved, and we weren't really sure why but just assumed he burnt out of porn. He moved to mammoth where he worked at the resort. And he seemed to be having some success there and accruing some sponsorship when suddenly, again, he moved, this time out of state to Utah, and this time he changed his name, different from his real name *and* from his porn pseudonym. And the next time we saw him, still a year or so later, he had totally changed. Unwilling to go anywhere without a gun constantly talking about people who were after him. He would tell my friend one late drunken night that it was "Will Smith's people" who were after him, on account of the Jada Pi let Smith thing. They had apparently chased him out of town from LA and then found him in mammoth. And of course this sounded outrageous but J also wasn't one for tall tails. And outrageous energetic man, but not a liar.

And the story goes that one day, his girlfriend saw him receive a mysterious phone call, after which he mysteriously shot himself.

Who's to say what happened but it's been interesting to see the weirdness between Will and Jada in the last couple years in light of that story.

[GulDukat]

This was probably staged. It comes at a time when the Oscars have been desperate for attention for more than a decade, the blocking and audio are all a bit too professional.



It seemed pretty real to me, especially their reactions.

[Wretchedest]

I'm open to the possibility that it was real, but these are actors, after all

[BRoswell]

I think calling it staged is putting the cart before the horse. People want to believe it was staged simply because the Oscars have been in trouble for a while now, and because we also live in very suspicious and cynical times. I think it's simply a case of a comedian telling a shitty joke and an actor with an ego to protect colliding. Rock also made fun of them a few years ago when they boycotted the ceremony, so unless this was some sort of elaborate scheme years in the making, I don't see it being fake. Also, as weird as Hollywood is (deeply, DEEPLY weird), doing this kind of thing simply for ratings is a bad idea. The Oscars ratings may be wayyy down from where they used to be (probably because there's better things to watch on a Sunday night these days), but people still tune in from all over the world. It's still a "big deal". People aren't tuning in for fighting though. They're tuning in for the glamour. That's why you have all these red carpet specials beforehand. People watch to see beautiful people in fancy outfits crying over a little gold statue. Faking a fight is a level that I don't think they've sunk to just yet. Give it a few years though... ;)

[Wretchedest]

This doesn't strike me as hard to stage at all. I'm not a tinfoil hat. I very much hate conspiracy theories, but shit like this has been staged before and we are talking about an event that has access to literally all of the world's greatest production talent. They can't fake a one minute viral moment? I'm sincerely having a hard time believing it was real

[Dryalex12]

https://twitter.com/DiscussingFilm/status/1508587161402105866

[BRoswell]

This doesn't strike me as hard to stage at all.

Maybe, but why do it? Again, people don't tune in to the Oscars to see this sort of thing. It still had the second lowest audience ever, and I don't see a bunch more people tuning in next year to see who gets slapped. It takes a big leap for me to believe that an institution like the Oscars would risk it all for something like this. I think people want to believe its fake because that's a more exciting story. You can see it unspool in your mind like a movie, and while I have a pretty vivid imagination, the whole thing just strikes me as too ludicrous to be possible. Also, considering all the other moves that the Oscars went through this time around (like cutting out several important categories), I don't see anyone saying "Hey, you know what would be a good idea? A FAKE FIGHT!"

[Wretchedest]

Maybe, but why do it? Again, people don't tune in to the Oscars to see this sort of thing. It still had the second lowest audience ever, and I don't see a bunch more people tuning in next year to see who gets slapped. It takes a big leap for me to believe that an institution like the Oscars would risk it all for something like this. I think people want to believe its fake because that's a more exciting story. You can see it unspool in your mind like a movie, and while I have a pretty vivid imagination, the whole thing just strikes me as too ludicrous to be possible. Also, considering all the other moves that the Oscars went through this time around (like cutting out several important categories), I don't see anyone saying "Hey, you know what would be a good idea? A FAKE FIGHT!"

You are right: people don't come to the Oscars for this sort of thing seemingly, they don't watch the Oscars at all any more and they're speaking about it in really dismissive and annoyed terms.

So they need to bring things for a different audience. Like justice league, like a viral moment that magically features two of the safest figures in celebrity. Not Kanye or Chappelle, these two guys. I guarantee you if this didn't happen the Oscars would be at like a 10,000th of the hits right now. Still, few people know or care what won best picture. Hell most people talking about this probably couldn't name the movie for which smith actually won.

[BRoswell]

like a viral moment that magically features two of the safest figures in celebrity.

Chris Rock is hardly what I would call "safe". He's had his fair share of controversy.

And again, there's a big leap between acknowledging crowd-pleasing films and feigning assault in front of a global audience. It's just a step too far for me to take it seriously.

[marodi]

Will Smith has way too much to lose to agree to be involved in a stunt like this.

He fucked up, plain and simple.

[burnmotherfucker!]

Hahaha staged?

All I know is if this shit was staged then they need to go ahead and give Will Smith another award because never have I seen a dude so completely controlled by his emotions. Like a puppet with strings.

[Wretchedest]

Will Smith has way too much to lose to agree to be involved in a stunt like this.

He fucked up, plain and simple.

Again I'm not saying I believe 100% that it was staged but like... In this world in which we live Will Smith is impervious. It's not that he has too much to lose, it's that he has too much to face consequences. And so far, he's lost nothing so I'm not really sure how this logic holds up. You think we won't be seeing another will Smith movie in the coming years? And if we don't I guess like... He still has *hundreds of millions of dollars.*

[Self.Destructive.Pattern]

All you had to do was follow Will on Instagram for a few months to acknowledge that he was flying off the rails ever since he made his insta account. It was funny for a bit until it started to feel obnoxious and like he needed the attention... I had to unfollow him after while.

Dude has been slowly becoming unhinged, and that night at the Oscars showed the culmination of it... For me at least. He hasn't really been all that impressive with his films as of lately, so throw a biopic movie in there, and here we go.

Focus
Annie
Concussion
Suicide Squad
Collateral Beauty
Aladdin
Gemini Man
Spies in Disguise
Bad Boys for Life

Talk about a line of stinkers. He doesn't seem right mentally, and maybe those are questions that should be asked.


It may not apply to everything with what Dave says in this video, but it always resonates with me. Sometimes they are simply just put through the ringer, you get odd behavior eventually.

https://youtu.be/kBX901GKPJw

Rocks reaction should give you all the evidence you need to know that it wasn't staged. So, I guess Denzel and others that talked him down after the commercials hit makes them in on it as well?

[chuckrh]

Will Smith has way too much to lose to agree to be involved in a stunt like this.

He fucked up, plain and simple.

The way things are in LA he's lucky he didn't get tasered. The LAPD aren't generally known for the their benevolence. PS: I haven't seen it. I generally avoid the celebrity worship thing & the Oscars, Grammys, etc just don't interest me.

[M1ke]

I don't understand why he wasn't escorted out though, at the very least.

The joke was out of line, but that doesn't excuse the assault.

That happens anywhere else, under any other circumstance, and the assailant is being removed by security, at the very least.

Instead, they let him stay and then gave him an award later that night? That's not right.

[chuckrh]

I don't understand why he wasn't escorted out though, at the very least.

The joke was out of line, but that doesn't excuse the assault.

That happens anywhere else, under any other circumstance, and the assailant is being removed by security, at the very least.

Instead, they let him stay and then gave him an award later that night? That's not right.

& a standing ovation.

[Wretchedest]

Of course it's for ratings, which the Oscars have been in need of for a long time. I think it would be naive to think that the people who run all of these shows are loving the attention right now. They've been drowning, whether this was staged or not this moment is a blessing for them.

To me it evokes the 2004 super bowl, where, to some extent it is widely believed that the "wardrobe malfunction" was largely stages, with some parties admitting to how it was planned. For what purpose? I'm not sure, to me the motive on that one seems *much* foggier, and nonetheless it seems it was at minimum partly intentional. http://www.femestella.com/janet-jackson-justin-timberlake-super-bowl-wardrobe-malfunction-nipple-gate-planned/

Again I'm not really in a place of firmly believing it was staged, and I'm happy to discuss it as if it wasn't, but the current candor of this conversation like *there's just no way* is ridiculous to me

[Swykk]

Have you seen Comedian Twitter?

This wasn’t fake.

[otnavuskire]

Of course it's for ratings

This seems to be the crux of your argument, and it's also where it falls apart. Ratings come from people watching the show. Something that happens in the middle of the show doesn't all of a sudden get a ton more people to start watching. If this was staged, it would not improve ratings at all, as anyone that wasn't watching to begin with would just watch the clips of the incident on twitter and youtube when everyone started posting them almost immediately after it happened. The idea that this was staged is completely absurd.

[Jinsai]

LOL, it wasn't staged. No way. Everyone thinks Will Smith is completely unhinged now, and well, I'm not going to disagree. If it was staged, they'd have made a statement clarifying that by now.

Chris Rock made a joke about his wife's shaved head. I seriously doubt he would have made it if he knew that she was dealing with an illness. It was a light hearted joke. He probably assumed she was doing it for a role.

ALSO.... this is the fastest i've seen a topic exhausted by endless lazy memes. Maybe a couple of these are funny, but everything right now is memes of this, on a level I've never seen before.

[Wretchedest]

I mean the joke is essentially "woman bald lol" with reference to a forgotten movie from the 90s. There's a lot of dimension to it's badness

[sweeterthan]

i didn’t watch the show but i did think it was staged at first. it was the first thing my husband told me that morning. i was pouring my coffee and he’s like did you see about will smith? i’m like DO NOT tell me he’s dead. we don’t even watch the oscar’s (unless trent is there then i do) so him bringing it up immediately seemed like a pr stunt gone right to me. i only read about it coz we had to get out the door so i thought i was all “team will” but later i watched the clip.

the awards show host stereotype of this age is a bully. we know they’re gonna make jokes at people’s expense and those people can’t say nothing. it’s up there in the top three reasons why i don’t watch. (1. being i don’t care and 2. i won’t see these movies for quite sometime so no spoilers).

i don’t know why physical intimidation was the route he chose. if you’re going up there, get on the mic and say you support her in sickness. why are you hitting your old colleague? wait til your speech for the award they’re going to give you and go off! i agree with everyone who says this is a sign that he’s unhinged. people like him live in vacuums. the social media response has to be a wake up call for him.

smith was out of line in action and i agree he should’ve been removed immediately…BUT i also understand how emotional we can be about our loved ones who are sick. watch someone you love go from healthy to sick. you feel helpless. you feel emotional. i do think there can be a lot of emotion in those family situations that isn’t recognized by hollywood. they’d rather make fun then actually write a funny joke that is maybe more meaningful than a diss. i don’t see it as “just a joke” because appearances to me aren’t funny. people are all doing what they can and we have no idea what any individual is dealing with inside their body. punching down is never funny to me personally.

all that to say gi jane was hot and kicked ass if i remember correctly from the one time i watched in the 90s. At first, i thought rock’s joke was misunderstood because of this but really wasn’t the movie kinda a flop? and he wasn’t saying the joke in a flattering way either. that was clear.

smith issued a well written apology. it sounds good. he apologizes to all the right people but it feels a little hollow. rich and powerful men often are able to skirt responsibility by saying sorry and not doing anything else.

people are far too dismissive with their speech. i think i’m sensitive to these things because of my own experiences with a paraplegic father. all the times in church when i was instructed to stand up and sit down next him to somehow honor the lord always felt really weird. I didn’t even learn the significance of the word “lame” until i was an adult. i stopped using it in the years before he died because i found out it was a common term for his disability when he was growing up. we never talked about it but i am glad that i stopped using that word.




ALSO.... this is the fastest i've seen a topic exhausted by endless lazy memes. Maybe a couple of these are funny, but everything right now is memes of this, on a level I've never seen before.
ha! i made a bunch of lazy memes. i rather enjoyed it. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220329/956bbfe5187a2b73e22d2deefeb7e4fb.jpeg

[botley]

It's especially weird to me because Rock wrote, produced, and appeared in this documentary called Good Hair:


a whole documentary made in 2009 about the Black hair care industry (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzd0Q1qfWPs)

...which some people credit for really bringing the 'natural hair' movement into the mainstream, exploring the multi-faceted relationship Black women have to their hair, and what it broadly signifies about their relationship to the culture at large. So I'm not exactly buying the 'he didn't know what he was saying' explanation, either.

[Jinsai]

I mean the joke is essentially "woman bald lol" with reference to a forgotten movie from the 90s. There's a lot of dimension to it's badness

That's why I would actually just call the "joke" lazy. I don't think it was intended to be a deep dig. It was just low-hanging fruit. I think he was riffing on the fly and made a dumb dig that he thought was harmless. It wasn't, it obviously upset Jada Smith, but that's where it just went off the rails. If none of this violent drama had ensued, chances are nobody would have revisited the moment at all. Now it's the biggest moment in Oscar history.

[marodi]

Why Smith was not removed: https://variety.com/2022/film/news/why-will-smith-wasnt-ejected-from-oscars-chris-rock-slap-1235217098/?fbclid=IwAR3Blj-razidEUnJV41diLwT8mXaYc1blHDto-94Ix1lJ3IBdqAnRks-MtQ

As for why he was still given the Oscar: seriously? What do you think should have happend? Samuel L. Jackson opens the envelope and says, "Well, the Oscar goes to Will Smith but we're not going to give it to him because he's a motherfucker."?

Skip the category entirely?

Give the Oscar to someone else? This is not Miss America, where there is a runner up. Maybe they could have looked at the other four nominees and go eeny, meeny, miny, moe? Or just say "heck, let's just give it to Denzel who is an absolutely upstanding Black man!"

Will Smith was always going to get the golden naked dude.

For the record, my favorite wtf moment of all time happened at the Grammys


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OeNKBq63iM

Nothing fazes Bob Dylan, bitches!

[Jinsai]

everyone else had their live feed interrupted in a completely bizarre way that felt like your DVR was glitching out, right?

[cdm]

everyone else had their live feed interrupted in a completely bizarre way that felt like your DVR was glitching out, right?

In the US market they dumped the audio for the few seconds immediately following…is that what you mean? I think the video feed was uninterrupted throughout.

[Jinsai]

the video and audio on mine went nuts. Maybe just a crazy coincidence. My internet has been spotty

[allegro]

https://youtu.be/8KeOxeuiZjs

[Jinsai]

might have been because we were watching from a rewound point in the broadcast. As soon as Will Smith slapped him it went nuts. Was also via Hulu's TV streaming thing, so maybe that's part of it

and yeah, that Moonlight screwup is pretty close in shock value, but in a different way I guess. That was actually really tragic, to see these people think they'd all achieved this thing only to have it taken away from them. Then to see the winners come and accept their reward in that context. It was really screwed up.

[botley]

Why Smith was not removed: https://variety.com/2022/film/news/why-will-smith-wasnt-ejected-from-oscars-chris-rock-slap-1235217098/ (https://variety.com/2022/film/news/why-will-smith-wasnt-ejected-from-oscars-chris-rock-slap-1235217098/?fbclid=IwAR3Blj-razidEUnJV41diLwT8mXaYc1blHDto-94Ix1lJ3IBdqAnRks-MtQ)
Well, the last line of that article says it all. Weinstein and Polanski still have all their Oscars.

[Erneuert]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdofcQnr36A (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DdofcQnr36A)

[TheBang]

smith issued a well written apology. it sounds good. he apologizes to all the right people but it feels a little hollow. rich and powerful men often are able to skirt responsibility by saying sorry and not doing anything else.
It says all the right things, but it's also clearly wordsmith'd by his PR team. I doubt he actually feels the remorse expressed in the apology and would not have issued it if not for the need to try to damage control his reputation.

[Erneuert]

The amount of YouTube memes appearing is lol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUeDniAREes (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WUeDniAREes)

[mfte]

https://memestatic.fjcdn.com/large/pictures/8a/7a/8a7ac4_9449632.jpghttps://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/002/336/024/c31.jpg

[GulDukat]

It says all the right things, but it's also clearly wordsmith'd by his PR team. I doubt he actually feels the remorse expressed in the apology and would not have issued it if not for the need to try to damage control his reputation.

I doubt he wrote it or had anything to do with it.

[Jinsai]

ok, this one is good....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVnz2v1CPKw

[elevenism]

It's Will's acceptance speech that makes me think it's 100% real.
He was crying, and relating everything to being pissed off at Chris Rock: it kind of sounded like "my character would have done it," with a dash of "i'm real fucking crazy as of late."
These speeches are forever. I really doubt he wanted his acceptance speech to be remembered in that manner.

Also, i've screamed "keep my girl's name out of your fucking mouth" and "keep my name out yer fucking mouth," in moments of SEVERE ego driven anger.
I know that feeling, and loss of control. It's like your manhood is being tested, or some dumb shit like that, and you have Random Temporary Testosterone Rage Syndrome.
It was just too real.

I think the only way this was staged is if we're talking hardcore conspiracy theory, like illuminati/masonic "humiliation ritual," which is KIND of tinfoil hat territory.
Edit: i just searched and, holy fuck, people are actually saying that (https://www.reddit.com/r/Qult_Headquarters/comments/trflvl/will_smith_performed_a_freemason_hand_signal/)'s what happened. :P

But i mean, even if someone was going with THAT insanely improbable hypothesis, well, i'm a huge Chris Rock fan, and i've heard him speak against fraternities and old boys clubs on more than one occasion. Therefore, I don't see any chance of him participating in any weird masonic thing.

This shit was real.

Big Willy is in an odd place, emotionally, i think,

[sweeterthan]

after reading this thread yesterday, i came to the conclusion that people think it’s stage because smith wasn’t removed from the event.

(and probably because it happened on tv)

we’ve all been at an event where the violent asshole gets thrown out. its the norm for that situation. so dumb that no one thought to get him out only coz they’re sticking to the script.

[Jinsai]

I think it's just that we're all conditioned to watching these things go along as (strictly) planned. This goes for any "cordial event" like a fundraiser or anything like that, especially a show that is known to play jokes on the audience. If someone had done this to Ricky Gervais after one of his really heavy insults during his hosting the Golden Globes, everyone would have run to the same first conclusion; that must have been staged.

It's immediately easier to believe that it was staged than to think that Will Smith has that little self control, but just because that seems (for whatever reason) more believable doesn't make it true.

[d1stinct]

I don't care if it was staged or not, I also don't care if he was escorted out, tasered, whatever, doesn't really matter. What matters is, IMO, is that his reaction was appropriate, Chris made a joke about his wife, Will gets defensive for his wife, Will decides he needs to do something about it, Will gets up and decides a nice slap on the face is appropriate for someone making jokes about his wife, if I was WIll Smith, I might've done the same thing, or maybe I would have snatched the mic out of his hand and told Chris off, I dunno, but I think Will is fine for slapping the shit out of Chris Rock, lol.

[Erneuert]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25Tt-tAGKEo (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=25Tt-tAGKEo)

[Jinsai]

so, apparently this just broke, that the Academy asked Will Smith to leave the event, and Smith refused.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/30/movies/will-smith-chris-rock-slap-oscars.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&fbclid=IwAR0Una_0Ll43ksNyW-1Pci3CGxHnlM6oe-0YrSukGsMjjtxX7zfiv38kKu8

[marodi]

Edit: Jinsai beat me to it. Oh the pun!

Also: I can't type to save my life today. Woe is me!

[elevenism]

... his reaction was appropriate, Chris made a joke about his wife, ... if I was WIll Smith, I might've done the same thing...

I mean, I feel you? That's how I was raised: if someone disrespects your wife/mother/sister, you smack the shit out of them.

But I've been trying REALLY hard to avoid acting that way for the past 10-15 years.
It's best to let things ride for several reasons, one of them being that, especially these days, that sort of behavior can send you to county jail for a hot minute.

More importantly, it's just better for everyone in general. It would be better if people didn't beat other people over words.
I feel like I've seen society evolve in that direction little by little in my lifetime, and it's nice.

That sort of old school attitude is the reason these alleged space aliens keep dropping by, but not introducing themselves: they're probably thinking "good god, I sure wouldn't wanna KICK it with those motherfuckers!'

[sweeterthan]

i can’t see the article because of the paywall but it’s still so strange that security wasn’t an issue for him.

[marodi]

i can’t see the article because of the paywall but it’s still so strange that security wasn’t an issue for him.

Try this https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/will-smith-chris-rock-academy-disciplinary-proceedings-1235122743/

I'm thinking they did not want to escalate things. I don't think he'll be back at the Oscars anytime soon... if ever.

[Erneuert]

https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/video-of-will-smith-warning-tv-host-after-he-called-wife-jada-beautiful-resurfaces/news-story/d8b129f6a6ccd8a4230c352005578e10

Video of Will Smith warning TV host after he called wife Jada ‘beautiful’ resurfacesA 2010 interview of Will Smith on a Spanish talk show has emerged on Twitter – warning the TV presenter to be careful what he says about his wife Jada.

[ickyvicky]

^^ sheesh

[Self.Destructive.Pattern]

A tad off topic, but this wasn't televised?? Still cannot believe this was his first as well.

https://twitter.com/people/status/1508227373170319361?t=IEvDZWNBMLGM0D9JsmhoBQ&s=19

[Jinsai]

Has anyone brought up the time that Will Smith slapped some guy who was a sort of Sascha Baron Cohen character for kissing him on the cheek?
I don't even know how to look this one up right now, but this was some big deal, and Will Smith smacked the guy in the face.
Also, Donald Trump applauded that moment and thought it was "great."

Meanwhile, I'm just going to say... I've always thought Will Smith sucked, his movies suck, that stupid television show sucked, his hip hop super sucked, and as someone who worked in a karaoke bar, "Parents Just Don't Understand" is the shittiest thing that has ever happened to mankind. Fuck him, I see nothing redeeming about him or his stupid bullshit, and I don't get why he's this national treasure, when really he can eat shit and fuck off forever and my world would be slightly improved.

EDIT: Here it is, promoting MIB3... Can someone tell me why we all loved this fucking guy? All his movies suck, all his music sucks, everything about him SUCKS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXNm28b_2I4

[Volband]

To think that it was staged is the most (not a typo) illogical logical thing to do. It's logical, because it's the Oscars and it's two actors, but illogical, because unlike with the already mentioned nip-slip at the superbowl, it would have been terribly staged. The curses are muted, so the Jerry Springer effect is gone. The confrontation ends immediately, when you could have had them faking some weak ass shove and pull where security has to intervene. Chris would not have been slapped as hard if this was staged. The guy got teary eyed from the adrenaline and said no zingers afterwards; why would you stage a confrontation then leave your "protagonist" hanging?

Not to mention that Will is everything but fine mentally at the moment, and he has some seriously unhealthy relationship with his wife. Will was either fine or at least pretending to be fine with the joke first, then Jada, like some dog handler popped him off. There is a video where you can even see Jada cheering for the slap. If this was staged then it would've been showed on the main cam as well; but it wasn't, Jada is just like a piece of shit, similar to Will.

[elevenism]

...
Meanwhile, I'm just going to say... I've always thought Will Smith sucked, his movies suck, that stupid television show sucked, his hip hop super sucked, and as someone who worked in a karaoke bar, "Parents Just Don't Understand" is the shittiest thing that has ever happened to mankind. Fuck him, I see nothing redeeming about him or his stupid bullshit, and I don't get why he's this national treasure, when really he can eat shit and fuck off forever and my world would be slightly improved...


WHOA whoa whoa. I say goddamn, @Jinsai (https://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=272) . Will and Jeff were hip-hop pioneers.

I can see not liking Parents Just Don't Understand, but Brand New Funk and Here We Go Again, for instance, are tracks i've been listening to on a regular basis since i was seven years old.

Acting is debatable, sure. And he's obviously got some nasty personality traits.

But you can't take away his contributions to hip hop, and his place in the history of the culture. I mean, arguably, Jeff was the most important part of this equation- ever see him at a old school massive at 3am or whatever? And it's Jazzy Jeff (and the Fresh Prince), not the other way around.

But still, it was Will on the mic, who hyped the whole.thing up.

I've been loving this shit for 35 years.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XLFan3A6Pb4


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u68UmIY0lFQ

[allegro]

everything about him SUCKS

I really loved Will Smith in "Six Degrees of Separation" and "Independence Day" (the latter I've seen at least 20 times).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K8E1kOHMGA

I also like Gettin' Jiggy Wit it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JcmQONgXJM

[botley]

I also like Gettin' Jiggy Wit it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JcmQONgXJM
Best thing I can say for that song is that King Crimson made an excellent, if facetious, use of the title:

https://youtu.be/W4rSR3zCA5k

[Erneuert]

He’s actually coming across a lot like Russell Crowe did with the anger/attitude.

FOIGHTIN’ ROUND THE WERLD!

[elevenism]

He’s actually coming across a lot like Russell Crowe did with the anger/attitude.

FOIGHTIN’ ROUND THE WERLD!

LOLZ. Oh shit, man. That made my day. :p

Makin' movies, writin' song and foightin' round the werld!

Also, @botley (https://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=469) , there ain't nothing wrong with Gettin' Jiggy With It.

And even if you don't like it, you can add the fact that it spawned this priceless scene in Next Friday to your list of good things about it.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yVlOitZ19Wc

[Erneuert]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--lQFq7XYYA (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=--lQFq7XYYA)

[Erneuert]

Next Saw film - Chris Rock casts someone with Will Smith’s likeness and puts them in the goriest trap imaginable, lol.

[MrLobster]

I've been loving this shit for 35 years.

I really like that album as well... aside from the homophobia crowd interaction bullshit.

[Erneuert]

https://youtu.be/5DavUkWfR7U

[elevenism]

I really like that album as well... aside from the homophobia crowd interaction bullshit. yeeeah, well, dude, i'm a long ass way from homophobic. I'm not exactly straight.

The thing is, it was 1987.

If we're gonna retroactively get upset about every 35 or 45 or 55 year old movie or record that features a touch of homophobia, we're throwing the baby out with the bathwater, I think.

[MrLobster]

The thing is, it was 1987.

If we're gonna retroactively get upset about every 35 or 45 or 55 year old movie or record that features a touch of homophobia, we're throwing the baby out with the bathwater, I think.

It's more acknowledging that was fucked up then and now... like, imagine recommending that album to someone else who isn't exactly straight and you didn't give them a heads up nowadays... a shitty thing to do at the very least. And I like the album, a lot (first had it on cassette and eventually it was eaten but now I have it on 'o' vinyl and I'm happy with that).

[Erneuert]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix6z1mihsrI (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ix6z1mihsrI)

[Erneuert]

00:53 seconds in, I lost it. ickyvicky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl95U4_wVAA (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kl95U4_wVAA)

[marodi]

Jinsai Oh come on now, how can you hate Men in Black? This movie will never not be funny, like the fart sounds on April's Fool. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones were so great together and for God's sake, they were looking for a bug in an Edgar suit!


https://youtu.be/vvWUlUrWOCg

[Erneuert]

Breaking news: Will Smiths resigns from the academy.

[marodi]

Breaking news: Will Smiths resigns from the academy.

Yep and his statement sounds more contrite than the one he posted Monday. https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/01/entertainment/will-smith-resigns-from-academy/index.html?utm_term=link&utm_content=2022-04-01T23%3A22%3A52&utm_medium=social&utm_source=fbCNN&fbclid=IwAR28igBc-8zz4U0C298ZXXnlqByhmFYTcdXpwZwOgumYUEcnN0H-Kne7lkM

[Frozen Beach]

I don't really want Will Smith's career to be ruined. Honestly, never been a huge fan of his career post Fresh Prince. I just wish he would have been treated like any non rich celebrity following the assault. Also, there are reports he was never asked to leave despite the Academy claims.

[Volband]

I don't really want Will Smith's career to be ruined. Honestly, never been a huge fan of his career post Fresh Prince. I just wish he would have been treated like any non rich celebrity following the assault. Also, there are reports he was never asked to leave despite the Academy claims.
Either way, it's a bad look for the academy. Even if they asked and he did say no, as the organizer of the event, you can't just say "oh, okay then, carry on!" I'd personally take a slap over seeing that no one gives a shit about me getting assaulted and having to carry on to host their show. I guess if Will was not going to win the award, he would've been escorted.

[WorzelG]

Hmm I wonder if you asked everyone in the Academy now to resign if they had done something on the same level or worse than a slap in the face, how many would be left? Not many I bet. Even the title of this thread is an overreaction, he didn’t even punch him

[cdm]

He physically assaulted a fellow member of an organization during a nationally televised event. Punch, slap, kick...it literally doesn't matter. Resign or be kicked out. He had enough sense to do the former. Keep the award...congrats and good luck. But the whataboutism hot takes are really something.

[elevenism]

It's more acknowledging that was fucked up then and now... like, imagine recommending that album to someone else who isn't exactly straight and you didn't give them a heads up nowadays... a shitty thing to do at the very least. And I like the album, a lot (first had it on cassette and eventually it was eaten but now I have it on 'o' vinyl and I'm happy with that).

I hear you, man.
And perhaps, you need to be careful with whom you share such things, depending on what they're going through.
I definitely understand what you're getting at.

But I will also say that I, personally, have thickened my skin over the years.

It's just, man, that shit is gonna come up in hip hop. It's a hyper masculine genre.
Things are changing now, what with Lil Nas X, Frank Ocean, Tyler the Creator, Cazwell, ILoveMakkonen, DJ Mister Cee, etc... some of these cats are massive. And that's fucking awesome.

But if you're into hip hop, you're gonna hear some homophobic stuff.

[elevenism]

Check this out:

So if you have a Roku box, or a Roku TV, you know how there's always that three row by two column ad to the right of your channels?

Well, right now, it's an ad for The Fresh Prince of Bel Air on HBOmax, for just $9.99 a month!

Good god. That's fucking shameless :p

[MrLobster]

Just so I have this clear in my head...

Rock got romantically rejected by Jada in the late 90s and ever since then has been "making jokes" at her and Will's expense? Toxic Masculinity, not just for slapping people.

[Erneuert]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcHy_ZwuSAs (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JcHy_ZwuSAs)

[ickyvicky]

Will Smith admitted into rehab
https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/celebrities/2022/04/06/624db4dbe2704e5ea68b458d.html

[otnavuskire]

I'm not convinced that rehab story is real. Not being reported by any proper news outlets that I can find.

[GulDukat]

Behind the scenes at the award show. (https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-04-07/will-smith-oscars-slap-timeline-chris-rock?fbclid=IwAR3xhc79BC62WIin_geukNnPPs56a02z1LgP vBV5SVp1P0xQoerlMEz29tM)

[tony.parente]

Behind the scenes at the award show. (https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-04-07/will-smith-oscars-slap-timeline-chris-rock?fbclid=IwAR3xhc79BC62WIin_geukNnPPs56a02z1LgP vBV5SVp1P0xQoerlMEz29tM)
There's a paywall. Any way around it?

[botley]

There's a paywall. Any way around it?
Install the appropriate browser extension. There are a couple that remove them.

[GulDukat]

Behind the scenes at the award show. (https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-04-07/will-smith-oscars-slap-timeline-chris-rock?fbclid=IwAR3xhc79BC62WIin_geukNnPPs56a02z1LgP vBV5SVp1P0xQoerlMEz29tM)
You can read it for about five seconds, so just disconnect from the internet as soon as it loads. I do that for Rolling Stone.

[GulDukat]

There's a paywall. Any way around it? You can read it for about five seconds, so just disconnect from the internet as soon as it loads. I do that for Rolling Stone.

[october_midnight]

Big ups to the 'shit was staged!' stalwarts.

https://twitter.com/JonLemire/status/1512505820751319044

[scorpiusdiamond]

This doesn’t mean he can’t get nominated though does it? Just that he can’t attend…

[marodi]

This doesn’t mean he can’t get nominated though does it? Just that he can’t attend…

Yes.

Although I think it will take time before we see him in a movie again; unless he has projects that are already completed and in post production.

On another note, I'm going to try my best to remember that Oscar night not for the man whose unresolved traumas drove him to almost completely destroy his career but for the wonderful Lady Gaga who was so caring and protective of the ailing legend Liza Minnelli.

"I got you".

[allegro]

I’m gonna remember it for all the “Coda” wins and the audience “applauding” in ASL.

And when when “Minari” Best Supporting Actress winner Youn Yuh-Jung learned how to sign Troy Kotsur's name in case he won so she could announce his Best Supporting Actor win for CODA in ASL, that made me cry.

https://youtu.be/H4Gu0kQV5gU


I’m also going to remember it for Questlove and his team winning for “Summer of Soul.” Which is SUCH a great film.

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

[marodi]

And Youn Yu-Jung was so funny too when she said that she used to complain about how people were mispronouncing her name. She's delightful.

Troy joking about teaching bad words in ASL to President Joe and Dr Jill and being kept in check by Marlee!

I very much enjoyed the " We don't talk about Bruno" number.

And the tributes to Sydney Poitier, Ivan Reitman and Betty White were great too. Btw, John Travolta ended up adopting the puppy JLC had with her.

There was a lot of good bits that night.

[Jazzkokehead]

I’m gonna remember it for all the “Coda” wins and the audience “applauding” in ASL.

And when when “Minari” Best Supporting Actress winner Youn Yuh-Jung learned how to sign Troy Kotsur's name in case he won so she could announce his Best Supporting Actor win for CODA in ASL, that made me cry.

https://youtu.be/H4Gu0kQV5gU

That was quite beautiful, thank you for bringing that to my attention. I don't generally pay attention to the Oscars, and I wish Will Smith's BS hadn't ended up overshadowing genuine moments like this.

[Volband]

https://youtu.be/ti8bE-_Ci7A

Yeah... I see healthier relationships in 90 days fiancé. No wonder the dude is a mess.

[allegro]

https://youtu.be/ti8bE-_Ci7A

Yeah... I see healthier relationships in 90 days fiancé. No wonder the dude is a mess.

Yeah, I gotta say, I never even post an IG pic without TELLING my partner and asking his consent. Ever. ESPECIALLY about what THEY’RE talking about: Their fucking MARRIAGE COUNSELOR, FFS.

Everyone is already associating Jada with the term “entanglements” because of some kind of “open marriage” relationship she decided to have, when Will Smith didn’t seem to know. Then Will Smith had to give public statements after the shit hit the fan and it affected him, “our marriage isn’t a prison” stuff to cover for Jada. I’m all about protecting women and sticking with women, but Jada says and does weird shit.

I still can't get over the time she and Will were on this big final Oprah show extravaganza in Chicago at, like, the United Center, on stage, and Jada takes the mic and says:

“I know you don't have children of your own, but you have mothered millions. And I just want to tell you that right now, Mama, that puts you in the status of a goddess."

And Oprah looked over at her like what actual the fuck?!?!

(Oprah actually DID give birth to a baby in her teens after having been sexually abused by a relative; the baby died two weeks later. Never mind that Jada just tried to lower Oprah on the woman totem pole for not having kids, but gave her a consolation prize for TV goddess mom.)

Oprah interviewed Will Smith (https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/will-smith-oprah-interview-jada-pinkett-b1952638.html):


In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Smith said that a low point in their marriage was after his wife’s 40th birthday party, which he spent three years planning and she disliked.

The Men in Black star told Winfrey: “We realised that it was a fantasy illusion that we could make each other happy. We agreed that she had to make herself happy and I had to make myself happy.”

Let’s take bets on when Will and Jada get divorced.

[elevenism]

Those are lovely sentiments marodi and allegro .

And do forgive my plebian nature, but, to be honest, i'm gonna remember that ceremony as the night that Willard Smith permanently changed the meaning of "Big Willy Style."

e.g., "man, this guy won't stop talking shit about my mother. I might just have to go Big Willy Style on his ass!"

[allegate]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMISJhdv1wg

stealing top comment:

Ryan wrote, filmed, edited, and posted an entire Pitch Meeting just to troll Will Smith.