Um, so, we’re gonna go ahead and assume that by now, you’ve seen the footage of Will Smith taking a swing at and making contact with presenter Chris Rock’s face at last night’s Academy Awards show. To be sure, this is probably the most people have talked about the Oscars in years. But, while it certainly did make for a memorable moment, it didn’t make for an acceptable one. If a guy makes a joke about your wife, that doesn’t give you the green light to walk up onto the stage and slug him.
Anyway, while a lot of people have been focusing on the punch, it’s important not to overlook what happened afterward. Because what happened afterward was striking in its own special way. We’re talking in part about Will Smith’s acceptance speech. Here are some highlights that probably got overshadowed by the whole violence thing:
First part of Wil Smith accepting Oscar, after hitting Chris Rock in the face, "I'm being called on in my life to love people."#AcademyAwards pic.twitter.com/YOtyyuAo1Z
— Heather Champion (@winningatmylife) March 28, 2022
We suppose that’s one way to look at it … he loves his wife, for sure. After all, when he openly laughed at Chris Rock’s joke and then saw that she wasn’t amused, he defended her honor by losing his own.
"I want to be a vessel for love," Will Smith #AcademyAwards pic.twitter.com/GxHqV6drTR
— Heather Champion (@winningatmylife) March 28, 2022
Will Smith should probably have a word with his fist, then.
Something else happened after the, um, incident. Something pretty remarkable. It happened after the ceremony had ended, when it was time to party:
When asked by @marcmalkin how he’s doing, Will Smith said: “It’s all love.” #VanityFairOscarParty
— Ramin Setoodeh (@RaminSetoodeh) March 28, 2022
It’s all love, baby:
https://twitter.com/RaminSetoodeh/status/1508346440321433607
https://twitter.com/RaminSetoodeh/status/1508353623641665539
https://twitter.com/RaminSetoodeh/status/1508394880074084357
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We imagine most guys would be a little shaken up after they’d punched someone who hadn’t been asking for it, but not Will Smith! No, he wasn’t about to let his own violent outburst rain on his parade. And from the looks of things, the other people at the party weren’t, either.
Must be nice, huh?
don’t let Hollywood ever preach to you about privilege again https://t.co/IIhIjjFjT8
— Matt’s Idea Shop (@MattsIdeaShop) March 28, 2022
Unless it’s celebrity privilege, maybe.
I had no idea white privilege was so inclusive
— Pimpnyomom (@Pmpnyomom) March 28, 2022
Heh.
Oscar privilege
— The name's Ben. James Ben… wait.. (@benkrake) March 28, 2022
Oh there’s privilege. Just not the way they say there is.
— LCHobbs (@lc_hobbs) March 28, 2022
Will Smith knows what he did and clearly isn’t sorry about any of it.
Zero remorse. He should be embarrassed.
— shizzle (@shizzledizzle18) March 28, 2022
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