Don’t Listen to the People Justifying Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock

The 94th Academy Awards were overshadowed by the slap heard around the world. For reasons I don’t think even Will Smith fully understands, after comedian Chris Rock, who was presenting, made a G.I. Jane joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, Smith bounded onto the stage and slapped Rock for the insult to his wife. After Smith returned to his seat, he shouted twice, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth!” Attendees at the Dolby Theater and viewers watching at home initially thought the slap was part of a bit, and they laughed. The baffling, uncomfortable truth soon sunk in: Yeah, that really happened. Will Smith just went up on stage and slapped Chris Rock. WTF?!

Pinkett Smith has alopecia, and shaved her head, as a result. Joking about someone’s physical appearance is almost never a good idea, and, when it’s linked to an underlying medical condition, it causes real pain. I don’t think Smith taking it badly is an issue for anyone. I think most people can empathize with a husband’s anger at his wife’s hurt. I didn’t expect that this would morph into a rallying cry not only of justification for Smith striking Rock, but that the act would be held up as an example of noble heroism in some circles. I didn’t expect that it would need to be said that escalating that specific situation to physical violence wasn’t anywhere near the ballpark of being the right play. Let’s not forget, everyone involved here wasn’t just at work — they were at the marquee event of their wildly lucrative, incredibly influential industry and being broadcast live on television all over the world. Surely, there’s a way to empathize with an angry spouse and still be able to identify when someone exercises intergalactically horrible judgment. Instead of discussing a historic Best Actor win for a well-loved performer, who has had a wonderful career, whether or not Smith may lose privileges with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences or even the Oscar itself are topics of conversation, because the Academy has launched a formal review into the situation.

Film may be the most collaborative art form. King Richard, the film for which Smith won Best Actor, is about a real person, Richard Williams, who is still with us. His daughters Venus and Serena — absolute game-changing superstars of professional…