Opinions are like @$$%&*+es, everybody's got one and here's mine related to the Sunday, March 27th, 2022, Oscar incident and undoubtedly "the greatest night in the history of television":
I feel like I can contribute unique perspectives to this colossally embarrassing and unfortunate event, such as Will Smith's slap that was executed flawlessly using a combination of street fighting and professional boxing techniques which Will Smith is well versed in. As Will Smith approaches an unsuspecting Chris Rock, he looks down momentarily to divert attention from what's about to materialize. This is a classic sucker-punch disguise used in street fights. Then, rather than wind up his pimp-slapping arm similar to the preparation of a hook punch in boxing, he launches the attack in a straight line to Chris Rock's jaw, thereby minimizing Chris Rock's reaction time in evading the slap. Up to this point, Will Smith is utilizing street fighting techniques; divert attention and disguise strike. After the contact, however, Will Smith torques his body at the hips and shoulder joints in the follow through, which generates more power than just the arm movement alone. This is classic boxing follow-through of a hook. In his autobiography, Will Smith alluded to multiple street fights growing up and as an adult during his DJ Jazzy Jeff hay days, and his intense near 2-year boxing training for the movie "Ali" at the hands of legendary boxing trainer Darrell Foster who trained multi-weight class boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard for 18 years.
I wouldn't consider myself a fan of Will Smith's prior to this mishap. I've enjoyed many of his movies, and I would put him in the same cohort as Tom Cruise - don't care about Tom Cruise's whack job Scientology beliefs and proclamations, but his acting is impeccable, and many of his movies delightful. I read Will Smith's autobiography, "Will", and hugely enjoyed it, although slightly disappointed about entire experiences that were left out, e.g. details about his open marriage.
I've always wondered why Will and particularly, his wife Jada, feel compelled to discuss their personal lives publicly. After all, they're not like the talentless Kardashians whose only game is to expose their bickering and embarrassing moments. In a November 23, 2020 interview, Barbara Walters told the Kardashians, "You are often described as famous for being famous. You don't really act, you don't sing, you don't dance, you don't have any, forgive me, ANY TALENT!" Why oh why, Will Smith, and particularly Jada Pinket Smith with your Red Table tell-all talk show, must you confide to the world your inner most secrets and personal experiences? After all, Will Smith, you CAN sing, you CAN dance, and you CAN act! You can not only do these things, but you are extraordinary at them, and you have made a fortune doing them; Will Smith's net worth is $350M according to Celebrity Networth. Why do the Kardashian thing? Why act so publicity-starved? Is it because you're so fabulous, you can't share enough of yourself with the world?
In his autobiography, "Will", Will Smith agonized over his cowardly behavior as his father repeatedly unleashed verbal and physical abuse on his mother.
Will Smith, you're still a coward for knowing full well before you assaulted Chris Rock he wouldn't fight back. Will Smith, I'm willing to bet if Dwayne Johnson had uttered the GI Jane joke in Chris' stead you wouldn't have dared to do to Johnson what you did to Chris Rock. Will Smith, you're also a comedian, and you know full well comedians take risks with their material, and should be largely unrestrained. It matters not that Chris Rock's joke was in poor taste and not well received by Jada Pinket Smith. It also matters not what history you and Jada Pinket Smith had with Chris Rock's past comments in another Oscar and elsewhere. Will Smith, there was no reasonable justification for what you did to Chris Rock. To think how outsized an ego you'd have to possess to pull off a stunt like that in front of a world audience is bewildering!
And when Will Smith sat down, the spineless Academy couldn't muster enough courage to remove him from the show. They're just like you Will Smith, cowards. And when Denzel Washington and others approached you and consoled you for the assault, who went to Chris Rock??? Chris Rock was assaulted and the perpetrator gets all the sympathy and consolations?! The only reason I can think of that led to so many people behaving in such strange and unexpected ways is because the assault was so shocking, no one could think straight, and everyone was scrambling to diffuse a monstrously shocking and embarrassing situation. And in the process, everyone succumbed to their biases, which is to be deferential to the larger star. Where was the Academy security if there was one?
And after Will Smith apologized during his Oscar acceptance speech, there was no mention of Chris Rock, but the next day - likely after consulting with his life coach, therapist, publicity company and who knows who else, Will Smith issued a personal apology to Chris Rock that can only be thought of as anything but genuine. The empire of Will Smith is under distress. Will Smith, you're a "Bad Boy", and you must be held to account for your actions on the night of March 27th, 2022, the 94th Academy Awards. Let's hope the Academy reacts justly. Do the right thing Academy!
Lastly, Will Smith, please revert to silence about your personal life, like how you were when you made quality movies and the world didn't hear about much else. And yes, you are a "work in progress", but hopefully the "progress" is not the forward motion of your hand en route to someone's unsuspecting face.
Thank you Will Smith, and I hope you come out a better man after this, because the devil DID come for you on that Oscar night at your highest moment, and if you weren't a legend before that night, you certainly have earned the title "I Am Legend" with flying colors. You were certainly true to your word when you wrote on Instagram before the show, "Me 'n @jadapinketsmith got all dressed up to choose chaos".
And here's the chaos you chose.
