Will Smith

I’m A Man

Who imagine I'm not human
And my heart is made of stone
I never had no problems
And my toilet's trimmed with chrome

Being a man does  not mean making the first slap.

The Will Smith-Chris Rock spat is being viewed by many lenses.  I would like to suggest viewing it as an example of vigilantism.  Was Chris Rock’s joke about Jada Pinkett Smith hurtful and wrong.  She has a shaven head not because she is auditioning for GI Jane, or any stylistic choice,  but because she has publicly said that she has alopecia, hair loss.  If Donald Trump’s mocking of a disabled journalist was despicable, and it was, then this “joke’ by Chris Rock was not very funny either.  Chris Rock should not even have been making such a “joke”.  It was not in his prepared and approved remarks.  He was after all, there to present an award for Best Documentary on behalf of the Academy of Motion Pictures.  None of the documentaries nominated were about Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith, GI Jane, or alopecia, so, IMHO, the ”joke” was not only NOT funny, it was inappropriate.

However Will Smith escalated Chris Rock’s offensive behavior and took it on himself.  He was in a position to reach the stage only because the stars had been given a special section in the Dolby Theater, supposedly because of COVID, and not because they need and deserve special treatment.  Chris Rock’s offense was against the Academy.  Any action should have been taken by the Academy.  Will Smith acted as a vigilante.  Whether it  is “playing the dozens”, “your mama”, or "pistols at dawn", a feud to protect one’s honor, or the honor of one's loved ones, is still a feud.   The Power of the Dog was about the dangers of toxic masculinity and revenge.  A picture released this year was the Last Duel. Might does not make right, i.e. trial by combat, whether that might is a slap, jousting, a sword, a gun, or anthrax-tainted rawhide.  The tribe decides what is right.  Taking justice into one’s own hands, makes you a vigilante, and does not prove your love.  Two wrongs never make a right.

If the special seating was due to COVID safety concerns, let us hope that the Academy will end it when the Pandemic ends.  No one should be treated so specially  that they think that their pride is more important than the group's pride.