Thoughts About The Slap Seen Around The World
Will Smith, Chris Rock, and bad stuff everywhere.
Everyone has an opinion about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock during the Academy Awards broadcast.
Everyone includes me, so I’m sharing my thoughts.
First, violence is never justified. Full stop. No ifs, ands, or buts. As much as we would like to make excuses, produce exemptions, violence leads to more violence.
That’s how wars start, and how innocent people are hurt and killed.
If I’d been in Will’s shoes, I’d have been tempted to slap the taste of Rock’s mouth, too.
But it wouldn’t have been right for me to do it, and it wasn’t right for him.
Period.
End of one rant.
Next, Chris Rock is one of the funniest, most incisive comedians when he wants to be.
What made him think joking about someone with alopecia was clever?
Liza Minelli came out with Lady Gaga to present the Best Picture award. She was sitting in a wheelchair.
Was she fair game too? Would he have made a joke about her?
He wasn’t being funny or appropriate by making fun of Jada’s haircut because it’s a disease, not a style choice.
You have a million things you can joke about but joking about something serious that is beyond someone’s control is never, ever appropriate.
Period.
End of another rant.
Because of their foolishness, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s win for his documentary “Summer of Soul” was somewhat lost in the shuffle.
As was every subsequent Oscar.
Because one knucklehead said something stupid.
And another knucklehead compounded the reigning stupidity with more stupidity.
Period.
Third rant over.
And finally, and this is what is weighing heavy on the hearts of many Black people is that the slap reinforces every negative stereotype bigots have about us.
We can’t control our emotions.
We’re always ready to lash out, especially against other Black people.
We’re ghetto, street, ignorant…
We’ll never be perfect, and we’ll never do, say, or behave well enough to suit prejudice people, but all of us should be in the business of erasing stereotypes.
Not reinforcing them.
Period.
Last rant over.
I’m almost ticked enough right now to want to slap both Chris and Will.
Then, I would be part of the problem just as much as them.