“All I can say is that it was really sad,” said Oscar co-host Amy Schumer. “It says so much about race, about toxic masculinity. It was just everything and really upsetting.”
Comedian Wanda Sykes, another co-host, told talk show host, Ellen, the following day that she was still traumatized. “I became physically ill by what had transpired.”
And still, after the shock for everyone, Chris Rock apologized. I’m so sorry, he said. This was supposed to be your night, and now it’s all about this.”
On ‘Conversations with Al McFarlane Thursday and Friday’s Healing Circle, opinions varied. My K.C. childhood friend and classmate, retired Atlanta attorney, Kamau King was emphatic. “Will was wrong on all counts. And I think we’re spending too much time discussing !!”
Dr. Irma McClaurin, presented another perspective. “The media is going to focus on the negative when it comes to Black people. They are desperate to get the headlines as there are now so many other venues and platforms where we can get up-to-date news. When we pull an inappropriate act, as was the case of the event on Oscar night, it becomes the collective flaws of a people. When it comes to accomplishing great feats, it’s an individual success. Understand that the notion of democracy is clearly under attack. We’ve created an atmosphere where people react rather than think and act.”
I think my long time Northern California dear friend shared my view although I only saw ‘the slap heard around the world’ on news clips. I was watching re-runs of Perry Mason during the award show airing, having boycotted since Denzel and Hallie got best actor awards for their ‘not the best’ performances. Too many superb movies featuring BIPOC actors continued to be ignored and never celebrated. Judgments on the talented and highly respected actor ranged from violence never being okay and now we want to know why our children are so violent if there are no parents talking, telling their children this was wrong and definitely unfair to the three female co-hosts who had worked hard helping to put a great show together, to toxic masculinity, racism, and the rich and famous not suffering consequences.
This very brazen, vehement act somewhat solidifies ‘their’ opinion of the ‘angry Black woman’. And now ‘they’ will add another layer – the ‘angry Black man’ coupled with Black-on-Black hatred leading to killings and families broken, a hell ‘they’ continue to orchestrate and perpetuate. No matter how we look at it, there will surely be many more of ‘them’ looking at Blacks in a different and not so favorable manner.” The truth of the matter is we generally don’t have the privilege to do the things ‘they’ do and get away with it.
And so now, the dominoes have fallen on Will Smith even after his resignation from the Academy board and what I considered a very sincere apology, perhaps a little too late. I applaud Rock on how he managed to move on and so did the show. For some, the shock never wore off. The actions from industry executives were immediate. Contracts with Smith were paused indefinitely or cancelled. Sony stopped the active development and beginning production stages of the much anticipated ‘Bad Boys 4’. Netflix cancelled an upcoming project, ‘Fast and Loose’, and Smith’s project ‘Emancipation’ for Apple Plus is no longer heading to the editing room, at least not now. It was due to debut this year.
Hollywood publicist Michael Levine believes Smith has deeply damaged his career as a result of his actions at the Oscars, according to CBC. Forbes Magazine box office analyst Scott Mendelson went further in saying Smith had destroyed ‘a carefully crafted 30-year image of approachable, harmless, and always-on movie star charisma’.
In a recent article in ‘Medium’ entitled ‘Will Smith Reminds Us Violence is an Option’, journalist Benjamin Sledge asks, when is violence acceptable? When fighting human traffickers? Someone stealing your child? Russian soldiers invading your homeland? Taking out Nazis running concentration camps? Can we all agree? Smith’s act of violence should not be compared to these examples, Weinstein, or Cosby, but it was inappropriate.
“If we are brutally honest, every adult entertains violent thoughts. We’ve just learned how to control them. But given the right scenario, like Will Smith, violent emotion and passion may erupt and spill to the surface. It reminds me of a phrase repeated throughout the HBO miniseries, West World. ‘These violent delights have violent ends.’ The phrase originates from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. In the tragedy, Romeo gushes to Friar Lawrence about Juliet’s beauty. Lawrence cautions Romeo that his violent (i.e. rash) passions may result in an equally violent end.” Today, Smith knows that to be true.
McClaurin reminds us of all the good the Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation has done for their community and so many others under the radar. “Few knew they would show up at area middle and high schools talking about careers in the arts and entertainment industry and mentoring so many deserving youths.” The foundation has inspired $560 million in donor commitments to their partner, ‘Education Can’t Wait.’ Let’s pray the youth will not have to suffer for someone else’s mistake. I would forecast the wait and the healing might take a while. Those who were hurt directly and indirectly need time. The Smith family needs time to figure out their next steps. The first step is not hiding under a rock. Perhaps QuestLove, drummer and joint frontman with (Black Thought) for hip hop band, the Roots said it best. “Can we FINNNNNNNALLY stop talking about it and move on?” I don’t think so, my talented brother. There’s a pungent smell in the air that is too heavy for the wind to blow away.
