Perspective: Love Will Make You Do Crazy Things

March 28, 2022April 5, 2022 News Room

March 28, 2022 | By Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie |

The Oscar fiasco has marred a beautiful evening. If you have not heard of the bizarre incident, that happened at Motion Picture’s red carpet event last night Sunday March 27, 2022.

Slapped

Acclaimed black comedian Chris Rock had just cracked a joke about the shaved head of noted black actor Will Smith’s wife. The joke went over well, but in a flash Will Smith went on stage and smacked Chris Rock in the face in front of a live world audience numbering in the millions. Chris Rock did not react nor did he smack Will back in retaliation. He exercised admirable self-control.

Sensitivity

This most unfortunate incident has cast a cloud over this premiere event which is attended and viewed by a worldwide television and related media audience. It is unfortunate that violence was elevated to this high level. Will Smith lost it for a moment.

Apology

Smith later apologized to the Academy but failed to apologize to Chris Rock. Many have been arguing on social media and elsewhere that it was insensitive for Chris Rock to have cracked a joke about Will Smith’s wife who is suffering from a medical condition that has made her hair drop out. She has shaved off same for most likely uniformity and style.

“Love Will make you do crazy things“

This is the sum total of Will Smith’s apology. Has he taken full responsibility for his distasteful, demeaning, despicable, damaging and disgraceful conduct to say the least.

Commentary

It is fair game for jokes to be made of celebrities and even the common humankind on the street. It is hoped that we would look at a clean joke on a broad minded way. It is beyond me that someone in the public eye as Will Smith would have disgraced himself so publicly.

Chris Rock is a comedian and this is how comedians exercise their craft.

Emprezz Golding, broadcaster, journalist, and personality extraordinaire has said on her live show “Every Woman” on Monday March 28, 2022. on Nationwide News Network (NNN). She said inter alia:

“We must know how we react and counteract. You cannot tell a comedian how to operate. Whoever said Will Smith has every right to have reacted in such a manner … well”

“It is when you are at a highest level that the devil appears”

Denzel Washington reacting to Will Smith’s action of smacking Chris Rock on stage on live TV.

Empress Golding also said inter alia:

“When we reacted in such a manner we are playing in the hands of those who feel that we black people are unable to conduct ourselves properly. They don’t want to have us around.”

Concluded Talk Show host, broadcaster and journalist.

Self-control

What about self-control my brother? We have been complaining that people of colour have been sidelined as it relates to getting awards. If we do not known how to exercise self-control then we will be seen as social outcasts and will not be recognized as people of worth. This most unfortunate incident has set back the image of people of colour.

Best Actor

Will Smith at the same Oscar event 2022 got an Oscar Award as a best actor in King Richard.

Reacting to the incident Ms. Britney Clarke, entertainment journalist and Social Media guru said in this exclusive interview with Vision newspaper.

“I believe Will Smith takes the bigger laugh on the night. Whether or not he and Jada were offended by the joke, becoming physical was not necessary.

Chris Rock has also expressed that he was unaware of Jada’s condition, and sources close to him say his joke was innocent and intended to cause no harm.

I believe Will Smith overreacted and he should apologize publicly to Chris Rock.”

So stated Brithney Clarke in her own words.

Will Smith’s wife has Alopecia disease. This disease leads to hair loss.”

Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie is a poet, elegist, author, and author who writes for Vision newspaper.