Here Is a Story All About How My Life got Flipped Turned Upside Down

This year's Oscars Award Ceremony was one to remember. Mid ceremony, Will Smith came onto stage unannounced and slapped Chris Rock after what some are saying was a controversial joke. 

To briefly go over exactly what happened for those who don’t know, Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pickett Smith starring in the next G.I Jane movie (All you need to know about the character G.I Jane to understand the premise of this joke is that she is bald).  

Jada, who did not seem to find the joke amusing, suffers from alopecia, a disease which has resulted in her losing her hair. She has opened up about her struggles with alopecia in the past, saying “It was one of those times in my life where I was shaking in fear. That’s why I cut my hair, and will continue to cut it.”  

Will Smith, who was shown on camera laughing at Chris Rock’s joke at first, did a quick 180 after seeing the comment visibly upset his wife. Smith could have assumed the joke was approved by Jada prior to the show as they usually are; however, we do not necessarily know the story behind that. 

A lot of people have expressed different opinions and feelings about Will’s behavior. However, the public consensus most people seem to agree upon, including Will himself, is that it was not how the situation should have been handled as there were more mature ways to confront Chris Rock about the joke (other than slapping him on national television).  

Will Smith took the liberty to resign from his membership to the Academy of Motions Pictures Arts and Sciences, but the Academy is not taking the situation lightly. The Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences have banned Will Smith from attending the Oscars for the next 10 years.  

Imagine that...winning your first Oscar and being banned from attending the awards for the next ten years.  

The statement the Oscars released is lengthy but their reasoning for Smith’s ten year ban is as followed: “This action we are taking today in response to Will Smith’s behavior is a step toward a larger goal of protecting the safety of our performers and guests and restoring trust in the academy. We also hope this can begin a time of healing and restoration for all involved and impacted.”  

In addition to this, Netflix has also put a pause on moving forward with Will Smith’s new action film until further notice. And as for Chris Rock, he has not publicly commented on the situation, but he did choose not to press any charges against Smith.  

Many people feel that besides the fact Will Smith was wrong for slapping Chris Rock, his actions overshadowed what otherwise was a monumental night for those who were nominated and won awards. Specifically, Questlove who shortly after won his first Oscar ever for his documentary Summer of Soul. 

 Clearly everyone has had a lot to say about where they stand on the matter, so here is what some of your fellow students at Elon think about what happened between Chris Rock and Will Smith.  

“The slap was hilarious. One of the most entertaining moments of the year. Chris Rock showed immense empathy in the aftermath of the slap and the way he handled the LAPD. I feel some sympathy for those overdeveloped cheek bones,” senior Jacob Stoken says. “It also seemed to unite different respective social circles, and the societal consensus has been united, minus the omnipresent grifter takes. Most people I have talked to sound something like this: Will Smith should have apologized in his speech not embraced his inner Marianne Willamson. Violence is bad. Chris Rock’s quite possibly the most professional and aware comedian in the business. Will Smith should be shunned not canceled, and the Oscars was finally entertaining.”  

“What Chris Rock said was wrong, but I do not think violence is ever justifiable. I saw it the next day in the media, and I was confused because I was seeing small clips of it and there was an overwhelming number of opinions,” junior Ainsley Marshall says. “In general, it is just overwhelming when you are seeing only a small glimpse into celebrities' lives. In a way these people are always in the spotlight, but it is challenging because we only see a bit into their actual lives.” 

As for the consequences Smith is now facing, Ainsley Marshall says, “What are the points of punishing him, to shame him or to make sure he learned his lesson? In my opinion I do not think someone needs ten years to grow and learn from their wrongdoings.”  

Lastly, regarding whether Smith’s actions took away from the other recipients of awards, specifically Questlove, Jacob Stoken remarked “Questlove actually DJ’d my Bar mitzvah so seeing him win was really cool. I think everyone’s shown Quest a lotta love. If anything, more people might know about his win and how much he has meant to this generation of creative giants.”  

All in all, we are all human and make mistakes. Just most people are not caught making a mistake while being broadcasted on television at the Oscars.