How far is too far?

Image from the New Yorker

Comedy has been around for millions of years. Our society loves it, thrives on it and succeeds from it. It makes people happy… or so we think. Lately, in the past few decades, comedy has been used more in live television than ever before. Our award shows rely on it. We see jokes being made at the Academy Awards, Grammys, Golden Globes and Emmys; the list goes on and on. 

This past 94th Academy Awards was quite a monumental one. Some of our favorite celebrities were there - Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya and Billie Eilish. We also saw live performances, great hosts and heard a loud slap from the beloved Will Smith. This was a controversial slap that erupted a joke made by comedian Chris Rock. Yes, the same guy that played Marty the zebra in Madagascar. So, why did Smith hit Rock on live television in front of millions of viewers surrounded by the best of Hollywood? 

As Rock was reading a monologue filled with jokes, he made an unplanned joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. He referred to her appearance as a character from the 1997 film, G.I. Jane. 

“Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, can't wait to see it, all right?”

Smith laughed, remaining unfazed while Pinkett Smith was clearly mad. She has been dealing with hair loss due to alopecia, something she has publicly shared she is struggling with. Long story short, Smith walked up to the stage,  swung at Rock and shocked the world. Some thought it was staged. Rock was speechless. 

The next few words that came out of Smith’s mouth from his seat felt like a bit much to some. Some believe that the F word was not needed during the public event. But others counter that the slap was deserved, as the joke was pretty rude, too. 

Jokes have been getting a little too close for comfort lately. We’re all down for a good laugh, but commenting negatively on or making fun of someone’s appearance, especially when it is out of their control, is not cool. Both Smith and Rock made mistakes. Smith probably should’ve handled it privately and should not have had that aggressive reaction. In addition, maybe Rock shouldn’t have said that joke so freely in public. He got physical violence, while Pinkett Smith got emotional damage. 

Here at The Edge, we promote the spread of positivity and lifting each other up instead of tearing each other down. We get it - award shows can be boring, and some of us watch them for the jokes. Let’s change that. Comedy can and should continue, but maybe in a less harmful and controversial way.