If you haven't heard, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock across the face during the March 2022 Academy Awards. If he had done cartwheels across the stage, naked and on fire, we couldn't have been more surprised. Chris had made a joke about Will's wife's shaved head, and Will wasn't having it. First he laughed, and then seconds later he strode across the stage and slapped Chris Rock, a comedian, across the face for telling a lame joke. If only we all had such power - Look out, Amy Schumer!
Will apologized for the incident twice, once a few minutes after the slap while accepting his academy award for best actor. The second time on Instagram, a day later. The first time he apologized to the Academy, everyone in the room, everyone watching on TV, Everyone in the world, everyone in the world excluding a certain Mr. Chris Rock. The second time he apologized directly to Chris Rock. Everyone in the world had a lot to say about it, everyone except Chris Rock who is keepin' it classy and writing a comedy show about it (probably, like how could he not). The other person keeping quiet is a certain Mr. Will Smith who is reportedly hanging out in Dubai with a certain Prince of Dubai, a certain Prince who certainly is very, very, good friends with a certain Mr. Will Smith. Certainly.
Anyway - Will justified his love of slapping by saying he was a fierce protector of his family. Just like Richard Williams, the guy he portrayed in the film that was the reason he won best actor at the Oscars - he was fiercely protecting his wife's honor from low-level humor. Richard Williams answered by condemning the violence and saying that Will Smith was in the wrong.
And somehow, Venus and Serena Williams are once again on the "Hollywood making you feel worthless" tour. First Jane Campion told them that they don't compete against men so therefore they aren't really "competing" and then Will Smith slapped any chance they had at celebrating their father by using him as an excuse to slap a comedian for telling bad jokes.
And comedians everywhere are certainly afraid.
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