OSCARS, WILL SMITH, CHRIS ROCK

Nobody Will Remember Will Smith’s Oscar.

Sadly they will only remember his assault on Chris Rock.

Turns out the one time I didn’t watch the Oscars, something interesting actually happened. The Oscar for Best Drama should have gone to the scene that unfolded at the Dolby theatre.

Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s look, specifically her shaved head.

All Chris said was, “Jada I love you, ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see it.” Jada didn’t seem to pleased with the joke and rolled her eyes. She suffers from Alopecia and hence this mild joke might have felt insensitive to her. That’s understandable.

Will Smith seemed to be enjoying the joke, was even laughing. A second later, something in him flipped. He got on to the stage and punched Chris Rock in the face.

Rock responded with “Oh, wow! Will Smith just smacked the shit out of me.”

The audience erupted with laughter. Everyone believed this was a pre planned stunt to garner laughs from the crowd.

But then the mood suddenly changed when Smith got back in his seat and screamed two times, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth!”

Rock though flustered still managed to keep his calm. He didn’t engage in a war of words or walk off stage. He continued with his monologue, seconds after being assaulted on National TV, watched by millions.

Chris Rock deserves full praise for maintaining his composure and staying professional. The show did go on thanks to Chris Rock.

Chris Rock is a comedian. He is getting paid precisely to entertain the audience and increase ratings. Plus it’s understood, everyone is fair game when they are present at such shows. They can expect to get roasted royally by the host.

What were they expecting Chris Rock to talk about? The new Omicron variant or Brexit?? The most ironic part is that Will Smith is a comedian himself, yet he couldn’t take a joke.

Will Smith went on to win the Oscar for Best Actor for his role as Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams, in the film “King Richard.”

He gave his acceptance speech with tears streaming down his face. Sadly no one will remember or care about the words he spoke. Actions speak louder than words, even if you win an Oscar.

Smith didn’t apologize about the assault and ended by saying that he hoped the Academy would welcome him back.

What I don’t understand is how the Academy let him get away with it. What’s the point in them issuing a statement later saying they don’t condone violence?

Videos show Will Smith at the awards after party dancing away with his Oscar in hand. He should have been escorted away immediately when they went to commercial break. Instead he was coddled and handed an award.

Physical assault is a crime no matter who you are.

Smith talked about being a “protector” in his acceptance speech. Seems like he was still in character. Defending your wife by punching some one over a joke does not make you look like a strong man nor a good protector. It does make you look unhinged.

People say he had a lot going on in his personal life. But that doesn’t justify his actions. Any which way you look at it, what he did was wrong.

Smith’s outburst did make me wonder if he was under the influence of something. Did he take something to deal with the pressure of the situation? He just didn’t appear right.

Whatever the reason behind his violence, Will Smith will face the repercussions even if Chris Rock does not file charges. He lost major respect from his fans. His career and personal life will be impacted no doubt.

If he had just kept his cool, he could have been celebrating his Oscar win and interviewing with Oprah at her post Oscar show. Instead he will be interviewing with the police and lawyers.

The genie should have stayed in the bottle.

Denzel Washington’s advice to Will Smith was spot on — “At your highest moment be careful, that’s when the devil comes for you.”

What can we learn from this? Don’t put celebrities on a pedestal. Just because they are famous with a gazillion dollars or have an Oscar in their bathroom, it doesn’t mean they have ascended to a higher level.

They are human and flawed just like the rest of us. So stop fawning over them and obsessing over their lives. We don’t need to know what the Kardashians ate for lunch or who’s the baby daddy.

You want to see superhumans? Look at every day people — single mothers, caretakers, survivors of trauma, sickness and loss putting one step in front of the other every day and all the hardworking underdogs who never get any credit.

Every person’s story is just as compelling if not more.