The Annual Academy Awards - General Discussion

[JudyObscure]

1 hour ago, slowpoked said:

Where would the line be drawn at offensive vs. not offensive at these awards shows though?

Exactly.  The Oscars has always had comedians as hosts and they have always been expected to roast the stars a little bit.  It served the purpose of making these beautiful millionaires a little bit human and gave us a chance to see who seemed to be able to laugh at themselves and  who took themselves far too seriously and sat looking angry after the joke was on them.  Most of them had enough class to pretend they were amused while the cameras were rolling.

Until yesterday I knew who Will Smith was but avoided most of his movies.  I hadn't seen Jada in anything since, "The Nutty Professor," or Willow since she whipped her hair around.  So yesterday I found out all about them.  Particularly that Jada has a show called, "The Red Table" where she sits and discusses all the most personal, intimate details of her life, because total egomaniacs want to talk about themselves that much and believe we want to know all these things about them and apparently quite a few people really do.  I'm just flabbergasted that she and her family can make a show like this and then act horribly offended when someone makes a slightly personal joke about them.  Celebs all have a choice to either be  private people or not, you can't be both.

I don't think the Academy should take Will Smith's Oscar back because it's done now, the moment to not award it at all has come and gone.  In the future they can decide whether or not to consider the recipient's personal life when voting.  Taking back Oscars that have already been awarded would mean going all the way back to people like Charlie Chaplain who had as many 13 year-old girls as Polanski.

What I think the Academy should do is tell Smith he's not invited to the show anymore.  If you belonged to the country club and punched out the golf-pro you would be told not to come back.  

[Simon Boccanegra]

I like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's take. 

https://kareem.substack.com/p/will-smith-did-a-bad-bad-thing?s=r

[millennium]

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says it all:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says Will Smith 'perpetuated stereotypes about the Black community' by slapping Chris Rock at Oscars
 

Quote

 

“With a single petulant blow, he advocated violence, diminished women, insulted the entertainment industry, and perpetuated stereotypes about the Black community,” Abdul-Jabbar writes of Smith ...

Abdul-Jabbar argues the incident was more than just a slap to Rock, but rather a “slap to women ...

"By hitting Rock, he announced that his wife was incapable of defending herself — against words,” he states. “This patronizing, paternal attitude infantilizes women and reduces them to helpless damsels needing a Big Strong Man to defend their honor least they swoon from the vapors. If he was really doing it for his wife, and not his own need to prove himself, he might have thought about the negative attention this brought on them, much harsher than the benign joke. That would have been truly defending and respecting her.”

 

There's more if you follow the link.

[A.Ham]

Personal opinion alert: For me, in all the years, there will NEVER, EVER be a better Oscars moment than Sebastián Yatra singing Dos Oruguitas. I thought it was a beautiful, heartfelt interpretation of a most beautiful song, made more meaningful by the fact that it was sung in my native language. The English version is good, but the Spanish version is much more special to me, and does have that timeless feeling Lin mentioned he was going for. I was grinning like a schoolgirl throughout, heart aflutter.

The icing on the cake was the couple dancing. Bravo!!! 

[shoregirl]

3 minutes ago, A.Ham said:

Personal opinion alert: For me, in all the years, there will NEVER, EVER be a better Oscars moment than Sebastián Yatra singing Dos Oruguitas. I thought it was a beautiful, heartfelt interpretation of a most beautiful song, made more meaningful by the fact that it was sung in my native language. The English version is good, but the Spanish version is much more special to me, and does have that timeless feeling Lin mentioned he was going for. I was grinning like a schoolgirl throughout, heart aflutter.

The icing on the cake was the couple dancing. Bravo!!! 

I'm really disappointed it didn't win. It was a lovely song that in my opinion was way superior to the James Bond song. That performance was great.

[ThatsDarling]

On 3/28/2022 at 11:15 AM, Yogisbooboo64 said:

Glad Jessica Chastain finally one, she should have won the first time over the annoyingly obnoxious Jennifer Lawrence (remember her unfunny ‘Jessica Chastain’t gonna win my Oscar?!)

I do remember that, as well as Jennifer Lawrence making fun of fellow nominee Emmanuelle Riva's age (she was 85 when she received her Best Actress nomination for Amour) and Quvenzhané Wallis's name. It was so rude, especially considering she was by that point the frontrunner to win over them for what I thought was a highly overpraised performance in Silver Linings Playbook. 

Jessica Chastain was wonderful in Eyes of Tammy Faye and I was so happy to see her win. Her speech was beautiful -- I appreciated her thoughtfulness, graciousness in honoring her fellow nominees, and that she chose to spotlight LGBTQ rights and suicide prevention. 

[Awesome]

7 minutes ago, A.Ham said:

heart aflutter

Pun intended? 😄

[UsernameFatigue]

32 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

 

Until yesterday I knew who Will Smith was but avoided most of his movies.  I hadn't seen Jada in anything since, "The Nutty Professor," or Willow since she whipped her hair around.  So yesterday I found out all about them.  Particularly that Jada has a show called, "The Red Table" where she sits and discusses all the most personal, intimate details of her life, because total egomaniacs want to talk about themselves that much and believe we want to know all these things about them and apparently quite a few people really do.  I'm just flabbergasted that she and her family can make a show like this and then act horribly offended when someone makes a slightly personal joke about them.  Celebs all have a choice to either be  private people or not, you can't be both.

 

Brilliant post, JUDYOBSCURE, and above is my favourite part.  I find the Smiths to be huge attention cravers, and they both talk non stop about their marriage. I don't even watch Jada's show, but know tons about their marriage because they are ALWAYS. TALKING. ABOUT. IT! My feeling is that if your marriage requires that much work and causes that much angst, you are with the wrong person. 

Last year a talk show showed a segment of Jada's show. I wish I could remember who the guest was, but the guest was sharing a very personal point of view based on her experience. Willow, all of about 21 years of age, told the guest that they were wrong. All I could think  was  "What a pretentious snot". Pretty much sums up my feelings on the whole family. 

 Rock could have made many jokes about the Smiths because they put themselves out there, all the time. They got off easy. Rock did not. 

Edited March 29, 2022 by UsernameFatigue

[Bookworm 1979]

2 hours ago, PepSinger said:

Nothing that you mentioned includes insulting someone with a disability. 

My husband is disabled and he knows people who are disabled.  Disabled people can be assholes, too.  (Just for the record, it drives my hubby nuts when people use their disability as an excuse to be jerks to everyone else.)  Not saying that Jada is like this, but disabled people should not automatically be painted as saints.

Oh, and you would would be surprised at the jokes and insults the disabled community can toss around!  It would make Chris Rock's joke look very tame.

Edited to add: I don't know a lot about Jada's medical condition, so even though I'm comparing her to the disabled community, I don't know if she would be considered disabled or not.

Edited March 29, 2022 by Bookworm 1979

[Inquisitionist]

21 hours ago, Lady Whistleup said:

I forgot to add: all the positive press around CODA made me wish I ... actually liked it more than I did. But I didn't. I found it to be somewhat weak and cheesy. Hell, I even liked the sugarcoated biopic King Richard more than CODA.

I haven't seen it yet, but I've read similar things in reviews.  I'll try to keep an open mind when I get around to it. 

21 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

For anyone who still doesn't understand why some people liked the song, "We Don't Talk About Bruno," the Oscars version didn't help. They didn't do the actual song. They did what I will call a special Oscars version/remix. Here is a clip from the movie Encanto with the full song. 

I'm starting to wonder if there's a LM-M backlash -- like some members of the Academy don't want to see him join the EGOT club...

21 hours ago, Rebecca berkowit said:

NRELATED: The In Memoriam segment was totally tone-deaf.  Spirit in the Sky?  Really?  What a bizarre song choice!  Even after that, the songs were way too upbeat, especially with the dancing.   Why not just let us be sad for a minute?  It seemed undignified the way they did it.   

The Academy has fouled up the In Memoriam segment for ages, but this was the worst.

19 hours ago, Lady Whistleup said:

It's complicated, but basically it's contractual. Most stars have to wear a brand by a certain designer. It's worked out between their stylist and the designer.

Here's an in-depth article about it:

https://www.vogue.fr/fashion/fashion-inspiration/story/how-the-actresses-choose-their-oscars-gowns-for-the-red-carpet/1318

Gah!  That article made me loathe the fashion industry even more than I already do.  Lying down in a van to arrive with your half-assed dress in presentable condition?  Give me friggin' break.  

[scarynikki12]

7 minutes ago, Inquisitionist said:

I'm starting to wonder if there's a LM-M backlash -- like some members of the Academy don't want to see him join the EGOT club...

I think they tend to go with hype for the songs. If Bruno had been the nominated song it would have won but Disney submitted Dos Oruguitas instead. A gorgeous song and the best one in the movie in my opinion but it didn’t have the hype. Billie Eilish had the hype since she’s one of the famous singers of the moment so she had the edge. If it hadn’t been her I bet it would have gone to Beyoncé.

Lin will get his but it’ll need to be a hyped song or have the narrative of him being overdue. 

[Ohiopirate02]

4 minutes ago, Inquisitionist said:

I'm starting to wonder if there's a LM-M backlash -- like some members of the Academy don't want to see him join the EGOT club...

 

There is always going to be a contingent of voters who will vote for anything other than Lin because they perceive him as being thirsty.  The key to snagging votes is to act like you do not care while campaigning your heart out.  Then the song he submitted from Encanto is the Spanish one.  We Don't Talk About Bruno is the catchier song done in English.  The better song was submitted.

I also think a large part of the academy votes for the latest Bond theme because it's a Bond theme.  They have fond memories of Live and Let Die or Nobody Does it Better or Goldfinger.  They are not listening to the songs and deciding based upon the merits of each.

[slowpoked]

4 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I think Chris carried on with the show in a shockingly professional way.  Like taking the mantra "the show must go on" to an insane degree.   He did as best as he could under the circumstances.

This. Imagine if Chris Rock threw a punch back?! Oh boy. I can imagine reactions would still have  been slower than usual because some may think it's still a staged bit or something. 

 

43 minutes ago, ThatsDarling said:

Glad Jessica Chastain finally one, she should have won the first time over the annoyingly obnoxious Jennifer Lawrence (remember her unfunny ‘Jessica Chastain’t gonna win my Oscar?!)

 

JLaw is a great actress, IMO, but that performance in SLP was one of the more overrated performances I've seen that I can remember (Emma Stone and the entire La La Land movie is another). Of course, it doesn't help that Weinstein was still around  being the big bad machine making sure JLaw won for that movie. I was rooting for either Emanuelle Riva and Jessica Chastain (who was sublime in ZDT). I remember Nicole Kidman specifically saying she was voting for Emanuelle Riva because it's such a beautiful performance and as an actor, you could truly appreciate a beautiful performance when you see one.

 

2 hours ago, UsernameFatigue said:

Why do people assume it was an insult? GI Jane wasn't a wimp and Demi Moore looked great in that film. Many women shave their heads because they like the look, find it much easier than caring for a head of hair, and have a head shape that suits it. Not every woman that shaves her head does it for medical reasons. 

 

Because it's still a stereotype and still heavily ingrained in society that women shouldn't be bald. In that heat of the moment, I don't think anyone would have time to dissect about the potential nuances of the joke (FWIW, I don't think it  has one. Rock used the GI Jane reference to make fun of Jada's baldness, nothing else. I don't think it has any allusions to Demi's badassery in the  movie).

[qtpye]

Jim Carrey breaks it down like a boss.

[backgroundnoise]

Smith should have lifetime ban of attending the awards ceremony.  He can still be nominated and win, but not attend.  I doubt they'll even give him one year suspension on anything. Just MHO, YMMV.

Edited March 29, 2022 by backgroundnoise

[FilmTVGeek80]

2 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

Black women would remember.  They will also remember Jada's face after her eyeroll.  The remember because they have experienced something similar in their own lives.  Black women and hair is a fraught topic in America.  A fact that Chris Rock is intimately aware of.  He may not have known about Jada's alopecia, but he would know why a black woman would need to shave her head.  He knows because he produced a documentary on this subject.

I'm a Black woman, and no, I would not have remembered it. I've had hair insecurities all my life. I think if Chris had made a comment about her nappy hair, or truly insulted it in some way, I would have taken issue with it. But I don't believe black woman's hair is so sacrosanct that all comments/jokes are off-limits. I get this situation is slightly different because Jada has a medical condition - a condition she's talked about struggling with. But, right before the Oscars, she said she didn't give a shit what anyone thinks of her bald head. Yet, it's supposed to be sooooo offensive that Chris Rock referenced it. And, I say, referenced it because people keep saying he insulted her, and I don't see how. Again, he didn't say anything about her - or her hair - looking bad. He said she'd be a natural for a sequel to a movie about a badass bald woman.

I think like others have said, a big part of it was because it was CR making the joke. Which I still think is kind of ridiculous. People are talking like they had some huge years-long feud. He made one joke about her years ago and they somehow still haven't gotten over it.

I think Will Smith - the one who committed the crime - is the one largely at fault. Especially for many of the reasons Kareem mentioned. Unless CR plans on making it a normal thing to apologize to everyone he makes jokes about, I don't think it's likely he'll apologize. The only way I see it is if publicly, or privately, Jada says it wounded her because of the condition. He may apologize under those circumstances, but otherwise, probably not. Which I think is just fine.

[LegalParrot81]

The person who has gotten lost in this to some extent is Ahmir Thompson, who received his award immediately after the slap.  The poor man received an academy award and I don't know how many people noticed.  Everyone was trying to console poor Will at the ceremony and I'll bet those watching at home were saying "did you see that" and discussing Smith and Rock.  As Jim Carrey said, no matter what the category, all of these people work extremely hard in order to even receive a nomination, let alone win and then the win is overwhelmed by the actions of others.

May bet is the academy suspends Smith for a year at the most.  

 

Edited March 29, 2022 by LegalParrot81

[FilmTVGeek80]

19 minutes ago, qtpye said:

Jim Carrey breaks it down like a boss.

100% Jim Carrey! I think I was equally pissed about the standing ovation - two of them - as I was about the slap. I get that it was a highly uncomfortable experience for everyone. I could have taken polite applause - since the Academy put them in that position by not kicking him out immediately - but freaking standing ovations! Especially since all he did up there was cry and make mealy-mouthed excuses. I'm not saying that WS needs to be shunned for all time. People make mistakes, including epically bad ones. I get that the people in that room that loved, or liked, him wouldn't suddenly hate him. But it felt like such gross, coddling behavior to give him that kind of over-the-top love right after he assaulted someone.

Shut up, Tiffany Haddish. Her BS about it being the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen is so ridiculous. 

[Milburn Stone]

19 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

Concerning the appropriateness of Chris Rock’s jokes:  on the one hand, even if he knew about her medical status, she was clearly owning and rocking the bald look, and he compared her to a badass character in a not-negative way.

Exactly.

[slowpoked]

13 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

100% Jim Carrey! I think I was equally pissed about the standing ovation - two of them - as I was about the slap. I get that it was a highly uncomfortable experience for everyone. I could have taken polite applause - since the Academy put them in that position by not kicking him out immediately - but freaking standing ovations! Especially since all he did up there was cry and make mealy-mouthed excuses. I'm not saying that WS needs to be shunned for all time. People make mistakes, including epically bad ones. I get that the people in that room that loved, or liked, him wouldn't suddenly hate him. But it felt like such gross, coddling behavior to give him that kind of over-the-top love right after he assaulted someone.

Shut up, Tiffany Haddish. Her BS about it being the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen is so ridiculous. 

Prominent people immediately came to Will Smith's side after it happened. Did anyone even check on Chris Rock - the guy who was physically  hurt - aside from the stage people?

Edited March 29, 2022 by slowpoked

[Lady Whistleup]

4 hours ago, PepSinger said:

I can certainly lay blame at his feet for telling an offensive joke, though. Where’s his apology to Jada?

He doesn't owe Jada an apology. He read a pre-written joke on a teleprompter. This is the part that people don't get. These jokes and gags are rehearsed. They are planned. They even have the cameras ready on the focus of the joke.

I also think that Jada forgoes any right to an apology if her husband thought it was okay to deck someone in her honor. 

[chediavolo]

1 hour ago, UsernameFatigue said:

Brilliant post, JUDYOBSCURE, and above is my favourite part.  I find the Smiths to be huge attention cravers, and they both talk non stop about their marriage. I don't even watch Jada's show, but know tons about their marriage because they are ALWAYS. TALKING. ABOUT. IT! My feeling is that if your marriage requires that much work and causes that much angst, you are with the wrong person. 

Last year a talk show showed a segment of Jada's show. I wish I could remember who the guest was, but the guest was sharing a very personal point of view based on her experience. Willow, all of about 21 years of age, told the guest that they were wrong. All I could think  was  "What a pretentious snot". Pretty much sums up my feelings on the whole family. 

 Rock could have made many jokes about the Smiths because they put themselves out there, all the time. They got off easy. Rock did not. 

Totally agree! In a nutshell, they are a fucked up family. I used to like Will but not the rest of them. Now, can’t stand the lot. 

[Rebecca berkowit]

2 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

He doesn't owe Jada an apology. He read a pre-written joke on a teleprompter. This is the part that people don't get. These jokes and gags are rehearsed. They are planned. They even have the cameras ready on the focus of the joke.

I also think that Jada forgoes any right to an apology if her husband thought it was okay to deck someone in her honor. 

This one was ad-libbed apparently.  But it doesn’t matter.  

Edited March 29, 2022 by Rebecca berkowit

[chediavolo]

19 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

100% Jim Carrey! I think I was equally pissed about the standing ovation - two of them - as I was about the slap. I get that it was a highly uncomfortable experience for everyone. I could have taken polite applause - since the Academy put them in that position by not kicking him out immediately - but freaking standing ovations! Especially since all he did up there was cry and make mealy-mouthed excuses. I'm not saying that WS needs to be shunned for all time. People make mistakes, including epically bad ones. I get that the people in that room that loved, or liked, him wouldn't suddenly hate him. But it felt like such gross, coddling behavior to give him that kind of over-the-top love right after he assaulted someone.

Shut up, Tiffany Haddish. Her BS about it being the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen is so ridiculous. 

Love Jim Carey. What the fuck happened to Tiffany Haddish?  she seems to have really changed since she first came on the scene I really have lost a lot of respect for her. 

[SusanM]

6 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

He doesn't owe Jada an apology. He read a pre-written joke on a teleprompter. This is the part that people don't get. These jokes and gags are rehearsed. They are planned. They even have the cameras ready on the focus of the joke.

Assuming it actually was rehearsed and not ad-libed I'm not sure how this makes any difference to whether Chris Rock should have said it or not.

[Simon Boccanegra]

36 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

I think like others have said, a big part of it was because it was CR making the joke. Which I still think is kind of ridiculous. People are talking like they had some huge years-long feud. He made one joke about her years ago and they somehow still haven't gotten over it.

I've always felt they take themselves very seriously. And especially in her case, I struggle to see the justification. 

5 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

He doesn't owe Jada an apology. He read a pre-written joke on a teleprompter. This is the part that people don't get. These jokes and gags are rehearsed. They are planned. They even have the cameras ready on the focus of the joke.

I agree he doesn't owe her an apology, but per "sources familiar with the Oscar ceremony," Rock's bit was not rehearsed; he was just riffing.

https://screenrant.com/oscars-chris-rock-will-smith-joke-not-rehearsed/

If true, it may account for the Jada joke and his ribbing of the Bardem/Cruz couple being below his usual standard, if he was just looking at who was in his eyeline and saying the first thing to come to mind. 

It wouldn't have been hard to get a camera on the Smith table for an instant reaction. All nominees and their significant others were up front. Two and a half hours into this slog, I'm sure they knew where the Smiths were.

[Avaleigh]

43 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

I'm a Black woman, and no, I would not have remembered it. I've had hair insecurities all my life. I think if Chris had made a comment about her nappy hair, or truly insulted it in some way, I would have taken issue with it. But I don't believe black woman's hair is so sacrosanct that all comments/jokes are off-limits. I get this situation is slightly different because Jada has a medical condition - a condition she's talked about struggling with. But, right before the Oscars, she said she didn't give a shit what anyone thinks of her bald head. Yet, it's supposed to be sooooo offensive that Chris Rock referenced it. And, I say, referenced it because people keep saying he insulted her, and I don't see how. Again, he didn't say anything about her - or her hair - looking bad. He said she'd be a natural for a sequel to a movie about a badass bald woman.

Agreed. I agree with your entire post. I too am a black woman who would not have remembered this joke if Will hadn't decided to physically and verbally assault Chris Rock as a response to it. 

I honestly find it baffling that there are people who feel that Chris is just as in the wrong as Will is.  We can debate all day long whether or not the joke was supposed to be insulting but it doesn't matter because it doesn't matter what Chris Rock said.

Violence is never an appropriate response to not liking what a person has to say.

9 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

He doesn't owe Jada an apology. 

Agreed. This lady thinks it's okay that her husband hit a guy. My mind is blown over the fact that people think that the guy who was assaulted is the person who needs to go around making apologies. Wow.

[luvthepros]

On 3/27/2022 at 10:37 PM, Dr.OO7 said:

Ouch.

And if Chris Rock didn't know that, then double ouch.

Well, it's safe to guess what's going to be on the "worst"/WTF list during the recaps tomorrow.

"Double ouch" if Chris DID know about Jada's alopecia.

[UsernameFatigue]

12 minutes ago, slowpoked said:

Prominent people immediately came to Will Smith's side after it happened. Did anyone even check on Chris Rock - the guy who was physically  hurt - aside from the stage people?

I think it was Al Pacino who was shown hugging Chris Rock as they made their way backstage. Also saw a pic from an afterparty of Al, Chris and I think the other two who were with Al at the awards. 

Jim Carry said that Chris didn't sue because he doesn't want the hassle. I think also because Chris will use this in his stand up routine for years to come. As he should. I bet  tickets for his upcoming shows are selling like hotcakes.

I hope Smith gets at least a ban on attending next year's ceremony. And that Chris is brought back to present again. He can make a joke about Jada not being invited. Again. 

[Yogisbooboo64]

OT, but.....I liked G.I. Jane!

(Ducks out)

[RealHousewife]

11 hours ago, FancyRhubarb said:

I think it was real, if only because Will Smith is so hyper focused on the image he projects of a calm, good vibes, no cursing, positive black man that he'd never sign up for anything that made him look like a violent jackass. I sort of feel bad for him because of that. 

Exactly. He didn't even like to curse as a rapper. 

9 hours ago, CountryGirl said:

I am really having a hard time wrapping my head around Will being more deserved of losing his Oscar because his actions took place on stage vs off. So because Roman Polanski didn't rape a child on stage, but behind closed doors where those types of actions usually take place for obvious reasons, then no action is necessary? I'm just trying to follow the logic here. 

But if we follow that argument, where is the outcry for Adrien Brody to lose his Best Actor Oscar after he assaulted Halle Berry right there on stage? 

Will was wrong in his actions but as far as him losing his Oscar, well, then he can get in line behind all the others, and add Adrien to that list (there are undoubtedly more). 

Thank you! I mentioned that the other day too. If child molesters get to keep Oscars, I mean come on. I had forgotten about the Adrien Brody assault, but that is another good example. I don't recall as much of an outcry for him either. 

 

25 minutes ago, UsernameFatigue said:

Jim Carry said that Chris didn't sue because he doesn't want the hassle. I think also because Chris will use this in his stand up routine for years to come. As he should. I bet  tickets for his upcoming shows are selling like hotcakes.

I hope Smith gets at least a ban on attending next year's ceremony. And that Chris is brought back to present again. He can make a joke about Jada not being invited. Again. 

Chris doesn't seem like the type of guy to sue. 

Now that's funny! lol

Edited March 29, 2022 by RealHousewife

[millennium]

I guess Tiffany Haddish doesn't realize the word "homosexual" is considered offensive nowadays. 

But then, Tiffany Haddish also fails to see just how offensive she's being by complaining about Chris Rock likening Mrs. Smith to G.I. Jane and saying she remembers when the movie came out and "it was a way to insult a woman's sexuality ... it was a way to call a woman homosexual."

Tiffany, it's not a slur to suggest someone might be gay, even if that's NOT what Chris Rock was doing.   By characterizing it as a slur, you're promoting the idea that being gay is something wrong, something people should be ashamed of.

What a self-important idiot.

[FilmTVGeek80]

31 minutes ago, UsernameFatigue said:

Jim Carry said that Chris didn't sue because he doesn't want the hassle. I think also because Chris will use this in his stand up routine for years to come. As he should. I bet  tickets for his upcoming shows are selling like hotcakes.

https://people.com/movies/oscars-2022-chris-rock-ticket-soar-altercation-report/?did=758852-20220329&utm_campaign=people-news_newsletter&utm_source=people.com&utm_medium=email&utm_content=032922&cid=758852&mid=83261077592

According to that article, it's sold more since the Oscars than the tour sold the entire month before.

Quote

 I had forgotten about the Adrien Brody assault, but that is another good example. I don't recall as much of an outcry for him either. 

Probably because back then, pre Me Too, it wasn't considered assault. It was considered a positive, happy moment. Now, if he did it there would be a bigger outcry. 

Edited March 29, 2022 by FilmTVGeek80

[Rebecca berkowit]

So there’s this episode of Fresh Prince where Chris Rock plays a guy and his own sister.  At one point the “sister” goes on a date with Will.  

 

[krankydoodle]

1 hour ago, LegalParrot81 said:

The person who has gotten lost in this to some extent is Ahmir Thompson, who received his award immediately after the slap.  The poor man received an academy award and I don't know how many people noticed. 

This part wasn't great either:

 

[LadyIrony]

11 hours ago, FancyRhubarb said:

I think it was real, if only because Will Smith is so hyper focused on the image he projects of a calm, good vibes, no cursing, positive black man that he'd never sign up for anything that made him look like a violent jackass. I sort of feel bad for him because of that. I recently read an article about the major who cheated on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and it said people STILL cough at him when he walks down the street and that happened a few days before 9/11. And I can't help but think Will is going to spend the rest of his life having hecklers yell out " Keep my wife's name out your fucking mouth".

I am also looking at the show as a whole. There seemed to be a lot of attention/headline seeking antics this year. It makes me wonder if they are trying to be relevant again. 

I do feel it went badly for Smith though he does have that whole "I'm such a nice guy" routine which has never washed for me.  I find him obnoxious, same with Rock so it's really a case of one dick being a dick to another dick to me. 

10 hours ago, chediavolo said:

It really did look staged. Even the slap looked fake. But one he said “motherfuckin’” numerous times I surmised it was not. 

My fucking recorded ended before the show was over! 

If that is the way Smith defends his woman than God help his woman! I also think Will Smith over did it after the slap. Why go back to your chair? Why still sit through the awards show?

If that were me, I think a far louder statement would be to just get up and leave. But then he wouldn't have been able to accept his award. 

10 hours ago, Rebecca berkowit said:

I think it was real unless it was a DEEP, DEEP fake agreed upon by Rock and Smith beforehand, and they told NOBODY.  This is unlikely.  Especially with the Academy “investigating.”  (Nothing will come of that, btw.) 

I find it hard to believe that the Academy would be ok with it staged or otherwise but I am cynical about these people. And there were a lot of "Look at me" type stunts this time around.  

8 hours ago, SusanM said:

I'm hoping that they boot him out of the academy, ban him from attending future events and that he is can never be asked to be a presenter again.  Minimum consequences really I guess  but I think they will sting - and give a message that behaving badly at the awards ceremony does have some onsequences no matter who you are.

Better still, ban him from making films ever again, ESPECIALLY with his obnoxious son. 

[kib]

15 hours ago, Vermicious Knid said:

The Oscars always have bad, cringy jokes. It's a tradition

"It's nice being remembered"

- Bruce Vilanch

[chediavolo]

Wait… I just saw a video posted on Facebook where Jada is sitting at that stupid  red table with Will and telling him about how she cheated on him. I wanted to cry.  I thought they had an open marriage? So I go back to saying that something very deep is going on here with him and his wife and their marriage. I think he broke. And he needs help. I really hate to think that Will Smith is not really loving adorable man we all thought we knew and this side of him is actually true. This whole thing is very confusing and sad. 

[SusanM]

1 minute ago, chediavolo said:

Wait… I just saw a video posted on Facebook where Jada is sitting at that stupid  red table with Will and telling him about how she cheated on him. I wanted to cry.  I thought they had an open marriage?

I saw an interview with him a few weeks ago I think with Gayle King.  Anyway  in that interview he clearly stated  "there was no cheating in our marriage".  I took that to mean they are in an open marriage and it was common knowledge (to everyone but me of course since I am always the last to know celebrity gossip).

[RealHousewife]

4 minutes ago, chediavolo said:

Wait… I just saw a video posted on Facebook where Jada is sitting at that stupid  red table with Will and telling him about how she cheated on him. I wanted to cry.  I thought they had an open marriage? So I go back to saying that something very deep is going on here with him and his wife and their marriage. I think he broke. And he needs help. I really hate to think that Will Smith is not really loving adorable man we all thought we knew and this side of him is actually true. This whole thing is very confusing and sad. 

People are complex. I have a friend who's a total sweetheart. Very kind, thoughtful, generous, always doing things for others. Sadly, sometimes people take advantage of how good a person she is. One time she wanted to start a fight with another friend over something that offended her. (The comment that got her going was rude, but nothing that warranted violence.) She had to be held back. It was like something took over her body. We were all shocked that she'd do such a thing. It was an isolated incident, and nothing like that ever happened again. 

I'm a super peaceful person who's never been in an altercation in my life. I also try to prevent others around me from getting into them. But yes, I've known good people who just snap. I agree that they need help, but I don't think it means they're not genuinely good people. 

[luvthepros]

On 3/27/2022 at 11:34 PM, yowsah1 said:

I hate when they have elderly performers who are in no shape to give out an award present an award.  It's degrading.

Liza is 76. She is infirmed, not that elderly. There are plenty of 90 year olds that can run rings around her.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Edited/deleted.

Edited April 3, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[Cheezwiz]

7 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Never in years would I have predicted that I'd like Amy's hosting but NOT Regina's, but there you go.  (I knew I'd like Wanda.)

Yep, Same! I've never been a fan of Amy's stand-up, but she made me laugh the most throughout the ceremony. I think she could definitely host it on her own in the future if she wanted to. I enjoyed Wanda's segment in the museum. Regina, unfortunately, was stuck with some REALLY bad cringey material.

[Hava]

1 hour ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

Probably because back then, pre Me Too, it wasn't considered assault. It was considered a positive, happy moment. Now, if he did it there would be a bigger outcry. 

Yes, sadly, it took me years to see that moment as it was--assault. It was before a time that there was a real reckoning--at least in my awareness--regarding more "casual" forms of harassment and sexual assault. 

Edited March 29, 2022 by Hava

[krankydoodle]

17 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

LOL, how well do you react after being hit in the head on stage in front of international audiences?

I was just pointing out that Questlove wasn't the only one impacted.

Edited March 29, 2022 by krankydoodle

[UsernameFatigue]

46 minutes ago, SusanM said:

I saw an interview with him a few weeks ago I think with Gayle King.  Anyway  in that interview he clearly stated  "there was no cheating in our marriage".  I took that to mean they are in an open marriage and it was common knowledge (to everyone but me of course since I am always the last to know celebrity gossip).

I have read that Jada wanted an open marriage, Will did not. Will excused Jada's preference by saying that she was raised in a family where there was an open marriage so it was normal to her. 

I thought that Will's action in slapping Chris Rock was out of insecurity, and a declaration of how much he loves Jada. He even said in his speech that love makes you do crazy things. Otherwise how does he go from laughing at Chris' joke, to deciding to walk on to the stage and slap Chris, in a matter of seconds. I would love to have seen footage of what we didn't see in the time Will was laughing, Jada rolled her eyes and Will ending up on stage.

I think the Smiths have a very unhealthy marriage, and the assault on Rock was a byproduct of that. 

[Pickles Aplenty]

I feel bad for Will and Chris.

I feel bad for Chris because it's humiliating to get hit, especially in front of other people (let alone an audience of millions).  I have personal experience with that, and it sucks.  I don't know how Chris feels, but when it happened to me, I wanted to run and hide because the shame was so intense.   I can't say much else about it except that it's a terrible feeling, and my sympathy is with him, even if he did say something shitty (or at least something the Smiths considered shitty).

I also feel bad for Will, because I think he snapped and acted without thinking, and I think he's had to keep up this charming, nice guy persona for the past 30 years, and that has to wear on a person.  I know he's a famous millionaire, but he's also a complex human being like the rest of us, and he has sides we don't see.  Now one of the biggest moments of his career is tainted because of this one action, and I have no idea if that's because he's had things bubbling just under the surface, but if he does, I hope he can work it out in a healthy way and be happier.  So, yeah, he's responsible for what he did, but I don't know, people are complicated.  This fucked up thing happened, and I just hope everyone involved comes out of it okay.  

[KittyQ]

1 hour ago, UsernameFatigue said:

Jim Carry said that Chris didn't sue because he doesn't want the hassle. I think also because Chris will use this in his stand up routine for years to come. As he should. I bet  tickets for his upcoming shows are selling like hotcakes.

I hope Smith gets at least a ban on attending next year's ceremony. And that Chris is brought back to present again. He can make a joke about Jada not being invited. Again. 

I can't believe that I'm agreeing with Jim Carrey. However, he's a guy who's had his own issues over the years, so maybe he's learned from them. Anyway - I am impressed that Chris Rock didn't file charges or retaliate in any public way that I've heard.

I suspect that you're right, and Will Smith has just put himself on Chris Rock's list of targets for the foreseeable future. If he and Jada thought they were picked on because Rock made a joke about them at the Oscars five years ago, and now he's made another little joke, I think they'll be surprised at how much worse it can get. Maybe not even just Chris Rock making the Will Smith jokes. 

It is a shame when someone lets a momentary impulse take over and does something so embarrassing and even criminal. Will Smith needs some help to deal with whatever is causing this anger issue.

[Rebecca berkowit]

3 minutes ago, Pickles Aplenty said:

I feel bad for Will and Chris.

I feel bad for Chris because it's humiliating to get hit, especially in front of other people (let alone an audience of millions).  I have personal experience with that, and it sucks.  I don't know how Chris feels, but when it happened to me, I wanted to run and hide because the shame was so intense.   I can't say much else about it except that it's a terrible feeling, and my sympathy is with him, even if he did say something shitty (or at least something the Smiths considered shitty).

I also feel bad for Will, because I think he snapped and acted without thinking, and I think he's had to keep up this charming, nice guy persona for the past 30 years, and that has to wear on a person.  I know he's a famous millionaire, but he's also a complex human being like the rest of us, and he has sides we don't see.  Now one of the biggest moments of his career is tainted because of this one action, and I have no idea if that's because he's had things bubbling just under the surface, but if he does, I hope he can work it out in a healthy way and be happier.  So, yeah, he's responsible for what he did, but I don't know, people are complicated.  This fucked up thing happened, and I just hope everyone involved comes out of it okay.  

I don’t think he snapped.  If you watch the footage, he hears the joke.  He laughs.  Time goes by.  Rock moves on, even makes a joke about how bad the joke was.  Then, Will Smith, very methodically, gets up, walks very carefully and deliberately to Rock, and hits him.  He had time to think about it, and what he thought was “I’m going to go up there and hit him.”  He was fully in control at all times.  I have no idea why he decided to do this, but he definitely decided to do it. 

[DeeDee79]

2 hours ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

I'm a Black woman, and no, I would not have remembered it. I've had hair insecurities all my life. I think if Chris had made a comment about her nappy hair, or truly insulted it in some way, I would have taken issue with it. But I don't believe black woman's hair is so sacrosanct that all comments/jokes are off-limits. I get this situation is slightly different because Jada has a medical condition - a condition she's talked about struggling with. But, right before the Oscars, she said she didn't give a shit what anyone thinks of her bald head. Yet, it's supposed to be sooooo offensive that Chris Rock referenced it. And, I say, referenced it because people keep saying he insulted her, and I don't see how. Again, he didn't say anything about her - or her hair - looking bad. He said she'd be a natural for a sequel to a movie about a badass bald woman.

I think like others have said, a big part of it was because it was CR making the joke. Which I still think is kind of ridiculous. People are talking like they had some huge years-long feud. He made one joke about her years ago and they somehow still haven't gotten over it.

I think Will Smith - the one who committed the crime - is the one largely at fault. Especially for many of the reasons Kareem mentioned. Unless CR plans on making it a normal thing to apologize to everyone he makes jokes about, I don't think it's likely he'll apologize. The only way I see it is if publicly, or privately, Jada says it wounded her because of the condition. He may apologize under those circumstances, but otherwise, probably not. Which I think is just fine.

And as a black woman I co-sign this entire post.