Oscars Debacle

Like just about everything in the world these days, there is a great divide over whether you support Will Smith or Chris Rock and the Oscars 2022 Incident. As crazy as it was to see it happen on live tv, we shouldn’t be astonished that it happened. We all thought it was fake at first. But soon we all realized it was real. An overreaction to a bad joke? Absolutely, but then again maybe not. It was a slap after all and not a closed fist. But everyone was fooled. Security didn’t come out, they failed to bleep and block video entirely, and with modern day technology, the whole thing was posted to Instagram and Facebook before the first commercial was over. And, as if the incident wasn’t a big enough event, five days later the media just won’t let it die. Probably because Chris Rock hasn’t come out and said anything publicly about it, so they are making up the story line everyday we have to wait. And the divide is getting wider.

I don’t want to make excuses for either, but I will make my own opinion be heard. First, whatever happened to defending your ladies honor? Wasn’t that part of chivalry? Have we totally abandoned the concept in lieu of equal rights or has this newer generation just never been taught? My first impression was, “wow, I don’t believe that just happened”. I turned to Jen and asked her if it was real or not. We soon learned it was real. But then the show just went on and the next award was Will Smith winning the Oscar for best male actor. An extremely sappy acceptance speech and I’m sure he was overcome with a lot of emotion. I kept thinking, this is something JD would do. He’s very protective and he reacts. I do feel there could have been much better ways for Will Smith to have handled it, such as going backstage and discussing it with Chris Rock. I suppose Hollywood has a flare for the dramatic though. For the rest of the evening and in the ensuing days I’ve been pretty consistent in thinking Will Smith was right to defend his wife’s honor, just should have done it differently.

The rest of the week, I’ve heard the media, opinion shows, and others lean to the side of Chris Rock. My guess is because he has been radio-silent and they have a need to defend him as he is so hurt that he can’t come forward to speak. We know that is bullshit. Will Smith apologized to Chris Rock the next day, but because he apologized to everyone but Chris Rock on the night of the incident, it doesn’t seem to count. Chris Rock has said he isn’t pressing charges per the LAPD. And under pressure of the media, The Academy is reviewing the incident for further action against Will Smith. Of course, through all of this, there is absolute backing for Chris Rock, even though he used verbal abuse towards another person, but in Hollywood and the entertainment industry, it is acceptable to mask verbal abuse by giving it a name, comedy. I’m not a fan of Chris Rock, but for the same reasons I don’t like most comedians. Most of the them were picked on as kids and they despised it, but then they grow up and get to verbally abuse people from the stage, with security in the wings, again because we call it comedy and yet it is still at someone’s expense. Have you been to a comedy show? Or any show that has humor with participation from the audience? I have, wasn’t fun. Hell, Chris Rock didn’t suffer from it too bad as his first concert since the incident went from half sold to sold out in a matter of days. Why? Because people wanted to hear what he was going to say. He has a dying career as most comedians do and I would bet that he might get a few sell outs but that audience participation will go back to normal at his concerts as they realize that nothing has changed and it is the same old Chris Rock routine.

I suspect that we may not hear too much more about it after a few more days, because that is the way everything goes. It was a little diversion from the Ukraine war, but it will be back to the headline soon enough. Jen and I were talking about the Oscar Incident and we both agreed, neither side was right, but again, what happened to chivalry? Neither of us had an answer.  I did tell Jen that after the Ricky Gervais thing on the Golden Globes and now this, I wish that rules would be set for comedic acts and make sure it is known you can verbally attack an act or action, but not a person. The foul mouth on most comedians, the shock and awe, the gross content, etc., I just don’t get it. I grew up on comedy. I loved comedy, except comedians like Don Rickles. To watch Foster Brooks drunk routine, Dom Deluise playful act, Flip Wilson’s “here comes the judge”, Bob Newhart, Carol Burnett and her cast of Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence made us laugh weekly. Laugh-In’s huge cast of comedians never debased people just situations. I miss the old comedians, I laughed at Cheech and Chong, Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Robin Williams, Bill Cosby, and let’s not forget Johnny Carson in our bedroom every night. The comedians today seem to be able to only get a laugh if they use the foul language, call people names, and make fun of how we are, not themselves. I told Jen I won’t go to comedy clubs because I’m the perfect target. I’m an old fat guy with a Santa Clause beard and I know I’m going to get razzed. Why put myself in the position, I don’t like it. I’m well aware of my faults and as much as I would like to be perfect, I’m not, but don’t need someone having fun at my expense. Sometimes, I’ve done it anyway. Take for instance the FIA FIA shows in Hawaii. You think I’ve been singled out twice as a honorary chief and almost person in my family has been called on stage because I’m best friends with the chief? No, I stand out, and I’ve allowed myself to be laughed at because I wanted my family to have a memorable evening and I wanted them to see me as a playful and willing person to laugh at myself. I hope it looked that way, it isn’t what I felt though. Frankly, if some asshole was to be making fun of my wife for no other reason but to get people to laugh at her expense, I hope I have the balls to go on stage and slap the shit out of the verbal abuser…sorry, the comedian.