Oscars ceremony slap story needs a sense of proportion
Istill remember where I was when I heard about the Oscars slap. But that’s because it was only on Monday. I’ll forget soon enough.
It was the “biggest moment in Oscar (as opposed to real) history”. In the unlikely event that you haven’t been filled in, unlike Chris Rock, here’s what happened.
A bloke made a nasty, unfunny joke about another bloke’s wife, which resulted in the second bloke planting the first; something that has happened in every pub at some point.
The difference is that it involved famous actors, one of whom later gave a predictably emotional speech, which equally predictably made heart-rending claims about just how hard it is being an actor (you just don’t understand).
Although it was worth a news bulletin, the matter should rest between Will Smith, Chris Rock (two very intelligent men) and possibly Mr Rock’s dentist.
What we got instead was hysteria, hand-wringing, shrill over-reaction, then earnest discussion about what it all meant.
Everyone seems to know what Smith “should have done instead”, which fails to understand that people who lose their rag tend not to be wholly rational at that point.
The Oscar Academy tweeted that it “does not condone violence of any form”, which partly explains why Quentin Tarantino has only managed eight nominations so far.
It’s the sort of thing that ITV thrives on and over-eggs, although they aren’t alone. A BBC website feature was headed: “What Will Smith’s slap says about him – and us.”
“Us”? Don’t drag me into it. Still, this was composure itself compared to certain press.
No reasonable person is unconcerned by violence, toxic masculinity or alopecia; and one punch can kill. But it’s hard to see what difference the incident could possibly have made to anyone’s opinions, except on the two protagonists.
There have even been mutterings about perpetuating racial stereotypes; as if any race was immune from such unpleasantness and, let’s face it, stereotypes will only have been perpetuated in the minds of the mentally negligible.
There’s a difference between “most read” and “most important” and the potholes in Witherwack are more important than some Hollywood dingdong.