The Official DIS Oscars LIVE Watch Party Thread! The Afterparty continues. . .

[TLSnell1981]

Actually. legally it's key that it was an open hand slap and not a punch. I learned this decades (and another body) ago, when I was learning martial arts/self defense. To always use an open hand. It's something like a misdemeanor when it's an open hand. It becomes a real assault when it's a closed fist.

So, if you ever find yourself hitting someone, use an open hand.

Will Smith ***** slapped Chris Rock. There’s no excuse for his horrifying behavior! Not okay in any universe!

 

[leeniewdw]

Yes! FINALLY someone in Hollywood willing to speak the TRUTH about others in Hollywood and what happened at the award show.

I love how Jim also called out Gail King for also being one of the spineless people trying to justify Will Smith.

Gail (for some reason, herself looking confused, tortured and uncomfortable): "No Jim, I just thought it escalated to that. You know what I mean? It escalated to that level."

Jim: "It didn't escalate. It came out of nowhere because Will has something going on inside him that's frustrated. I wish him the best. I really do."

I can only presume Gayle is friends with the Smiths. I believe anyone who is a friend of Oprah's is a friend of hers. I could be wrong, but I presume they are at least friendly. He's been a big star for a long time and I presume they've both interviewed him countless times. It would SUCK to see someone you know as calm and good do something like that and have to try to cover the story as impartial. But what she said was bad. Carrey got right to the correct point.

As far as hollywood, I was STUNNED he got a standing O. Anyone who did is crazy.

However, Hollywood is what it is because people are willing to pay for it, go to their movies, stream their shows, follow them on instagram, buy their product lines, whatever.

I don't usually watch CBS. I watch GMA on ABC. Seriously, this is the best CBS can do? Hire an anchor/reporter who can't tell there was no escalation that happened before Chris Rock got assaulted? I get she's Oprah's BFF. But, her job is supposed to accurately assess situations and ask questions according to that.

I really think she is one of the spineless celebrity people who is used to everyone saying "yes" to Oprah, or she needs to stay on the good side of the Oscar winners so they do a future interview with her. She really thought if she leads Jim Carrey by saying, "You know what I mean? It escalated to that level." That "You know what I mean? was a cue that Jim was supposed to fall in line and be a sheeple and also give Will Smith a pass.

Meanwhile, on ABC this morning, (already mentioned up-thread,) George Stephanopoulus was asking their legal expert, "Why wasn't Will Smith hauled out of there???"

Gayle King is actually pretty good at her role imo. She actually came up thru broadcasting so it's not like she's got no experience in reporting/journalism. Obviously being Oprah's BFF doesn't hurt, but she's not inexperienced. I don't actually watch any of the morning shows, but I've seen her interviews. Obviously, her comment in this case was terrible. They shouldn't have her doing interviews about it if she's friendly with him/them.

 

[Imzadi]

Yet another reason everyone is on Chris rock's side. He's by all accounts a nice guy, whereas Will and family...

The restraint he showed in handling the situation just goes to show what kind of guy he is. Oh the comebacks he could have used given what Will was yelling.

Absolutely! I have a whole new opinion of Chris Rock. Total respect!!!

I was watching Bill Maher on TMZ Live a little while ago. He attended the Vanity Fair afterparty, which is one of the huge ones to get into after the Oscars. He said he was talking to a very prominent member of the African-American community, a big celebrity. He didn't want to drop names, as it was a private conversation. But someone asked this person, "What would have happened if Chris had reacted differently and hit back?"

This person said: "He couldn't. He had the whole race on his shoulders."

(I wonder if this was the same man Harvey Levin has spoken to when I posted earlier: scratchin:

Harvey Levin at TMZ, also reported he personally talked to an extremely, extremely successful and powerful black entertainer who was at the awards, on the phone the next morning. He said that man said, "Every black person in the audience felt broken after that slap." There are three extremely, extremely successful and powerful black entertainers I can think of off-hand, who Harvey would have their private phone numbers and would take his call: Denzel, Tyler Perry, and Samuel L. Jackson. Three men who worked so hard to get their achievements, yet still understand how easily, due to social perceptions or a social injustice, it could all be taken away."​

Chris had been a previous Oscar host. He is among only a handful of hosts who know the enormity of the responsibility to keep that show that had 60-ish million viewers around the world, watching live, and keep himself together, keep the show on track and moving forward, even after he had been assaulted.

He deserves much more recognition for how he responded.


If you look at the video again, you can see he looks at the teleprompter a couple times, to try to get some direction from the control room. Meanwhile they are probably going, "OMG! OMG!" and not typing, trying to figure out what to do. He says a joke, and finally plows forward to present the next award.

Can you imagine how the narrative would have gone had he hit Will back and the show devolved into two black men hitting each other onstage?

 

[Imzadi]

symantocs. Will Smith ***** slapped Chris Rock. There’s no excuse for his behavior. It horrifying! Not okay in any universe!

Oh, I'm not excusing his behavior. Just saying, if (general) you have to hit someone even in self defense, use an open hand, if possible, so you won't have worse charges pressed against you.

 

[Imzadi]

I heard the show today and I 100% disagree with Whoopi that they made the right decision by allowing him to stay.

I do too. He should have been escorted out. Then his award handed to him in the parking lot later. Message being: You assault someone, you leave. You forfeit your right to stand onstage and have your "Oscar winning moment."

I get the they thought he may have had a break down. But he could have been tended to in the parking lot too.

BTW, TMZ has been monitoring Kanye's fans reactions. They are in an uproar. They are saying, had it been Kanye who slapped a presenter, he would have been escorted out. And people wouldn't be quietly saying he's having a mental breakdown.

TMZ noted both Will and Kanye used the same excuse for their weird, violent behaviors, "Love will make you do crazy things."

 

[DLgal]

TMZ noted both Will and Kanye used the same excuse for their weird, violent behaviors, "Love will make you do crazy things."

When I hear this sentiment, I think "jump in front of an oncoming car to save my child", not "slap a grown man half my size across the face because I didn't like his joke about my wife."

 

[AustinTink]

And another thing... if Will and Jada had not been so put out by Chris Rock's joke, Jada might have actually been able to parlay the G.I. Jane 2 idea into a movie role. Just sayin'.

 

[Imzadi]

Sooo, it turns out Will is really fond of slapping. He taught a young fan how to do a fake slap. TMZ (of course) got a hold of the video. It was shot back in November when Will was doing press promos for King Richard.

It just so happens the kid he is teaching is named: Chris.

 

[brockash]

Oh, I'm not excusing his behavior. Just saying, if (general) you have to hit someone even in self defense, use an open hand, if possible, so you won't have worse charges pressed against you.

No one "has" to hit someone in a situation in which they could possibly be charged. The only time someone "has" to hit someone would be if they were trapped and feared for their well-being.

 

[brockash]

When I hear this sentiment, I think "jump in front of an oncoming car to save my child", not "slap a grown man half my size across the face because I didn't like his joke about my wife."

Exactly...this is the opposite of love and immediately makes me think of manipulative violent ppl. Again, something we teach our kids when we talk about healthy v. unhealthy relationships. It's really sickening and kinda makes you wonder how much of a chance young ppl. have when this is the kind of crap they're surrounded by.

 

[Planogirl]

I do too. He should have been escorted out. Then his award handed to him in the parking lot later. Message being: You assault someone, you leave. You forfeit your right to stand onstage and have your "Oscar winning moment."

I get the they thought he may have had a break down. But he could have been tended to in the parking lot too.

BTW, TMZ has been monitoring Kanye's fans reactions. They are in an uproar. They are saying, had it been Kanye who slapped a presenter, he would have been escorted out. And people wouldn't be quietly saying he's having a mental breakdown.

TMZ noted both Will and Kanye used the same excuse for their weird, violent behaviors, "Love will make you do crazy things."

Apples and oranges IMO. Kanye has been doing loony things for a while but I doubt that anyone expected anything like this from Will Smith. In spite of his family, he comes across as a nice guy. I imagine that most in the audience were not only shocked but still see him as this nice guy that lost it.

Plus there is this show must go on tradition. Right or wrong, most would probably move on in the moment because that is what they normally do.

 

[Imzadi]

No one "has" to hit someone in a situation in which they could possibly be charged. The only time someone "has" to hit someone would be if they were trapped and feared for their well-being.

YES, hence, taking a SELF DEFENSE course. We've been taught that there are times when the attacker later turns around and tries to sue or press charges against the victim, stating they (the attacker) was being the one punched.

Also the courses I took and later became an assistant for couldn't LEGALLY be described as teaching self defense if we were teaching people to punch.

 

[Claudia1]

For a man who acted violently and impulsively out of emotion, I find it odd that his brain clicked into gear to choose a slap over a punch. A slap is not the usual first choice of action for a violent man. I'm not buying the "blind rage" excuse.

 

[Carol_]

 

[mom2rtk]

I was watching Bill Maher on TMZ Live a little while ago. He attended the Vanity Fair afterparty, which is one of the huge ones to get into after the Oscars. He said he was talking to a very prominent member of the African-American community, a big celebrity. He didn't want to drop names, as it was a private conversation. But someone asked this person, "What would have happened if Chris had reacted differently and hit back?"

This person said: "He couldn't. He had the whole race on his shoulders."

(I wonder if this was the same man Harvey Levin has spoken to when I posted earlier: scratchin:

Harvey Levin at TMZ, also reported he personally talked to an extremely, extremely successful and powerful black entertainer who was at the awards, on the phone the next morning. He said that man said, "Every black person in the audience felt broken after that slap." There are three extremely, extremely successful and powerful black entertainers I can think of off-hand, who Harvey would have their private phone numbers and would take his call: Denzel, Tyler Perry, and Samuel L. Jackson. Three men who worked so hard to get their achievements, yet still understand how easily, due to social perceptions or a social injustice, it could all be taken away."​

Chris had been a previous Oscar host. He is among only a handful of hosts who know the enormity of the responsibility to keep that show that had 60-ish million viewers around the world, watching live, and keep himself together, keep the show on track and moving forward, even after he had been assaulted.

He deserves much more recognition for how he responded.


If you look at the video again, you can see he looks at the teleprompter a couple times, to try to get some direction from the control room. Meanwhile they are probably going, "OMG! OMG!" and not typing, trying to figure out what to do. He says a joke, and finally plows forward to present the next award.

Can you imagine how the narrative would have gone had he hit Will back and the show devolved into two black men hitting each other onstage?

Then how did we get from that to a standing ovation?

 

[EMom]

I particularly disliked Smith playing the victim in his acceptance speech, whining about how actors have to take abuse, be disrespected, etc. and take it with a smile on their face. It’s hard to work up a tear over his misfortune when I think about how people who do IMPORTANT work and make a tiny fraction of his salary, put up with much worse. Teachers, nurses, police, just about anyone in the service industry, and the list goes on. Cry me a river, Will. You are NOT a victim.

 

[Karin1984]

Then how did we get from that to a standing ovation?

It was a half hour (?) later. By then there was so much booze in the audience, they had forgotten all about it.

 

[leeniewdw]

I particularly disliked Smith playing the victim in his acceptance speech, whining about how actors have to take abuse, be disrespected, etc. and take it with a smile on their face. It’s hard to work up a tear over his misfortune when I think about how people who do IMPORTANT work and make a tiny fraction of his salary, put up with much worse. Teachers, nurses, police, just about anyone in the service industry, and the list goes on. Cry me a river, Will. You are NOT a victim.

The public scrutiny and safety issues of being that kind of star and raising a family is so enormous I can't even imagine. But it's nice they have tons of similar friends where they can complain until the cows come home about it. Public complaints from the privileged is always a bad idea. (He could always just fade into the sunset with his money and privacy if he so chose.) But worse, he compared himself to the Williams family. What they dealt with when the girls were young (and even not so young) when they had 1/millionth the resources and power is in no way similar to hearing a lame/tame joke.

 

[mom2rtk]

It was a half hour (?) later. By then there was so much booze in the audience, they had forgotten all about it.

30 whole minutes? Well.....

 

[leeniewdw]

No one in the audience forgot. I've listened to interviews with journalists that were in the room and they talked about how everyone was kind of shell shocked and distracted and didn't really know how to behave. This person was also in the room when the Moonlight/LaLa Land snafu happened and said this was on another level.

I can only hope/presume that those that stood are thinking "Why TF did I do that" upon reflection. I get that the slap literally did not change his performance in King Richard, but in no way should they have stood.