Should Chris Rock sue Will Smith?

[Guest]

10 hours ago, Lucky said:

Picture yourself sitting on a jury deciding this case where Chris Rock refuses to testify.

If I were on a jury, I wouldn't need CR to testify in order for me to have enough evidence to be convinced beyond reasonable doubt that battery took place. 

[Guest]

I think it would be a serious mistake if WS doesn't have to endure some significant punishment for his actions. Otherwise this episode teaches that physical violence is OK if you feel provoked. If there are no criminal repercussions, I hope he has to cough up enough money to someone (even if that someone is a charity such as a battered spouse or victim fund) to cause some hurt for WS. I also hope the Academy takes some forceful action--be it revocation of the award for best actor in a leading role, membership revocation, or a ban on future attendance of Academy events. 

[foxy]

It’s ironic when you think how all these people in the movie industry who were understandably shocked at this display of violence especially when the majority of the product they make is so violent. Sort of a disconnect it seems to me. 

[+ purplekow]

Seems I have heard of Smith slapping someone else in the past.  Considering he did the movie Ali, I think he could have thrown a punch.  Perhaps if he had a glove he could have slapped Rock with that and challenged him to a duel.  

In any case, the price of tickets to Rock's comedy show have skyrocketed.  Smith was insured publicity even if he lost Best Actor.  As it is, he took the luster off that award.  

85 % of polled individuals sided with Rock.  However, Tiffany Haddash remarked that she though it was the most romantic thing she has seen.  So opinions are all over the place.  

A few people at work, Black women, think it was staged and that WS would never act that way.  This about a man who had an actress fired from his show because he did not like her.  

JPS could easily have donned a wig if she wanted to do so.  She chose to go out with that particular hairdo.  She did have a choice, just not one in which she would want to go out with her natural hair.  

When my wife was receiving chemotherapy, she wore a wig.  One day we were out to dinner and ran into a woman who had sold us a car.  When my wife went to stand up the woman inadvertently knocked my wife's wig off.  The woman was mortified.  My wife on the other hand said. "Yeah Chemotherapy is a bitch."  She then picked up the wig tossed it onto the table.   And said:  "Thanks for that, it was getting a pretty hot in there."    And she gave the woman a hug."Nice seeing you again". 

I on the other hand slapped the woman across her stupid face and said "Keep my wife's wig out of your fucking hand".  

And now, onto the next thing. 

Edited March 29, 2022 by purplekow

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

Zsa Zsa only got three days in jail.  She was driving with an open-container AND slapped a cop.

... This too shall pass.

[+ PapaTony]

Hypocrisy rules:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-10663631/Will-Smith-called-online-resurfaced-video-shows-mocking-bald-man.html

 

[BuffaloKyle]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/oscars/academy-outraged-by-will-smith-s-behavior-says-decision-could-take-weeks/ar-AAVFiy7?ocid=uxbndlbing

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences told members its leaders are "upset and outraged" by Will Smith's behavior during the Oscars, in a letter obtained by CNN hours before a key meeting on Smith's future.

The letter from Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson says the group is working on a "determination" on "appropriate action" for Smith, which could "take a few weeks."

I'm guessing he's a voting member of the academy as I think a nomination gets you access then automatically. So they could suspend or ban him from that and from coming again to the Oscars too. 

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

2 hours ago, PapaTony said:

Hypocrisy rules:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-10663631/Will-Smith-called-online-resurfaced-video-shows-mocking-bald-man.html

 

I don't take much of anything The Daily Mail says seriously.  It's trash journalism.

And this particular story was grasping at straws.

[EZEtoGRU]

More coming out about slap night and the consequences.  It seems the academy did ask WS to leave the show after the slap but he refused.  They are now looking at disciplinary action.  I hope he is banned from the academy and not allowed to attend future awards shows.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/30/entertainment/academy-will-smith/index.html

[+ PapaTony]

 

[+ Lucky]

The LA Times has this quote that I liked:

"David Dennis Jr., a senior writer at Andscape, added: “I don’t think the Academy would ever recover if Will Smith is the first person stripped or severely punished by the board.” He also joked: “If Chris Rock had known he would have rich white people rally around him like this he would have asked a Black person to slap him years ago.”

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-03-30/will-smith-slap-chris-rock-academy-reaction

[MikeBiDude]

Will Smith resigns from Academy.

[Testarossa28]

Seriously?! Uh, no...

[Guest]

1 hour ago, MikeBiDude said:

Will Smith resigns from Academy.

According to that article, it only means he won't be able to vote for their awards. It doesn't mean he can't be nominated for future awards. 

[MikeBiDude]

8 hours ago, Unicorn said:

According to that article, it only means he won't be able to vote for their awards. It doesn't mean he can't be nominated for future awards. 

Correct, and there are other Hollywood Social “perks” associated with membership he won’t be able to share in. The Academy Board could take more action, and have an April 18th meeting scheduled to discuss.

[BSR]

11 hours ago, MikeBiDude said:

Correct, and there are other Hollywood Social “perks” associated with membership he won’t be able to share in. The Academy Board could take more action, and have an April 18th meeting scheduled to discuss.

For those of us who know nothing about Inside Hollywood, what are the other "perks"?

[BSR]

On 3/29/2022 at 3:47 PM, Unicorn said:

I think it would be a serious mistake if WS doesn't have to endure some significant punishment for his actions. Otherwise this episode teaches that physical violence is OK if you feel provoked. If there are no criminal repercussions, I hope he has to cough up enough money to someone (even if that someone is a charity such as a battered spouse or victim fund) to cause some hurt for WS. I also hope the Academy takes some forceful action--be it revocation of the award for best actor in a leading role, membership revocation, or a ban on future attendance of Academy events. 

I am always uncomfortable with selective prosecution.  Imagine a similar incident between two not rich, not famous guys:  John Doe makes a joke about Joe Schmoe's wife, Joe laughs at first until he sees his wife upset, then Joe slaps John, and everything is caught on video & witnessed by a large crowd.  Does Joe get prosecuted for assault?  Yeah, duh.  So why should Will Smith get special treatment?

Yes, I am well aware that in the real world, the rich, powerful, famous, and well-connected live lives of privilege denied to the great unwashed.  Nonetheless, the more our legal system treats all citizens equally, celebrity or not, the better for everyone.  With a bit of googling, I found out that someone convicted of misdemeanor battery can get their sentence reduced to just probation (and you don't even need to be famous!).  I doubt Chris Rock wants to see Will Smith do serious jail time, but if Smith gets convicted and sentenced to probation, then at least justice is served.

[MikeBiDude]

The Academy speaks, Will Smith banned from Oscar and Academy functions for ten years.

[BSR]

5 hours ago, MikeBiDude said:

The Academy speaks, Will Smith banned from Oscar and Academy functions for ten years.

Not attending the Oscars for 10 years is more reward than punishment.