The situation around the Will Smith and Chris Rock slap needs to be addressed. The Will Smith part is very cut and dry. Based on the Academy’s no violence policy his Oscar should be taken away. The part though that most people are not focusing on is Chris Rocks part in what happened. Without Chris Rocks words the situation wouldn’t have happened. Let’s break down his part.
As kids there is the stupid rhyme “sticks and stones my break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” This rhyme was actually thrown up against me when I was on the Chris Rock Facebook page pointing out what he did wrong in the situation and that he needed to be held accountable. Yes, I know I put myself in the line of fire from crazed fans, but people need to stand up against bullies and I have been doing it my whole life. Anyway, this rhyme is wrong. We all know that words do have an impact, can destroy people’s mental health, and even lead to suicide. I actually got to see a great presentation by the public speaker Dave Weber, where he also threw this rhyme under the bus because of how wrong it is. The impact that words have has been known for years. We all saw the look on Jada’s face after Chris’s comments. Intent vs. impact is key here. Jokes can be easily turned into abuse and harassment depending on how the person they are directed at takes them. This is a line that comedians cross and should be called out for if they cross this line. The joke Chris made actually became a form of harassment since it addressed a medical condition/disability that Jada has. Since it targeted these topics it also pushed into the world of open discrimination. The funny thing is that Chris Rock has come out about being bullied as a kid and now it seems like he is trying to make up for it now by being the bully as an adult.[i]
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She had many different facial expressions and none of them reflects that the comment had a good impact on her. |
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Even her over all body language shows that there was a negative impact on her. She also adjusts in her seat which can be a sign of discomfort. |
Jada has been very out in her condition and much can be found about her addressing it. Her condition is called Alopecia. Her type is an auto-immune disease. This disease can attack anywhere the body grows hair, like eyebrows and beards.[ii] Some people can recover with treatment whereas others get worse.[iii] Some people say that it is stressed induced, but there is “very little scientific evidence” to support this.[iv] Some people have even blamed the stress in her relationship with her husband for the condition, but this is unclear based on the science. There are also different types of Alopecia with slightly different issues. Jada has been out about her condition since 2018 and it is very easy to find info on her in relation to it.[v]
Many supporters of Chris Rock keep saying that he didn’t know about her condition. This information is not new since she has been out since 2018. This is one where comedians need to stay on top of news and do their research. If he did not prepare that joke in advance, then he should have chosen safer topics to make fun of that didn’t require research. Things like how a dress looks (does it look like the person is wearing a tree), politics, or their own personal stories. There are few jobs where you can show up unprepared and not get into trouble.
Then there is the part of the issue where people are saying it was a compliment
to say she looked like she could be in GI Jane. First off, compliments are
supposed to be saying something good about a person and not just picking on
them (see above about intent vs. impact). For those that are not familiar with
the movie, GI Jane, a woman is put through hell by males while trying to be
accepted on a combined reconnaissance team. This whole movie is about women
having to adjust who they are and strip themselves of female characteristics in
order to be accepted into a boys’ club. One way of doing this is the shaving of
the head. The military will say this is needed because it can get in the way or
even be grabbed in hand to hand combat. The truth is that throughout history
many great fighters had long hair. Just tell a Viking or Hun that they can’t fight
because of their hair style. Shaving of the head is more of a symbol to modern
military and when it comes to females it forces them to castrate historic
perceptions of beauty just so that they can fit in. By Chris Rock linking her
to GI Jane it said that she was trying to fit into a male dominated world and
had to adjust her appearance to do so. This was a direct attack on her as a
female with is also a form of discrimination.
All of this still breaks down into Chris Rock crossing the line from “jokes” to harassment and discrimination with his comments at the Oscar’s in relation to Jada. Both the Academy and our larger society needs to hold him responsible for his attacks on a woman’s medical condition not to mention how this was also an attack on her perceived gender.
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Many others are also sharing their views about the situation and Chris's part in it. |
To those that read this I tell you to take action. I’m calling
for a full boycott of all Chris Rock movies and comedy shows until he formally
apologizes to Jada Pinkett Smith for his words at the Oscars. I have not only
done this but I also requested that the Academy address his actions as well
both on their Facebook page and sending a message directly to them as well
through their website.
As I always tell my readers: Be the change you want to see in the
world.
Further Reading:
Words and Mental Health
“How Do Negitive Words Impact People?”
https://www.voicesofyouth.org/blog/how-do-negative-words-impact-people
Bullying and Harassment
“How to Deal With Adult Bullying”
https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-deal-with-adult-bullying-5187158
Jokes vs. Bullying Behavior
“Fun and jokes verses bullying behavior”
Historic Look at Hair
“Viking Age Hair” By Elisabeth Arwill-Nordbladh. https://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue42/6/8.cfm
Many of the views of hair continue into today. Hair is also a big part of some religions and women are forced to cover their hair.
"Jada Pinkett Smith's Experience With Alopecia Puts a Spotlight on the Disease" this one actually talks about not only her situation, but on how we continue to link hair to things like beauty and health. https://www.ebony.com/health/jada-pinkett-smith-alopecia1/?fbclid=IwAR0g3kerJ_Jr6Z6HwNuITkF7cUPdCpA2_XxecpyCsecvs6A7lTnG28tc1EQ
This is actually a good video that talks about how Chris has bullied the Smiths in the past and how complex the issue is: https://youtu.be/J4q2g6zWuY4
Chris Rock is not the only Comedian to cross this line. Several years ago Jimmy Kimmel was called out for it as well. You can read more about this at: https://childrensmd.org/browse-by-age-group/toddler-pre-school/hey-jimmy-kimmel-you%E2%80%99re-teaching-our-kids-how-to-bully/ . These kinds of things are seen as funny by some, but they leave lasting damage.
Works cited:
Tanner, Lindsey. “Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair loss from alopecia: what is this autoimmune disease that affects women and men?” Chicago Sun Times, March 28, 2022. https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/3/28/23000162/jada-pinkett-smith-hair-loss-from-alopecia-oscar-night-slap-will-smith-chris-rock
“Alopecia Areata.” WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/hair-loss/hair-loss-alopecia
“Chris Rock Ran Into His
Bully as an Adult.” The Howard Stern Show. September 9, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPJ-2SrAzo8
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