March 28, 2022
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Mike Binder
The repugnant behavior by Will Smith Sunday night shocked the world. It was a slap in the face to civilized society. A society already besieged with a citizenry giving itself permission to wantonly fly off the handle and lash out at perceived injustice with their fist, feet, or the closet stick they can find. The last thing we all needed to see was an example of this kind of unchecked anger coming from a major star, a hero, a elite icon, and at such a vaunted institution as the Oscars.
The behavior of Smith wasn’t the sourest of jokes last night. It was the fact he made Kayne-West-Ye look sane.
That’s not the worst of it. The sinful side of his rueful actions is the line he crossed by walking onto a stage and striking a comic. It’s not Will Smith that should feel the most of our ire though today. It’s the Academy members to a man and woman that stood up for him mere minutes later after he assaulted Chris Rock, and gave him a mighty ovation. I truly felt like throwing up. I was so ashamed to be in this business. The least that could have happened is they stayed in their seats. No, but to a person, every one of these big shots stood for him, not even feeling that a price needed to be paid. There is no punishment for bad behavior like this anymore. Not from certain types and towers.
Then we wonder why our kids act as they do?
I think the comedians of the world should and thankfully are the most up in arms today for our brother, Chris Rock. Comics, when it counts, back comics. It’s a mistake I made early in my life, not understanding this, and still regret it to this day taking the wrong side in the Comedy Store strike. Comics need to back comics. It is a brotherhood. Men, women, straight, gay, black, Asian, brown, white, and plaid. Fuck it. You can’t walk up and hit a fucking guy because you didn’t like the joke. Give him a thumbs down. Take Jada and leave. Turn your back. But stay in your rich man’s seat and keep your hands to yourself. Sorry, Will. You fucked up.
Here’s what some of the comics had to say on social. There’s a lot more talking this up as you’d expect.
JEFF ROSS
