Is Will Not Human?

March 29, 2022

As I’ve said before, Jemele Hill’s article in the Atlantic does the best job so far of capturing the nuance of the Smith-Rock altercation.

In Hill’s opinion, Whites are expressing “disproportionate outrage” over what happened compared to those in the Black community who are more accustomed to dealing with violence.

What I’ve been trying to advocate is a more nuanced opinion and a more measured response. It’s important to see the incident from both sides and through the perspective of the people involved.

Again, the slap was wrong. It was a bad action that cost Will Smith the high ground.

But, it was also one terrible moment in an otherwise decent person’s life. Smith was considered a good guy until Sunday night. And, relatively speaking, especially to people who are accustomed to gun violence, domestic abuse, prostitution, etc., it was a slap.

I’ve had a woman physically attack me, push me down the stairs and into a fence leaving bruises, steal my phone, etc. She was arrested, but posted bail within hours and the District Attorney dropped the charges without even contacting me. That’s how it happens in real life.

If it was Chris Jones getting slapped by Bill Smith at a backyard barbecue, no one would give a fuck. But, because it occurred on the Oscar’s stage, suddenly people are calling for blood. While celebrities get away with a lot, sometimes they are more closely scrutinized.

My point is, the outrage is exhausting. And, it’s exactly the kind of “cancel culture” bullshit that is ripping this country apart. I see Will Smith as human. He was under incredible pressure because he was the favorite to win the Oscar. Losing would be a humiliating defeat. He sat for three hours hearing joke after joke at his family’s expense. And he laughed through it all. Then, a comedian went after his wife with a cruel joke who basically no one thought was funny. The same comedian who has had Will Smith in his crosshairs for years.

He snapped. The part of him that feels obligated to protect women he sees being hurt, drove him to a physical altercation. It’s clear he wanted to humiliate Rock rather than hurt him because he used an open hand to slap him once. As many have pointed out, Smith could have pummeled the smaller Rock if he really wanted to. So, even in the moment he lost control, he held back.

Now, you might not agree with what I’ve said and it might comfort you to be “appalled by his violence.” But, my opinion is, anger doesn’t solve anything. Instead of punishing Will Smith for losing his cool, treat him like a human being with flaws just like the rest of us. If you got pissed and slapped someone (and I have friends who have done just that), wouldn’t you rather someone treated you with understanding than with outrage?

He’s apologized publicly to Chris Rock, the Academy and his fellow nominees — the people he hurt the most. He knows what he did was wrong. He’s learned his lesson and will most likely never make the same mistake again. Up to now, he’s led an exemplary life.

If he were Bill Smith, that would be enough to cut him some slack and offer him a second chance. So what’s the point in punishing him more? The worse thing that could be done to him, he did to himself. Now he has to live with the consequences.

I choose forgiveness, understanding, reconciliation, and growth over retribution.

I haven’t talked about Chris Rock, but I would apply the same standard to him. But of course, he has yet to apologize or to make amends for his cruel behavior.