Will Smith

[Auroranorth]

Mar 31, 2022 23:17:45 GMT -4 JDub said:

Thanks for that. Surprised I missed that footage today. I find it extra weird that Jada is clearly laughing at "Will Smith smacked the shit out of me" (along with the audience who all seem to think it's a bit) then again at "this is the greatest night in television".

I wonder if she was laughing out of shock. I've done that.

[cabbagekid]

Will Smith has resigned from the Academy.

[jmc]

I don't believe anything the Academy and Will Packer has to say about the situation. "Oh, we asked Will to leave." "Oh, the cops rushed to Chris and offered to arrest Will." It's all face saving BS from the people who are looking like the biggest losers in this whole fiasco.

[mementomori]

Apr 1, 2022 19:25:43 GMT -4 cabbagekid said:

Will Smith has resigned from the Academy.

This seems like a very just middle ground. He violated rules, he deserves consequence. I’m thrilled that doesn’t include relinquishing his Oscar, far many white men have done worse and keep their award relative to their artistic achievements. He DID NEED CONSEQUENCES. You cannot assault people, no matter how obnoxious, no matter how often they’ve allowed Ricky Gervais or Louis C.K. to say the “N-word.” Can I get some of y’all to sign on to Billy Crystal hosting again??? I’ll start the petition!

[lae]

Apr 1, 2022 19:25:43 GMT -4 cabbagekid said:

Will Smith has resigned from the Academy.

I wonder what this entails (I swear I read the article and didn’t see). Does he just lose his vote or his he never able to be nominated again? I assume he won’t be able to attend another Oscar’s ceremony. Can he rejoin later?

I agree he should keep his award. He earned it and, while his behavior was wrong, it isn’t anywhere on the same scale as the literal child rapists that have their academy awards still.

[Binky]

I would have preferred his membership be suspended until he completed a restitution/self-improvement protocol. Not because he punitively deserves it, but because he would clearly benefit from some outside help. He destroyed his good guy image in 30 seconds, and I don’t think that happens unless there’s some pre-existing need for help with some issues. Imagine if Jada had frowned, Will had scowled, and after his momentous win, they brought up that commenting on bodies and hair is shitty and educated on alopecia. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air got an Oscar! Instead..this.

I can’t get over how bonkers his behavior was. He was the presumptive best actor winner and he couldn’t stay in his seat. Drugs, alcohol, mental illness, non-existent coping mechanisms from one of the first three…

[scarlet]

From a film Twitter account:

“At this level it just means he can't vote. It depends on if the Academy wants to take any further action on the 18th when they have a meeting and vote on this. But today was probably to avoid that and it will likely just be this resignation.“

[carrier76]

Mar 31, 2022 23:17:45 GMT -4 JDub said:

Thanks for that. Surprised I missed that footage today. I find it extra weird that Jada is clearly laughing at "Will Smith smacked the shit out of me" (along with the audience who all seem to think it's a bit) then again at "this is the greatest night in television".

I think she was laughing because she approved. I have thought this the whole time.

[Ginger]

Will's publicist has been working with him! That's a better apology.

Despite the New York Post putting up a stupid headline, nobody has ever had their Oscar revoked as a disciplinary measure.

Only five people have ever been kicked out of the Academy - four rapists: Weinstein, Polanski, Cosby, and cinematographer Adam Kimmel; plus a guy who was caught in 2004 making VHS tapes out of Academy screeners and giving them to his family and friends. (They should reinstate that guy!) And none of those people had their Oscars taken away, nor are they prevented from being nominated in the future.

In practical terms, I think Will's pre-emptive resignation mainly means he won't get to vote and won't get screeners sent to him every year.

[cremetangerine82]

Apr 1, 2022 19:35:47 GMT -4 mementomori said:

Apr 1, 2022 19:25:43 GMT -4 cabbagekid said:

Will Smith has resigned from the Academy.

Can I get some of y’all to sign on to Billy Crystal hosting again??? I’ll start the petition!

Billy Crystal has hosted NINE times already! I’m sick of his mild jokes, dumb “It’s a Wonderful Night for Oscar” song, and stupid “Hi, I’m in the movies!” montage. He can’t be host again!

I believe Will Smith’s resignation prevented the AMPAS from giving harsher consequences (suspended membership, revoked membership, Oscar revoked, mandatory therapy, etc.), which is deeply frustrating. Will still has his Oscar and ruined the evening for every winner (that pisses me off). He’ll probably never get another Oscar nomination nor win or vote as a member of the Academy, hopefully permanently.

I’m glad his Oscar will remain the most Pyrrhic victory for him; he’s been wanting one for YEARS! He’s probably still angry about his snub for Concussion but didn’t give a damn about the other people of color (#OscarsSoWhite) who didn’t get nominated that year (2016) AND the previous year (2015)! Everything he has done in his life is all about him: not his wife, not his kids, not his fans, not his co-stars, not other actors of color, but him. It’s one of the reasons why I’ve never liked him.

Also, the G. I. Jane II joke was SO MILD compared to other jokes made during the Oscars (or on this board about celebrities’ appearances!), and it didn’t warrant The Slap^TM.

We can debate the AMPAS hypocrisy of others being able to keep their Oscars (Roman Polanski, Harvey Weinstein, etc.) until we’re blue in the face, but their membership was revoked for them. Will Smith resigned before AMPAS could even DECIDE on stricter measures, so that makes THEM look weak.

Ginger, the actor was Carmine Caridi (The Godfather, Part II) and he violated the FBI’s rule against making illegal copies of the AMPAS screeners and distributed them for years, so it was not just the AMPAS’ call, but he violated federal copyright law. Caridi was in an Oscar-winning movie, but he has no Oscar of his own.