Will Smith

[MrsOldManBalls]

Maybe he’s a cuck and is into what Jada does? Could it be that simple?

[Binky]

Apr 9, 2022 0:46:56 GMT -4 cremetangerine82 said:

I concur with your post, dragonflie. I’m tired of seeing too many people on Twitter who are saying the punishment is too harsh, when somebody physically assaulted somebody on an internationally televised event! The 10-year suspension doesn’t preclude Will Smith from working on movies, and he’s still able to be nominated and possibly win another Oscar during it (though that could be doubtful).

It’s a sufficient punishment, and it’s also a deterrent to remind others that such egregious behavior won’t be repeated during another Oscars ceremony and overshadow the awards given that night. However, too many on social media are comparing Smith to Roman Polanski and Harvey Weinstein (who were expelled from AMPAS) or claiming another (admittedly still white-dominated) institution is “trying to bring a successful black man down” are false equivalencies.

I do wish the AMPAS does some more spring cleaning and expel Kevin Spacey, Mel Gibson, Casey Affleck, and Woody Allen.

The amount of false equivocation between Smith, who did a dumb bad thing live at the Oscars, and the many other Academy members who have done much worse things NOT live on stage, is maddening. Not the same scenario.

The Academy should have higher standards for members, but they aren’t gleefully punishing Smith for what he did…they’re punishing him for doing that AT the Oscars.

[dragonflie]

Totally agree Binky. While I may abhor men like Allen, Polanski, etc getting their award accolades, the act by Smith was an illegal act committed AT their own ceremony. They absolutely have a clear obligation to do something in this case.

That's the only caveat I'd add- what Smith did wasn't just dumb and bad- it was criminal behavior.

[mementomori]

Apr 9, 2022 16:44:10 GMT -4 dragonflie said:

Totally agree Binky. While I may abhor men like Allen, Polanski, etc getting their award accolades, the act by Smith was an illegal act committed AT their own ceremony. They absolutely have a clear obligation to do something in this case.

That's the only caveat I'd add- what Smith did wasn't just dumb and bad- it was criminal behavior.

I’ll do you one better: Will Smith’s behavior on their stage directly implicates them in that assault because they allowed it in their space. Polanski and Allen are actually heinous human beings that should never be celebrated by the Academy, but it’s a reach to blame the Academy for how vile these two men really are. In my assessment Will hasn’t shown himself to be on the same moral plane as these two creatures, but he deserves whatever reprimand the Academy gives.

[Lwaxana]

Apr 9, 2022 8:06:45 GMT -4 ahah said:

As for their marriage - if the snippets we see are accurate and Jada is truly that dismissive and manipulative of Will, I don’t buy that he’s a victim of her or deserves any sort of extended sympathy for the situation. He’s not financially dependent on her. Their kids are grown and not as dependent on a United family as young children would be. If he were that miserable, Will has the choice to leave, which is a choice many people in miserable marriages don’t feel they have due to financial concerns. Seeing marriage as forever and not something to walk away from is admirable and respectable. But it’s also a choice. Will has more choices than many people do.

I think these ignores how insidious and damaging abuse is. What if Will has been broken down to the point that he thinks he can't manage life without Jada's control? What if she's demeaned him to the point where he thinks no one else will stand him? What if he can't acknowledge he's being abused because he doesn't want to be a person who was capable of being abused?

It's so much more complicated than a choice to go or stay and I wish people would quit reducing abuse to that.

[ahah]

Apr 9, 2022 20:14:33 GMT -4 Lwaxana said:

Apr 9, 2022 8:06:45 GMT -4 ahah said:

As for their marriage - if the snippets we see are accurate and Jada is truly that dismissive and manipulative of Will, I don’t buy that he’s a victim of her or deserves any sort of extended sympathy for the situation. He’s not financially dependent on her. Their kids are grown and not as dependent on a United family as young children would be. If he were that miserable, Will has the choice to leave, which is a choice many people in miserable marriages don’t feel they have due to financial concerns. Seeing marriage as forever and not something to walk away from is admirable and respectable. But it’s also a choice. Will has more choices than many people do.

I think these ignores how insidious and damaging abuse is. What if Will has been broken down to the point that he thinks he can't manage life without Jada's control? What if she's demeaned him to the point where he thinks no one else will stand him? What if he can't acknowledge he's being abused because he doesn't want to be a person who was capable of being abused?

It's so much more complicated than a choice to go or stay and I wish people would quit reducing abuse to that.

For the record, I’m not reducing abuse to being that simple. That would require knowing a hell of a lot more about Will and Jadas marriage than we do from tiny snippets we see. It is such a serious allegation that I will not project it based on assumptions required to fill in the vast knowledge I don’t have of their relationship.

[Lwaxana]

Apr 9, 2022 20:19:43 GMT -4 ahah said:

Apr 9, 2022 20:14:33 GMT -4 Lwaxana said:

I think these ignores how insidious and damaging abuse is. What if Will has been broken down to the point that he thinks he can't manage life without Jada's control? What if she's demeaned him to the point where he thinks no one else will stand him? What if he can't acknowledge he's being abused because he doesn't want to be a person who was capable of being abused?

It's so much more complicated than a choice to go or stay and I wish people would quit reducing abuse to that.

For the record, I’m not reducing abuse to being that simple. That would require knowing a hell of a lot more about Will and Jadas marriage than we do from tiny snippets we see. It is such a serious allegation that I will not project it based on assumptions required to fill in the vast knowledge I don’t have of their relationship.

That's good. I was speaking about the language we use when discussing abuse in general, since I also don't claim to know what's going on in their specific marriage. But for all we know there are abused people reading the speculation, and the attitudes people share about that. There's a lot of shame in being abused that makes it hard to leave or come forward, or even admit that's what going on, despite victims being full grown adults who can choose to leave or stay. Even in men.

[cremetangerine82]

Someone did ask DJ Jazzy Jeff about The Slap^TM.

[scarlet]

I actually just heard the unedited incident for the first time today (it was just too cringeworthy for me to search it out before) and, wow, that was super crunchy. I wasn't watching the video and yet felt the entire vibe of the room change in seconds. I still haven't listened to Will's acceptance speech--hearing about the bullet points was enough.

And, because my timing is great (as noted above), I watched "King Richard" today, and it's really a shame that he blew up his big moment because he's really fantastic in it.

[ahah]

Apr 9, 2022 20:56:31 GMT -4 cremetangerine82 said:

Someone did ask DJ Jazzy Jeff about The Slap^TM and he defended Will to no one’s surprise.

I don’t think it’s fair to ask someone close to a person like this to comment. There’s no way to answer that question. If he blasted Will, that becomes the focus of the story and divides them. If he defends him, everyone rolls their eyes and thinks it’s insincere. Why bother asking?