#OscarsSoViolent

Why didn't Jada get and go slap him?

I mean, I thought we were empowering women and equal rights and all that bull*****

This obviously isn't some grand new insight, but fame on the level of Will Smith, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and the like increasingly seems to be one of the worst imaginable nightmares. Just utterly corrosive to one's worldview and humanity. I mean, Will Smith absolutely lost his mind in front of millions of people on live TV tonight, Tom Cruise is so far gone that he's forbidden from seeing his own daughter, and Brad Pitt's ex-wife has heavily hinted that he was at one point an abusive drunk. None of these people can ever go out in public without being mauled or have a normal conversation with someone who isn't kissing their ass. Yet so many people try so desperately to achieve their level of fame, when that level of fame has almost never not lead to a deeply broken life. It's just wild to think about sometimes.

I feel like directors/producers have it best. They can be revered, live in mansions in the hills, and get in all the good restaurants, yet most people have no idea what they look like, would never bother them on the street, and their worldviews don't become *too* distorted. Granted, a lot of yes men still kiss their asses, but that happens to basically any successful professional, in any industry, so that's a tough one to avoid.

Basically, give me successfully anonymity over successful fame any day of the week.

Everything about this feels gross. Post-slap, he should have been escorted out of the theater during the first commercial break, but considering that didn't happen, he at least should have avoided the after parties. Instead, he's rewarded with a room full of ass-kissers…

Will Smith holding court at the Vanity Fair party, dancing to his hits pic.twitter.com/PtX7tnsNKS

— nekesa mumbi moody (@nekesamumbi) March 28, 2022

Honestly, I think it's high time the Oscars cease being a network-aired event. The desperate need to gain/retain eyeballs in an increasingly divided and disinterested world, the aim to be everything to everyone, and do it all under three hours, is bringing out the absolute worst of the show and of the Academy. Just put the damn thing on TNT or AMC or wherever, make it a five-hour marathon event, and celebrate the sh*t out of filmmaking and the nominees. Add a few more categories (Best Stunt Work, Best Breakthrough Performance, etc), inject some of that tipsy Golden Globes vibe, and call it a day. This isn't rocket science. Put simply, quit disrespecting the industry you're trying to honor, finally face the music that the Oscar telecast can no longer be the cash cow for Academy it once was, and make a show *for* cinema lovers *by* cinema lovers.

Totally forgot about this. No doubt a winking dig at their once-open relationship…

And no one slapped her! https://t.co/4gdnEwNOL4

— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) March 28, 2022

TCTTS said:

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Really great thread…

So here's the thing. This isn't the everyday fight between two people of mild renown who have a beef over some words.

These are two of the probably 10 (if I'm generous) most powerful black people in Hollywood. These negroes got $, leverage, connections and networks.

— Dr. KW understands the “pause” (@kristenwarner) March 28, 2022

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Nothing but a bunch of self righteous, insecure, racist word salad.

Good lord.

Iraq2xVeteran said:

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The Oscars was scheduled to end at 10:00, but it dint end until 10:42. These award shows always end well past scheduled time. I didn't tune in to the Oscars until 9:00 because I was watching Fox animation shows: Simpsons, The Great North, Bob's Burger, and Family Guy.

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TC, where are we on the script about the AI program posting on a message board that doesn't realize it's an AI program?

She's a black woman essentially saying that right as the Oscars were starting to embrace diversity, expand their membership to include more black members, and hire a black producer to run the show, all in response to the whole #OscarsSoWhite thing, one of the most famous black men on the planet assaulted another black man onstage, thereby setting back all the progress she felt had been made. She then talks about how many years Smith has spent trying to rehabilitate his image, in the wake off all his box office bombs, how he used Instagram to help do that, and then how stupid it was to destroy all of that goodwill literally minutes before reaching the top of the mountain again. And then she goes off on him again for doubling down in his acceptance speech.

How is that "self righteous, insecure, racist word salad"? What about any of that is untrue? She's a black woman calling out Will Smith in what I found to be poignant fashion, just like nearly everyone else here is doing.

I swear, some of you see only what you want to see, and read only what you want to read, reality be damned.

"celebrate the sh*t out of filmmaking"

Why?

Because that's what the Oscars are for, and what movie fans want to see? Do you really have a problem with that?

I'm not going to approve or condemn what Will Smith did. Feels like there's a hell of a lot more going on than just a joke about hIs wife being bald. I will say he rained on his own parade as a result. I'm more mad at Chris Rock to an extent. He's one of the best comics ever and on the world stage he makes a joke about a woman being bald? He's better than that as a comedian, that's low hanging fruit for a comic of his caliber. He might as well be making fat jokes.

What I will say is this moment feels like a death knell to an extent for the Oscars. At first glance I'm sure the academy was juiced that a huge viral moment came out during the awards that got everyone talking, but in reality the moment completely negated anything else that happened for the entire ceremony. The show is no longer about Will Smith's Oscar win, or Coda, or Dune, or Jane Campion. It's about the slap by one of the most famous people on the planet during the Oscars. When interest in the ceremony seems to decrease annually, this moment is going to reinforce the apathy, it does for me at least.

I used to love watching The Oscars, I love going to the movies, they are one of my favorite activities. But with the increasing quality of streaming TV options it feels like finding movies that I really enjoy is increasingly difficult. I'll also admit that I share some blame there. I don't put in the effort to seek out movies like I do for TV. Having a kid doesn't make getting to the movies easy to boot.

I just think the whole thing is a sad turn of events.

The Academy Awards should send Will Smith a great big fruit basket because he is the only reason people are talking about the Oscars this morning.

Saw King Richard and thought it was perfectly okay but felt like a movie from another time. A man is responsible for the success of two of the most dominant female tennis players of all time. I know Venus and Serena were involved in the making of the movie but their characters barely resonated in a movie about their success.

Forget it.

I'm not starting this week off getting sucked in to something with you over an inconsequential tweet about a couple of grown men who play dress up fighting.

Have a good one TCTTS.

Yes - hypocrisy all around. That WS speech could not have seemed more disingenuous after what just took place. And how about just a couple years after "me too" you have an Oscar host feeling up a clearly embarrassed Josh Brolin and Jason Mamoa.
And perhaps almost as offensive was creating a song and dance number to the "in memoriam" segment (and leaving out Norm McD) - what the hell was that?

diamondag said:

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In my opinion You don't commit battery on television to defend your wife's honor instead you turn the Shame on Chris rock

If this happens you man up walk on stage grab the mic and Shame Chris rock by stating this joke is in bad taste

That your beautiful wife has allopecia and that this joke is uncalled for. Say you love her with all your heart and you should slap the hell outta this man but won't stoop to his level

State she deserves better than this joke as does anybody suffering from an illness

Then drop the mic

That's how you defend your wife in public by not assaulting a man in front of possibly children watching but instead make him look little and guilty in front of everyone

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Or you just take the joke like an adult and move on. And if your wife give you the stink eye, you tell her to get over it. That that is the price of fame. And if she doesn't like it, wear a wig next time.

Superb trolling by the Academy!

If you would have told me that - during Women's History Month when the trifecta of diversity bingo hosts (black woman, Jew, black lesbian) was supposed to shine - the all-black production team dreamed up a way to normalize toxic masculinity and black-on-black violence while setting the internet on fire, I would have called you a liar.

I just can't get over how disgusting and depressing the entire night was, from top to bottom.

TCTTS said:

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I just can't get over how disgusting and depressing the entire night was, from top to bottom.

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Welcome to the party. We've been thinking this for a decade or two.

We have to "feel bad" and coddle the feelings over the insecurities of a woman who spent most of her life as one of the hottest and richest women out there? GTFO with all the "but its alopecia"

Welcome to getting old like all of us. Some of us even get really sick and even were born ugly.

TCTTS said:

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It's been bad, but never remotely this bad.

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You are living amongst the trees. We outsiders see the whole forest.

To me, the standing ovation that Roman Polanski got was far more disgusting.

TCTTS said:

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I'm sorry, but whining about an actor saying mean things about Trump doesn't come close to comparing to what happened tonight. That, and there's always been hypocrisy and self-congratulations. This, however, was something altogether different - a perfect, utterly ridiculous sh*t storm of insanity at exactly the wrong time.

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What did I say about Trump? Roman Polanski is a child rapist and Hollywood gave him a standing ovation at the Oscars. But I guess that didn't phase you as much as Will Smith slapping somebody.

I know it is Hollywood and that's how it has always been; however, that video of Smith at the after party makes me ill. I can't imagine the ego and complete lack of a conscience one has to have to celebrate as if nothing happened while the leaches fawn over you. That, and everything else in Hollywood, is a disgusting and vile sight.

TCTTS said:

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aTmAg said:

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TCTTS said:

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I'm sorry, but whining about an actor saying mean things about Trump doesn't come close to comparing to what happened tonight. That, and there's always been hypocrisy and self-congratulations. This, however, was something altogether different - a perfect, utterly ridiculous sh*t storm of insanity at exactly the wrong time.

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What did I say about Trump? Roman Polanski is a child rapist and Hollywood gave him a standing ovation at the Oscars. But I guess that didn't phase you as much as Will Smith slapping somebody.

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I was clearly talking about anti-Trump opinions expressed in a more general sense, by those at the Oscars, as *one* example. As for Polanski, that was long before I ever really paid attention to the Oscars. I couldn't even tell you what they were applauding him for.

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Well now you know. Hollywood has been disgusting for a long time. And politics is just part of it.