Will Smith is an actor, but he`s also a rapper. He won the first MTV Video Music Award for best rap video with «Parents just don`t understand». The rap magazine XXL has referred to him as «one of the most important rappers of all time». On top of that, he is also one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In other words; he is a role model for many upcoming stars on this planet.
But Will Smith made headlines during Sunday`s Oscars ceremony when he walked on stage (live on TV), and struck comedian Chris Rock. He slap his face because he mocked his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith`s bald head. She struggles with alopecia, which causes hair loss.
Comedian Chris Rock made a crack that Jada Pinkett Smith was ready to star in «G.I. Jane 2» thanks to her closed-shaved look. Will Smith went to the stage, and slap Rock in the face, and said; «Leave my wife`s name out of your f-king mouth.»
«I think Chris was messy….. (Jada) was hurt. And (Will) protected his wife. And that`s what a man is supposed to do,» Tiffany Haddish said to the LA Times.
«I think it`s inappropriate to make any joke about someone with alopecia as it`s a condition that highly impacts mental health for that individual and isn`t a laughing matter,» Ex on the Beach» contestant Zara Lena Jackson, who has the same illnes, said.
The Academy tweeted that they does not condone violence of any form, and everybody around the world is talking about Will Smith and violence. But why isn`t someone talking about Chris Rock`s violence?
Both were violent, and violence isn`t okay. Nor is an assault the answer. But this is the second time Chis has made fun of Jada on the Oscars’ stage. This time Chris went after her alopecia. Sophia Bush tweeted that punching down at someone`s auto-immune disease is wrong. Doing so on purpose is cruel.
We are living in a world with so much hate, and the biggest problem is at the school among teenagers. They are mocking each other. Some people are “gang stalkers,” and paid to do it. But it`s not going to be any better if it is ok to do it on TV. Among big stars, politicians, PM`s and presidents.
What about Trump. The Hate Trump Media mocked him every single day in four years. Hair is probably of high interest to people. They mocked Trump`s hair. They mocked his fingers too. Did someone stop it? No. It was funny.
This is violence, and violence is often understood as the use or threat of force that can result in injury, deprivation or even death. It can be physical, but it can also be verbal or mental. Violence is also the myriad and often less obvious consequences of violent behaviour, such as psychological harm, deprivation and maldevelopment that compromise the well-being of individuals, families and communities.
Chris crossed a line, and mocked Jada twice. This is harassment, and harassment is illegal.
Harassment can include offensive or derogatory jokes, racialor ethnic slurs, pressure for dates or sexual favors, unwelcome comments about a person`s religion or religious garments, or offensive graffiti, cartoons or pictures.
Verbal harassment includes, but is not limited to, the use of profanity, loud or boisterous remarks, inappropriate speech, inappropriate suggestive conduct or body movements or comments that could be interpreted by the hearer as being derogatory in nature.
What Chris Rock did to Jada is a statement about who he is as a human being. It`s ok if Chris Rock dislike Jada, but it`s not ok to disrespect, degrade, and humiliate someone. Emotional abuse is just as bad as physical abuse. Sometimes it can be worse. People can break a leg and they can heal broken bones, but people can`t heal a broken mind.
Mental abuse is much more painful than physical abuse because people are consumed by their own thoughts. People with an ugly soul enjoy bullying other people. They like to be verbally and mentally abusive. They like to put people down, insulting them and hurting them with their rudness. Being a comedian is not an excuse, because what comes around, goes around. Hate generates hate.
What Chris Rock did was not ok. What Will Smith was not ok either. But don`t just look at the target. Look at the harasser too.
Ket Garden
Shiny bull 