# So Will Smith punched Chris Rock at the Oscars last night **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comedian-jokes, talk-variety-show\ **Created:** [March 28, 2022, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826 "2022-03-28T08:32:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 34
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2022, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/661 "2022-04-05T21:07:14Z")
> [@DKW](#): > > instead of firing an absolutely blistering “finish” I myself thought of several blistering things he might have said … a couple of nights later in bed. At the time (i.e. when I thought of them) I wished Rock had been quicker on the uptake and buried Smith, because it looked like Smith was not only getting away with it but was getting celebrated for it. Now, not so much, and it’s probably best that Rock didn’t fight back. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2022, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/662 "2022-04-05T23:58:21Z")
Yes, Rock and his fellow stand-up comics should excoriate Smith in their routines. The problem with allowing people like Smith (entitled, hot-head Hollywood elite) to get away with bad behavior and/or violence is that they may be tempted to repeat the pattern (flashback to Zza Zza Gabor). There must be consequences to antisocial behavior. Or, we may soon see news clips like: _I don’t want your Girl Scout cookies, girl!_ \<\\> _Keep your F@%king cookies out of my mouth!_ _What’s this puppy doing on my lawn!_\<\\> _Keep your F@%king paws off my grass!_ ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/663 "2022-04-08T19:18:22Z")
Ten year Academy event ban > **[Will Smith banned from Oscars for 10 years over slap](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61018821.amp)** > > The Academy voted on Friday to sanction Smith after he slapped Chris Rock at the awards show. So there’s gonna be someone else presenting one of the acting awards next year… ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/664 "2022-04-08T19:26:24Z")
A little harsher then I expected, I had very low expectations due to their history. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/665 "2022-04-08T19:31:38Z")
Well, it’s not like he or anyone else in his family would ever be there again as a nominee. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/666 "2022-04-08T19:35:47Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > it’s not like he or anyone else in his family would ever be there again as a nominee. Certainly Jada wouldn’t. _sees Will Smith rising up out of his chair_ Uh-oh! ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/667 "2022-04-08T19:49:33Z")
They probably felt like the punishment should be particularly stiff to offset their total inaction on the night in question. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/668 "2022-04-08T19:51:44Z")
it is a goodly amount of time. i believe he would have been out of the academy if he hadn’t already resigned. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/669 "2022-04-08T20:05:08Z")
Predict: Who will present the Best Actress award next year? Chris Rock? One of the other nominees in the Best Actor category from this year? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/670 "2022-04-08T20:35:04Z")
Good point. Obviously it will not be Will Smith. At a guess I’d say Anthony Hopkins (2021 winner). ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/671 "2022-04-08T20:42:12Z")
This seems like an appropriate response from the Academy. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/672 "2022-04-08T20:51:04Z")
Or a team of past winners or maybe an “elder figure”. They have time to figure it out. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/673 "2022-04-08T20:54:21Z")
This. The Academy leadership totally whiffed by not dragging Smith bodily out of the auditorium, and the membership embarrassed themselves by giving Smith the standing O. They had to (over) compensate. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/674 "2022-04-08T20:58:11Z")
Honestly, I don’t blame the Academy for their inaction on that night, given how unexpected his slap was and how little time there was until the Best Actor award was to be given. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/675 "2022-04-08T21:06:14Z")
No way in hell was the head person in charge of the show making a snap-call, on their own, with no backup to cover their ass, ever, ever going to have Will Smith dragged from the hall. They should have but not gonna happen. No one in Hollywood has the brass to do that. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/676 "2022-04-08T21:09:11Z")
I agree. And how long would it have taken for the academy board to get together that night and come to an agreement how to respond? Too long, which is why essentially nothing happened. Doesn’t excuse people giving him a standing ovation when his win was announced. A smattering of applause with most sitting silently would have been more appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/677 "2022-04-08T21:14:23Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Doesn’t excuse people giving him a standing ovation when his win was announced. A smattering of applause with most sitting silently would have been more appropriate. Our culture celebrates violence. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/678 "2022-04-08T21:19:22Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > The Academy leadership totally whiffed by not dragging Smith bodily out of the auditorium, and the membership embarrassed themselves by giving Smith the standing O. The Academy took a couple of _mea culpas_ [in their statement](https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/08/entertainment/will-smith-academy-sanctions-decision/index.html). > “During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room,” the letter went on to state. “For this, we are sorry. This was an opportunity for us to set an example for our guests, viewers and our Academy family around the world, and we fell short — unprepared for the unprecedented.” ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/679 "2022-04-08T21:20:13Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Predict: Who will present the Best Actress award next year? > > Chris Rock? One of the other nominees in the Best Actor category from this year? It’ll just be some well respected former winner. Tom Hanks, for instance, or Denzel Washington. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2022, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/680 "2022-04-08T21:26:31Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > This. The Academy leadership totally whiffed by not dragging Smith bodily out of the auditorium, and the membership embarrassed themselves by giving Smith the standing O. They had to (over) compensate. They did apologize as well in their statement for their poor reaction. They were unprepared for such a strange event and did not act quickly enough. I think the Academy has done pretty well, to be honest. I presume he would have been removed from the Academy as well had he not resigned. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826.md?page=33) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826.md?page=35)