# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/61 "2022-03-28T13:36:07Z")
> [@Roger\_That](#): > > Would Smith have done the same thing if it weren’t Chris Rock making the joke but The Rock? He already hasn’t done that. ---
**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:** [March 28, 2022, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/62 "2022-03-28T13:37:58Z")
Yes and Crews said it took his wife directly intervening to keep him from beating the person to a pulp for lewdly grabbing him. Rarely, some people’s kinks and powerful position do factor into an assaulters calculation, but such lust/fetishism is not relevant in Smith’s case thou. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/63 "2022-03-28T13:41:30Z")
> [@orcenio](#): > > I mean, until recently the Academy was fully enabling Harvey Weinstein to prey on pretty young talent without batting an eyelid. The movie entertainment business is well known for rewarding and enabling powerful people with abusive demeanors. Even more hypocritical, the “Me too” Oscars was the one they gave a rapist (Kobe Bryant) an Oscar and everyone cheered. My question is why isn’t Will Smith in jail for battery? Those were in no means “fighting words” and hitting someone over alopecia? F’ing snowflakes the Smiths are. It’s not like Chris Rock made a joke about Stage-4 cancer or someone dying of AIDS or Covid. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/64 "2022-03-28T13:42:39Z")
Chris Rock chose not to file a complaint. It is that simple. Why he made that decision, I can’t answer. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/65 "2022-03-28T13:46:57Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > The LAPD say they are declining to investigate because Chris Rock won’t file a police report. Do you have to file a complaint for a crime committed in public with witnesses for police to charge them? I did not know that. I thought police had the freedom to charge a person for a crime if they had evidence sans a complaint. It’s that way with domestic abuse isn’t it? And I believe elderly abuse as well. I find it hard to believe someone could beat me up in front of a cop and they won’t arrest the guy and charge him unless I make a complaint against him. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/66 "2022-03-28T13:47:54Z")
I am really surprised this thread went this way. No, this isn’t the “end of Will Smith’s career”. Smith should have got a standing ovation. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/67 "2022-03-28T13:48:01Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Why he made that decision, I can’t answer. Clearly assault, but Rock probably realizes he was an asshole also. Filing a report just keeps his assholeishness in the news longer. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/68 "2022-03-28T13:48:49Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Do you have to file a complaint for a crime committed in public with witnesses for police to charge them? I did not know that. The prosecutor would have to prove it wasn’t a staged bit and show Smith guilty beyond reasonable doubt and it’s probably not worth their time for what would be a weak case over a misdemeanor charge. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/69 "2022-03-28T13:51:21Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > Chris Rock is willing to state unequivocally that the incident was **NOT STAGED** Is this a common theory? Why would anyone stage this? Why would the producers allow it? ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/70 "2022-03-28T13:52:24Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > How many big name Hollywood directors were watching that show in person or on TV last night? Almost all of them, right? I wonder how many of them tolerate that kind of behavior on their sets. Which behavior? I’m not being flippant or equating physical assault to words, but would you want either sets of behavior present on set? Probably not. > [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > I’ve seen a lot of guys hit guys for talking shit, but every single time the shit-talker was someone smaller than the hitter. When I was younger, I saw a few smaller guys talk a lot of shit confident that they would be protected by social conventions against violence. And for the most part it worked, because in the social circles I run in people want to avoid jail time and criminal records. And even the one time social conventions failed the little guy didn’t actually result in violence. The larger male told the obnoxious smaller one that any further shit talking would result in the former bouncing the latter’s head off the walls. The shit talking stopped. > [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > If Smith cannot control himself and refrain from responding to words with violence - especially while under such a bright spotlight - he has genuine anger management issues that should not be ignored. I’m going to cut Will Smith some slack here. Depression and anxiety often accompany those suffering from Alopecia, and its likely Will’s had plenty of opportunity to see Jada in pain and has done his best to comfort her. So, no, I don’t think it’s as simply as refraining from responding to words with violence. It isn’t as if some dude just called Will an asshole and he went off the handle. Rock made his wife’s condition the butt of a joke in front of millions of people. If Will was arrested and this actually made it to trial, I would expect the judge to take that into account when delivering a sentence. I personally don’t see Will has a person with anger issues here nor would I be worried about being in the same room with him. ---
**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:** [March 28, 2022, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/71 "2022-03-28T13:53:08Z")
> Puff Daddy’s take afterwards. Truly wise words. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/72 "2022-03-28T13:55:12Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Is this a common theory? Why would anyone stage this? Justin Smollett staged an attack on himself for the publicity. People do stupid shit and a public staged slapfight for Tweets & Clicks wouldn’t even ping the radar. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/73 "2022-03-28T13:55:15Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > Which behavior? I’m not being flippant or equating physical assault to words, but would you want either sets of behavior present on set? Probably not. You hire Chris Rock to be verbally offensive. That’s the role he plays. Will Smith was not playing a role last night, he was committing criminal assault. ---
**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:** [March 28, 2022, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/74 "2022-03-28T13:56:34Z")
Only a few hours afterwards comedians had written and preformed sketches. > ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/75 "2022-03-28T13:58:31Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > So, no, I don’t think it’s as simply as refraining from responding to words with violence. Yeah, it is. Everyone has their excuse about why it’s “different” that they went from Zero to Swinging in one sentence. I think more people would see it different if there was some escalation (“You better shut up”, “Say it one more time, motherf–”…) but that’s not what happened here and writing it off as “But he was probably upset about other stuff” is just covering over one man’s inability to handle shit without resorting to physical assault. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/76 "2022-03-28T14:07:20Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > > [@dorvann](#): > > > > Chris Rock is willing to state unequivocally that the incident was **NOT STAGED** > > Is this a common theory? Why would anyone stage this? Why would the producers allow it? People will make up conspiracy theories about _everything_ that they don’t like or understand. Doesn’t matter if they and millions others actually saw it happen. They think it makes them look smart. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/77 "2022-03-28T14:10:45Z")
I think even more shocking than the slap heard around Hollywood, is the fact that Puff Daddy was at the Oscars. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/78 "2022-03-28T14:11:02Z")
I admit, it looked fake as hell to me the first time or two I saw it, but I see no reason to disbelieve it’s real after all that happened. I am pretty much the opposite of a conspiracy theorist or “PHOTOSHOP! I CAN TELL BY THE PIXELS” kind of person. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/79 "2022-03-28T14:12:06Z")
If it was staged, Michael Richards and Andy Kaufman should get royalties. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/bN5vhvIAqY8/hqdefault.jpg ""Fridays TV Show" (1981) [Show L-08] "Andy Kaufman, the Fight Incident" [09 of 12]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN5vhvIAqY8) ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826/80 "2022-03-28T14:12:52Z")
Yeah, as it happened I think everyone watching assumed it was a bit because who would ever think a superstar would storm the stage at the Oscars to assault someone? But then it quickly was revealed that nope, he really did that. Which was seen in the unedited broadcast from overseas. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-smith-punched-chris-rock-at-the-oscars-last-night/961826.md?page=5)