By LaDonne Lankster
I love Chris Rock! I often refer to him as the Great Philosopher! If you’ve ever watched any of his comedy specials, he always talks about people who enjoy the public limelight—stars. I don’t recall him calling out anyone who has not desired public attention.
I also have been a huge fan of Will Smith. I LOVED his acting in Concussion and in King Richard. I blast his song Summertime and enjoyed him on the Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
Jada wore a green dress, a very large green dress. People first mention her hair in relation to last night’s joke, but I wonder if Chris would have cracked that joke if she had on a red, blue or even a purple dress. I got the reference to G.I. Jane. I thought her green dress provided a segue to the joke.
My mother, Donna Russell, has Alopecia. Heck, I may have it at some point. However, I didn’t see Chris Rock’s joke solely being about Jada’s hair, but more so about her attire and her overall look. He didn’t compare her to a man. He likened her to another woman.
After the broadcast, I spoke to my mom. Mom said that if a woman is not ready for the reality of going bald or having an extremely close cut, buy hair and avoid the possible talk, all together.
She thought Will was wrong for assaulting Chris Rock and his anger misplaced. She quoted a wise woman who once told her, “If you don’t deal with your issues, they’re going to come out at a time when you don’t want them. And they will come out.”
I was frustrated by the reporter who likened Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry’s conversation with Will during the commercial break as “comforting him.” How about reporters write what they see, the men were “talking to him” or even “instructing him or attempting to calm him down.” But comforting??? That characterization may be a bit much.
As a Black woman, if a COMEDIAN made a joke about me, I would HOPE that my man would have some kind of restraint and not commit a crime over a joke. Now talking to him afterwards would be far more acceptable than assault and battery.
Had any man or comedian assaulted me, yes, please get him. But for saying a joke, as a comedian? I would hope not.
I was disturbed over what I saw—many hours after viewing it. However, I was reminded of what one wise man once told me about a wealthy man. “His money is a shield.”
It could not be more apropos.
Had that been ANY person off of the street, he would have been escorted off of the stage and in handcuffs.
And I think that had the Oscar folks known that Will was NOT going to win, he would have been asked to leave.
The fact that Will did not apologize to Chris was in poor taste and shows the height of his arrogance.
So, it’s okay to commit assault and battery? What kind of message does this send to young men? It’s okay to beat someone up when they say something disrespectful? However, most Black young men in America don’t have money as a shield.
Some women want a man to scrap for them. I want a man to think wisely and think about our future—financial and all, and the possibility that putting his hands on another can hurt himself and us.
And one more thing, would Will have clocked Jerry Seinfeld?
Just so disappointed and disturbed.
UPDATE: Chris Rock allegedly did not know Jada had Alopecia, and the joke was written by the team of writers for the program. I’m sure those writers had no idea Will Smith would react in such a way.
