Why does television still value live events like sports and awards shows? Sunday night’s Oscars was proof that not only do people still watch, but all it takes is one highlight moment and people that weren’t watching will come running to their television to see what it is that social media is buzzing about.
After Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s shaved head, Will Smith, Jada’s husband, rushed the stage and slapped Rock across the face.
“Will Smith just slapped the shit out of me,” Rock joked after the incident.
Smith returned to his seat but kept shouting “keep my wife’s name out of you f***ing mouth” at the stage. Some wondered if it was fake until it was clear that it most certainly was not.
All of Twitter was buzzing with reaction. That included several big names in the sports media. People shared a combination of jokes, questions, and observations in response.
In 2020, The Smiths participated in an episode of the online series The Red Table. They had an honest discussion of issues in their marriage. That included a comment about an “entanglement” between Jada and another man. That video was referenced by several people throughout the night.
Some commented that Chris Rock may have crossed a line joking about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s shaved head, as she suffers from alopecia. That could have been what set Will Smith off to the point that he assaulted the comedian on stage.
While Smith got most of the attention, some watching at home wondered why Chris Rock ‘s joke was under the spotlight more than Smith’s actions.
Plenty of people commented on the atmosphere of coverage after the Oscars ended. So many compared it to the postgame show from a major sporting event.
Mike Golic Jr closed the commentary with a question worth asking. In the history of Twitter, what are the other events that have completely overwhelmed conversation on the platform the way Will Smith slapping Chris Rock did?
