The 94th Academy Awards was held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 27, 2022, and the ceremony was filled with several memorable moments. However, the most remarkable highlight was when actor Will Smith slapped American comedian Chris Rock on stage. A clip of the exchange quickly went viral around the world. Minutes later, Smith won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in ‘King Richard.’

▲ Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage at the 94th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on March 27. (Photo from Yonhap News)

   Chris Rock, a comedian who was awarded an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, was giving his acceptance speech when he joked about the short hairstyle of Jada Pinkett Smith, the wife of actor Will Smith. Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia areata, a condition that leads to hair loss. In support of her mother’s worsening condition, her daughter Willow suggested shaving their heads together. They uploaded photos to their SNS accounts to bring awareness to the disease. However, Chris Rock did not let that get in the way of his humor. He said “Jada, I love you! G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it. Alright?” making reference to a famous scene in the movie when Demi Moore shaved her head to enlist in the special forces. The line enraged Smith who left his seat to curse at Rock and slap him across the face on stage in front of cameras and a live audience. He shouted, “Keep my wife’s name out of your mouth” before returning to his seat. Police planned to arrest Smith, but Rock declined to press charges. The entire event was further dramatized when Smith later won the best actor award. The Academy released a statement saying, “The Academy does not condone violence of any form,” so Smith later returned the coveted prize. He also uploaded a written apology on his Instagram account. He said, “My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable” and emphasized that he would like to publicly apologize to Rock. According to some of the public, Rock should press charges, but he has so far refused. Smith has since withdrawn from the Academy and was banned from attending any future ceremony for the next 10 years.

   Who is to blame for the incident? The world is conflicted over who was right or wrong that night. From famous actors to ordinary citizens, tons of opinions have been posted about it. Some netizens support Chris Rock, saying violence cannot be accepted by any means. On the other hand, some say it was a fair response for Will Smith to stand up for his wife and Chris Rock’s joke was out of line and he deserved the slap. America’s entertainment news media TMZ conducted a poll on the matter and found that 63% of respondents believed that Chris Rock’s joke did not cross any lines. Moreover, 83% of respondents thought that Will Smith slapping Chris Rock on stage was assault and battery. Well-known actor Jim Carrey was not happy about what happened. He said in an interview with CBS, “I was sickened by the standing ovation. Hollywood is just spineless in a mass, and it really felt like this is a really clear indication that we aren’t the cool club anymore.” He even said if it came to him, he would have sued Smith for $200 million. Besides Jim Carrey, many other guests in attendance, such as Amanda Seyfried and Zoe Kravitz, labeled this incident as unacceptable. Contrastingly, netizens in South Korea are showing support for Will Smith. South Korea’s online communities condemn Chris Rock’s joke as a dirty shot poking fun at a serious condition. They said even if he did not know of her illness, he should have been more careful when using other people as material for his comedy routine. They say they would have done the same thing if someone had insulted their family in front of the crowd, no matter where and who they are. They look at verbal and physical violence as one in the same and consider Chris Rock as the one responsible for the incident.

▲ Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are posing in front of cameras. (Photo from News 1)

   The Dankook Herald (DKH) conducted a survey targeting Dankookians (Students of Dankook University) to ask their opinions about this controversy. We asked 47 students questions through a Google survey over a period of one week. 63.8% of Dankookians answered that it was Chris Rock’s fault while 36.2% blamed Will Smith. Those supporting Smith said, “It’s Chris Rock’s fault, because he insulted Will Smith’s wife in public” and “Chris Rock’s joke went beyond the boundary of common sense.” Few respondents criticized Smith’s behavior saying, “Violence can’t be tolerated in anyway” and “Will Smith laughed at first and this type of joke has always been allowed in American stand-up comedy.”

   When asked about Smith’s attitude, 68.1% of students answered ‘I understand’ while 31.9% of students said, ‘I don’t understand and it was wrong.’ One respondent said, “Chris Rock’s speech made light of a serious illness and anyone who jokes about a condition affecting a family member is at risk of repercussions.” DKU student Alan from New York said he thought Will Smith was at fault. Smith’s wife was open about her condition. If she wasn’t, she could have had a hair transplant as she is wealthy enough to do so. He felt that Smith’s response was an overreaction to a joke by a comedian.

   Opinions of the incident vary across the world and even between Koreans and Americans. In general, people agreed that public figures need to be more responsible for their words and actions. Well-known people are highly influential and carry a certain degree of social responsibility with their fame. Public figures must recognize the impact they have on society and use it in a more positive way.