What Just Happened?
We are all wondering what happened at the 2022 Oscars. America’s (male) sweetheart seemed to unravel before our eyes. We played the clip, again and again, to understand what we were witnessing. Two A-list celebrities in a physical altercation? Was this a publicity stunt? Was it real?
In response to Chris Rock’s slight to Will Smith’s wife, Smith seemingly took a page straight from Dave Chapelle’s skit, “When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong.” and acted uncharacteristically on a world stage.
The public witnessed the very raw reaction of a husband “protecting” his wife from public humiliation.
Nothing is shocking about a man defending his wife’s honor. However, we did not expect it to escalate to physical assault at one of America’s most formal events. We did not predict this behavior from mega-star Smith, a man with a wholesome reputation, who has gone on record for promoting his anti-violence sentiments (from watching his mother abused as a child), discouraging the use of profanity, and a man who has divulged very intimate issues with his wife.
So, what gives? Here are a few theories to explain Smith’s behavior:
He Was (Is) Still in Character.
Many studies are published on the psychological effects of method acting on actors. As seen with Heath Ledger’s rendition of the Joker, and as Michael B. Jordan confessed, actors have difficulty disconnecting mentally from their characters. It takes a while for them to “come down” from a role.
Smith was nominated (and won) the Best Actor category for his role in King Richard. King Richard is the story of a tenacious man, the father of Venus and Serena Williams, who raised his daughters against adversity to become two of the best athletes in modern times. Perhaps the relentlessness of Williams rubbed off on Smith. Maybe it possessed him, and he could not disconnect.
In that context, and perhaps, and as Smith articulated in his acceptance/apology speech, he behaved as the “crazy father” in his moment of frustration. Perhaps unresolved emotions were conjured in his acting role of King Richard that have yet to be psychologically resolved in real life.
Wiki explains this phenomenon:
When…emotions are not compartmentalized, they can encroach on other facets of life, often seeming to disrupt the actor’s psyche. This occurs as the actor delves into previous emotional experiences, be they joyful or traumatic.[1] The psychological effects, like emotional fatigue, comes when suppressed or unresolved raw emotions are unburied to add to the character,[2] not just from the employing personal emotions in performance. The question becomes whether the actor calls up resolved or unresolved emotions in their acting.
He Wanted to Impress and Protect His Wife/Mother.
Fans of Smith hear him commonly speak of how his mother was physically and verbally abused and that he had to witness this as a child. Smith seemed to “snap” the moment he saw his wife in pain. Perhaps his wife’s expression reminded him of his mother. Perhaps he wanted to do everything possible in his manhood to defend her that he could not as a boy. We often forget that the children of domestic violence survivors are domestic violence survivors themselves.
Perhaps Smith is willing to risk it all (wealth, fame, popularity) for his wife. Maybe he wanted to impress her. Maybe she matters more to him than anything.
He Is Lost in Privilege.
Various sources report that Smith has a net worth north of 300 Million dollars. Forbes reports that Smith collects millions through Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. He is undeniably wealthy.
Perhaps Smith acted in a blind rage. Or maybe he weighed the consequences and threw caution to the wind. Maybe it is true that at a certain level of wealth, resources are easily accessible that can help circumvent the repercussions of bad behavior.
The Philly in Him Escaped.
Opposed to the theory that wealth, privilege, and celebrity immunity were factors in Smith’s actions, perhaps the adage… “You can take a (wo)man out of the ‘hood, but you cannot take the hood out of the (wo)man” was at play.
Perhaps, in that moment of anger and frustration, the fight or flight that a person experiences from being under pressure in a tough environment consumed him. Maybe Smith regressed to days on the streets of Philadelphia.
Although Smith lived in West Philadelphia, which is safer than some of its more crime-ridden parts, it is a far cry from Hollywood. When Smith resided in Philadelphia, America was recovering from the War on Drugs, and Philadelphia was consumed by crime. Smith is likely no stranger to self-protection and throwing hands.
With Smith’s muscular build and stature (6 foot 2 inches) compared to Rock’s frail build and lesser height (5 foot 10), Smith exercised restraint. He could have done terrible damage if he wanted. Instead, he seemed to choose to emasculate Rock.
Bottom Line.
We all have a bad day. We all spazz out. What happened at the Oscars reminds us that Smith is no different from you or me. He is a reminder that celebrities are human at the end of the day.
We all love Will Smith. He is an American legend. He has brought so many of us joy and laughter through the years. He is ingrained in American culture. He has committed to “clean” and wholesome entertainment. We know his story. We understand his struggle. Perhaps this is the reason the Academy and the audience were so willing to forgive him.
Let it be duly noted that we cannot go around slapping people.
If you ever find yourself in this situation, acknowledge that it happened. If possible, do not let it happen again. Live and let live.
Let us all move on.
Tomorrow, this will be yesterday’s news.
