NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar took Will Smith to task for his assault on Chris Rock by accusing the actor of advocating violence and diminishing women.
In a post on his substack page titled, Will Smith Did a Bad, Bad Thing, Abdul-Jabbar charged Smith with perpetuating “stereotypes about the Black community” and creating a threatening atmosphere for comedians.
“When Will Smith stormed onto the Oscar stage to strike Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife’s short hair, he did a lot more damage than just to Rock’s face,” the Laker icon wrote. “With a single petulant blow, he advocated violence, diminished women, insulted the entertainment industry, and perpetuated stereotypes about the Black community.”
Abdul-Jabbar posted in reaction to an incident in which Smith assaulted Rock after the latter made an innocent joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair loss.
As Breitbart’s Jerome Hudson reports:
Chris Rock was on stage at the Dolby Theatre to present the award for documentary feature. The comedian cracked a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head, saying she looked like she belonged in ‘G.I. Jane 2.’
Smith then stormed the stage and appeared to slap Rock across the face. ‘Wow, Will Smith just smacked the shit out of me,’ said Rock.
Smith took his seat and appeared to mouth the words: ‘Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth!’
Watch below (***Language warning***):
This display, Abdul-Jabbar contends, sends an especially bad message to “black boys.”
“Young boys — especially Black boys — watching their movie idol not just hit another man over a joke, but then justify it as him being a superhero-like protector, are now much more prone to follow in his childish footsteps,” Abdul-Jabbar explained. “Perhaps the saddest confirmation of this is the tweet from Smith’s child Jaden: ‘And That’s How We Do It.’”
Another attempt to rationalize or explain away Smith’s violent outburst is that he was acting bravely in defense of his wife. Unfortunately, Abdul-Jabbar is unmoved by this narrative as well.
“Actually, it was the opposite. Smith’s slap was also a slap to women. If Rock had physically attacked Pinkett Smith, Smith’s intervention would have been welcome,” the NBA legend wrote. “But by hitting Rock, he announced that his wife was incapable of defending herself — against words. From everything I’d seen of Pinkett Smith over the years, she’s a very capable, tough, smart woman who can single-handedly take on a lame joke at the Academy Awards show.”
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith at the Oscars (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
Abdul-Jabbar countered this defense of Smith by asserting that his reckless actions may make it more difficult for comedians and entertainers to defend themselves.
The Lakers great said that Smith’s attack created “an implied threat to all comedians who now have to worry that an edgy or insulting joke might be met with violence. Good thing Don Rickles, Bill Burr, or Ricky Gervais weren’t there. As comedian Kathy Griffin tweeted: ‘Now we all have to worry about who wants to be the next Will Smith in comedy clubs and theaters.’”
Despite his harsh words, Abdul-Jabbar says he does not want to see the actor “punished or ostracized.”
“I don’t want to see him punished or ostracized because of this one, albeit a big one, mistake. I just want this to be a cautionary tale for others not to romanticize or glorify bad behavior. And I want Smith to be the man who really protects others — by admitting the harm he’s done to others.”
On Monday, Will Smith apologized to Chris Rock.
“My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally,” Smith said in a statement.
“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.
Chris Rock has declined to press charges against Will Smith.
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