Mar. 28, 2022 "Will Smith’s Oscars slap reaction: Fans say outburst was ‘toxic nonsense', while others praise actor’s visceral response": Today I found this article by Elisabetta Bianchini Elisabetta Bianchini on Yahoo news:
On the list of one of the oddest Academy Awards moments, Oscars 2022 viewers saw Will Smith smack Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith.
The unscripted moment came when, before announcing the award for Best Documentary, Rock joked "Jada, I love ya. G.I. Jane 2, can't wait to see it."
When the camera pans over to the couple, Pinkett-Smith looks to have rolled her eyes. The joke was made after Pinkett Smith publicly revealed years ago that she was diagnosed with alopecia, and has continued to discuss her hair loss since.
Smith is then seen walking up to the stage, standing in front of Rock and hits the comedian in the face.
Everyone watching at home had the sound cut for several minutes after that point, with the sound coming back just to hear Rock say, "that was the greatest night in the history of television."
But a clip reported to be the uncensored version shows a more serious confrontation.
"Keep my wife’s name out of your f—king mouth," we hear Smith say.
"Wow dude, it was a G.I. Jane joke," Rock responded.
As everyone was trying to figure out what was really happening, Twitter blew up about the situation
Shortly after the hit, Smith ended up winning the Oscar for Best Actor, for playing Richard Williams in King Richard. Smith started his acceptance speech by saying Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena Williams, was a "fierce defender of his family."
In this time in my life, in this moment I am overwhelmed by what God is calling on me to do and be in this world. I'm being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people, and I know to do what we do, you've got to be able to take abuse, you've got to be able to have people talk crazy about you.Will Smith
"In this business you've got to be able to have people disrespecting you. You've got to smile and you've got to pretend like that's OK."
Smith went on to say that he wants to be "a vessel for love" and apologized to the Academy for the incident, but not to Rock.
I want to apologize to the Academy, I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees... Art imitates life, I look like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams, but love will make you do crazy things... I hope the Academy invites me back.Will Smith
According to a Los Angeles Police Department statement to ABC News, the local police service is aware of the incident between Smith and Rock.
"The individual involved has declined to file a police report," the statement reads. "If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report."
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences released a statement after the ceremony stating that it "does not condone violence of any form."
"Tonight we are delighted to celebrate our 94th Academy Awards winners, who deserve this moment of recognition from their peers and movie lovers around the world," the statement reads.
Will Smith dancing is troubles away
Following the awards show, videos started circulating of Will Smith dancing to his hit songs "Gettin' Jiggy With It" and "Miami" at the Vanity Fair after party, Oscar in hand.
Smith was also seeing taking selfies and photos, alongside his wife and three children.
“It’s all about love,” the actor told Variety.
"Will Smith apologizes: 'I was out of line and I was wrong'": Today I found this article by Jake Coyle on Yahoo news:
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The day after slapping Chris Rock on the Oscars stage and upending the 94th Academy Awards, Will Smith issued an apology to the comedian, to the academy and to viewers at home, saying he was “out of line” and that his actions are “not indicative of the man I want to be.”
The fallout from Smith’s actions during Sunday's ceremony continued Monday as Hollywood and the public continued to wrestle with a moment that stunned the Dolby Theatre crowd and viewers at home. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences condemned Smith striking Rock, who had made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and said it would launch an inquiry.
Later in the day, Smith gave a stronger apology than he did in his best actor acceptance speech, which notably hadn't included an apology to Rock.
“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive," said Smith in a statement issued by his publicist and posted on Instagram. “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. 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.”
The 53-year-old actor added apologies to the film academy, producers of the telecast, attendees, viewers and the Williams family. Smith was honored Sunday for his role as Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena, in “King Richard.”
“I am a work in progress,” added Smith.
After calling a board of governors meeting Monday to discuss the incident, the film academy said that it will review Smith's actions and "will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our bylaws, standards of conduct and California law.” The Los Angeles Police Department said Sunday it was aware of the incident but was not pursuing an investigation because the person involved declined to file a police report.
Pinkett Smith responded Tuesday with a graphic on Instagram that read: “This is a season of healing and I'm here for it." She offered no further comment.
Smith shocked the Dolby Theatre crowd and viewers at home when he took the stage after Rock, appearing as a presenter, joked: “Jada, I love you. ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see it.”
The joke touched a nerve. Pinkett Smith, whose head is shaved, has spoken publicly about her alopecia diagnosis. Smith strode on stage and slapped Rock across the face. Back in his seat, Smith twice shouted for Rock to “get my wife’s name out your (expletive) mouth.” His words echoed clearly throughout the Dolby, though broadcaster ABC cut the audio for about 15 seconds. Within an hour, Smith won best actor, receiving a standing ovation. During his five-minute acceptance speech, Smith spoke about defending his family. He also apologized to the academy.
Rock's joke wasn't part of his routine during the rehearsals leading up to the show, according to two sources close to production who were not authorized to speak publicly.
But Rock had joked about Pinkett Smith before. He hosted the 2016 Oscars, when some were boycotting the ceremony over the #OscarsSoWhite group of nominees, including the Smiths. Said Rock then: “Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties. I wasn’t invited.”
Smith's actions rattled a pivotal Oscar ceremony. Until that moment, producer Will Packer had steered an orderly and lighthearted telecast that the academy hoped would restore the Academy Awards following last year's record-low ratings. Sunday's ceremony reached an estimated 15.36 million viewers, according to preliminary Nielsen company numbers Monday. While a marked improvement over the 9.85 million that watched last year, it was still the second-least viewed Oscars.
Some academy members, like writer-producer Marshall Herskovitz, called for the academy to take disciplinary action against Smith.
“He disgraced our entire community tonight,” wrote Herskovitz on Twitter.
Whoopi Goldberg, a member of the Academy’s board of governors, said Monday on “The View”: “We’re not going to take that Oscar from him. There will be consequences, I’m sure.”
The Screen Actors Guild also weighed in. The film, television and radio union called the incident “unacceptable." SAG said that it had been in contact with the academy and ABC, and it doesn't comment on the guild's own disciplinary process.
A sense of disbelief hung in the air at the Dolby Theatre after Smith’s assault. Not only was it a hard-to-fathom break with decorum on live national television — an incident so dramatic, even movie-like, that many initially assumed it was a staged bit — it seemed wildly out of character for one of Hollywood’s most relentlessly upbeat stars. And it came less than an hour before Smith reached possibly the pinnacle of his career, winning his first Oscar, for best actor.
“In a way, I feel bad for Will Smith, too, because I think he let his emotions get the better of him, and this should have been one of the great nights of his life,” said former Oscar host Jimmy Kimmel on Bill Simmons’ podcast. “And now it’s not. Was there anyone who didn’t like Will Smith an hour ago in the world? Like no one, right? Now he doesn’t have a single comedian friend — that’s for sure.”
Some questioned whether Smith should have been allowed to continue to sit front and center after smacking Rock. Several stars rushed to counsel and calm Smith, including Denzel Washington, Bradley Cooper and Tyler Perry. But the timing was intensely awkward because the best actor category was due up soon after, and Smith had long been considered a lock for the award.
“I know we’re all still processing, but the way casual violence was normalized tonight by a collective national audience will have consequences that we can’t even fathom in the moment,” wrote Janai Nelson, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, on Twitter.
The drama overshadowed some historical wins at an Oscars. The deaf family drama “CODA” became the first film with a largely deaf cast to win best picture. For the first time, a streaming service, Apple TV+, took Hollywood’s top honor, signaling a profound shift in Hollywood and in moviegoing. Wins for Ariana DeBose of “West Side Story,” Troy Kotsur of “CODA” and Jane Campion, director of “The Power of the Dog,” all had made history.
Others came to Smith’s defense, including Tiffany Haddish, who co-starred with Pinkett Smith in “Girls Trip.”
“Maybe the world might not like how it went down, but for me, it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen because it made me believe that there are still men out there that love and care about their women, their wives,” Haddish told People magazine.
After the show, Smith posed for photographs with his family outside the Vanity Fair party. Inside, cellphone videos captured him dancing to “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” while clutching his Oscar. Their son Jaden tweeted: “And That’s How We Do It.” On Instagram, Smith posted: “Me ’n Jada Pinkett Smith got all dressed up to choose chaos.”
___
Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http:/twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
Will Smith apologizes: 'I was out of line and I was wrong' (yahoo.com)
My opinion:
Chris Rock's joke: Is this:
A. Offensive
B. Funny
C. Both
D. Neither.
I would say neither.
Will Smith slaps Chris Rock:
Con: That's bad to slap and hit someone.
Pros:
1. At least Smith slapped him, and not punched him which is worse.
2. Smith was standing up and defending his wife Jada (and himself).
3. I accept Smith yelling and swearing at Rock all he wants. If things get physical, then that's bad.
4. At least Smith apologized.
Chris Rock going on with the show: At least Rock didn't look like he was angry for getting hit. He stayed professional and continue with hosting.
Table Topics: On Sat. there were 3 of us. I asked about this.
M is a woman in her 70s and said: Insensitive.
S is a woman: I can't quite remember what she said, but she didn't find this funny.
This reminds me of how I accidentally offended my friend when I made a light and fun joke about one of her interests. She didn't tell me that I was annoying her by calling her and leaving a message on her phone and saying that I just wanted to talk. I have apologized to her a few times.
This happened in 2013. If you read my blog since then, is there anything really offensive here? I know I post some serious and offensive articles like racism and sexism, but I didn't write them, I only post them here.
joke flops/ funny and annoying/ funny wedding video
Tracy's blog: joke flops/ funny and annoying/ funny wedding video (badcb.blogspot.com)
This week's theme is about movies:
"A Rough Experiment" ("The Belko Experiment")/ "'Escape Room' is high-concept and not half bad"
"Bad connections" ("Landline")/ "An open marriage" ("The Big Sick")
My week:
Apr. 4, 2022 "Terry Wallis, Arkansas man who woke up after nearly 2 decades in a coma, dies at 57": Today I found this article by Jordan Mendoza on Yahoo news:
Terry Wayne Wallis, the Arkansas man who spent 19 years in a coma before regaining awareness and speaking in 2003, has died, according to an obituary. He was 57.
Wallis was in an automobile accident in his home state with a friend in July 1984, six weeks after his daughter, Amber, was born, according to the obituary in Roller Funeral Homes. The car plunged into a creek, and the two weren't found until the next day, underneath a bridge, The Associated Press reported in 2003. Wallis' friend died, and Wallis was put into a coma. The accident had left him a quadriplegic.
Wallis remained in the coma for 19 years, until June 12, 2003, when he said "Mom," his first word since he was comatose.
After regaining awareness, Wallis slowly was able to say "anything he wants to say," according to Stone County Nursing and Rehabilitation Center social director Alesha Badgley. The media and medical attention that surrounded Wallis afterward resulted in him being named "The Man Who Slept for 19 Years."
The obituary said Wallis' mother, Angilee, and other family "cared for him relentlessly during his coma and afterward." Family brought him home on alternate weekends for years because doctors believed it would help his awakening period. He still thought it was 1984 when he regained awareness. His mother died in 2018.
The obituary said Wallis enjoyed eating "anything at any time and loved drinking Pepsi." He died March 29 in Big Flat, Arkansas.
"Terry was a great teaser and loved to tease his sister. His wonderful sense of humor will be greatly missed by his family," the obituary read.
Wallis is survived by his father, siblings, daughter and three grandchildren.
Terry Wallis, Arkansas man who woke up after nearly 2 decades in a coma, dies at 57 (yahoo.com)
My opinion: This was bittersweet.
Pro: That's good that this can prove you can be in a coma for 19 yrs and still wake up from this.
Con: This seems like not a good quality of life for Wallis. However, his family is happy for the time with him.
Calgary: My parents went to Calgary, and as usual I asked about my little cousins M (she's 16) and A (she's 14).
Tracy: Did you see M and A?
Dad: Yeah, well A was there. M had to work.
Tracy: Does she sell clothes?
Dad: No, bubble tea.
S: That's cute.
Apr. 8, 2022 Table Topics: On Sat. there were 3 of us.
On Sun. there were 6 of us. I met 2 new women. I mentioned about my happiness and mental health articles and asked: What do you like to do make yourself happy and take care of your mental health?
The activities like being out in nature.
Apr. 4, 2022 VIRTUAL Conversation and Book Discussion - Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle: I went to this:
We'd like to invite you to a new kind of Arise and Shine Activity. We are creating virtual conversations to share positive energy, hope and inspiration in a different way.
Each week, we'll begin with a general discussion about each other's well-being and then in the second part, we share thoughts on the latest chapters of a book we're all reading together. You can join us at any time even if you haven't read the book and members have found they can still get a lot out of the discussion.
We choose books based on the consensus of all the members of the group at the time when we finish each book. All the books we read are related to healthy living, mindfulness, mental health, and overall well-being and everyone is open to making suggestions.
We want to create a safe space for everyone and so we ask that anyone who joins us agrees to keep what is shared confidential.
Also, we would like to state that we, the organizers, are not mental health professionals and are simply people who feel passionately about creating a community around mental health, physical fitness and sharing positive energy.
Due to restrictions on the length of free zoom calls we will only be keeping the line open for 30 minutes.
The zoom link will be made available to you when you RSVP to this event and we look forward to connecting with you soon!
My opinion: I went there and met 5 people. It was average. I have heard of this book way back in 2014. I wrote about this phone conversation I had with my friend Sonia. I looked it up on my blog, but I never wrote about the book.
Sonia: You read so much already, why don't you read something productive?
She means this self- help book.
I have started reading the newspaper more intensely since 2010 when I got laid off from the Soup place. This was productive reading:
1. The business section: jobs, careers, and business and I learned a lot about how to get a job and applied the knowledge.
2. TV, movie reviews, filmmaking: I learned a lot and applied the knowledge.
3. Book reviews and author interviews: I don't read novels, but I learned about writing and characters, and applied the knowledge.
I posted the 3 blog posts about happiness and mental health onto the Meetup page so they can read it.
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