There’s been lots of talk about Will Smith standing up for his wife’s honor and against bullying by slapping Chris Rock for a bad joke, but there’s also been plenty pointing out how it was staged.
Whether it was or not will be a topic of debate for some time as it draws our attention from what’s going on in the world around us.
There are plenty of arguments on both sides, and one of the more compelling arguments for it being staged came from pro wrestling legend Dutch Mantell.
Dutch has been in pro wrestling since the early 1970s and has seen just about everything there is to see in wrestling.
So it’s fitting the wrestling world would weigh in on this as they specialize in making pre-determined choregraphed fights look real.
People are emailing me asking if the Will Smith/Chris Rock incident at the Oscars was…uh…ahem…planned? Really people?? This is what wrestling was built off of. Nobody knew but Will and Chris. That’s all that needed to know. But check out this photo. @rdore2000 pic.twitter.com/xST5IPRjKA
— 𝔻𝕣. 𝔻𝕦𝕥𝕔𝕙 (@DirtyDMantell) March 28, 2022
Only Rock and Smith needed to know about it
Not only does the image above display every giveaway in the slap, but Dutch pointed out that this is what pro wrestling is:
“People are emailing me asking if the Will Smith/Chris Rock incident at the Oscars was…uh…ahem…planned? Really people?? This is what wrestling was built off of. Nobody knew but Will and Chris. That’s all that needed to know. But check out this photo. @rdore2000”
Everything about it screams it was staged as they’re both actors and know how to pull punches. Even Smith’s following verbal outburst and apology are in line with typical Hollywood.
How many times have one of Hollywood’s stars went on a rant or threatened someone only to apologize afterwards to play the PR game?
The problem and main counter to this is what do they have to gain from it?
The benefits
To start off, it gives them a chance to put the focus on bullying as it’s been reported Jada Pinkett-Smith has faced a good deal of it over her hair and medical condition, alopecia.
While it’s not arguing that bullying is wrong, this has also brought up the topic on why comedy’s dead because people have a hard time differentiating between comedy and an outright insult.
The truth in that is for each of us to decide for ourselves.
Another reason is Chris Rock’s comedy tour tickets have reportedly seen a massive jump in sales.
Since they got a conversation going as well as Rock selling more tickets, it’s a win/win. Especially with so many people defending Smith and giving him a sympathetic ear as the “victim” in this.
Then there’s the fact that the Oscars, as well as award shows in general, have suffered through pathetic ratings for years. It’s what happens when stars lecture common people constantly. Fans aren’t having it.
And a shakeup like this has got the Oscars and the slap trending for a couple of days now, and could lead to a boost next year.
This year’s show saw a 50% jump from last year, but it was still the second lowest rated Oscars in history.
There’s plenty of legitimate reasons and arguments for both sides. What do you think? Was Smith’s slap staged or was it really him losing control? Let us know in the comments below.
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