Dans une vidéo mise en ligne vendredi, Will Smith a présenté, pour une seconde fois, ses excuses à Chris Rock pour l’avoir giflé lors de la télédiffusion des Oscars, le 27 mars dernier. Que doit-on penser de cette démarche ? La Presse en a parlé avec la stratège en communication Martine St-Victor.
Publié à 11h25
Mis à jour à 16h15
« Il n’y a aucune partie de moi qui pense que c’était la bonne façon de se comporter à ce moment-là », a dit le comédien, désormais persona non grata aux cérémonies de l’Académie à Hollywood, dans un message viral sur YouTube. « J’ai des remords. »
La Presse a demandé à la stratège en communication Martine St-Victor si les nouvelles excuses du comédien étaient sincères ou pas. « Impossible de répondre à cette question, parce que je ne le connais pas, je ne suis pas dans sa tête. Seuls ses proches peuvent en juger. Cependant, je peux juger du format et du contenu. Or, la production est impeccable. »
PHOTO GRAHAM HUGHES, ARCHIVES LA PRESSE CANADIENNE
La stratège en communication Martine St-Victor
Dans la vidéo de six minutes, Smith s’adresse directement à la caméra. Il est habillé tout en blanc, dans un décor épuré. « L’acteur nous regarde dans les yeux, répond à des questions du public judicieusement sélectionnées, parfois d’une voix tremblotante. Mais il n’en fait pas trop », estime l’analyste.
Not just marketing
Martine St-Victor is aware of the strategic nature and the “timing” of this mea culpa. Chris Rock is currently on tour and he often returns to the event in his shows. Will Smith probably wants to take over the collar one day, although he has no need to work to make ends meet. “Smith had to and wanted to give us his version. Telling us he’s tried to reach Rock privately, but Rock isn’t ready to talk to him yet,” she said.
The director of the communication firm Edelman Montreal affirms that the actor has built, for decades, an image of proximity with the public. “Smith could have issued a press release or posted a text on social media. He preferred to use the image, his favorite medium, to convey his message. To tell us: “I see you. I’m listening to you. I am replying to you.” »
However, in his eyes, video is not just a carefully planned communication and marketing enterprise. “It takes courage and introspection to publicly apologize. You must be supported by those around you in your journey towards repentance. There are personalities who never apologize. Gilbert Rozon, Éric Salvail are never excused. Neither does Hockey Canada management. »
Collateral damages
Moreover, Will Smith has apologized to his family and that of Chris Rock. “When he slapped Chris, he slapped us all. He really slapped me,” Chris Rock’s mother told US Weekly. And also to the artists selected for the Oscars for having “stolen and tarnished [leur] moment”, including Questlove who had just won an award for his film summer of soul “I didn’t realize how many people had been injured [par mon geste]. And I don’t like to disappoint people,” he added.
“Apologies evolve with societal values and expectations. Today, we are in an era of empathy”, analyzes Martine St-Victor. “The Pope came to Canada to apologize to the natives. Justin Trudeau often apologizes to groups on behalf of the government. And then, our time has reinvented the way of apologizing: you can’t say you’re sorry and move on to something else right away, hoping to fix the broken pots. We must speak directly to the victims, to the people who are suffering, to those who have been hurt by our actions, our behavior,” she continues.
According to Mme St-Victor, the video remains “a barometer” to test the reaction of the public. See if the majority of his admirers have forgiven him, if they are ready to follow him in his career. “In our age of polarization, video will certainly not be unanimous. But the repair work has begun,” she said.
In his explanations, Smith says he thought and worked a lot on himself. He wants to become a better person. “I made a mistake and I don’t want to feel like shit. I am going to apply myself to putting on beauty to make this world a better place, ”says the actor at the end of his message.
On a whiteboard hanging on the wall behind him, we can read this sentence: “The world is sick. Love is the remedy. »