Will Smith’s violent behavior at the Oscars party didn’t stop him from being applauded by his peers or from showing up at the after party. Even if the Academy finally indicated on Monday that it had opened an investigation following the actor’s violent gesture, some point out that the leniency enjoyed by the ex-rapper is indicative of the contradictions that run through American culture. In relation to the tolerance of physical violence on television on the one hand, but also, because once again, a Hollywood star seems to benefit from a privilege.
“Hitting someone is clearly a wrongdoing by law which is punishable by imprisonment. Ordinary mortals would have been arrested on the spot, but he, because it’s Will Smith, gets away with it without consequence. There’s a lot of hypocrisy in there coming from a country whose president is in Europe these days promoting democratic values. The basis of democracy is precisely that everyone is equal before the law,” notes Rafael Jacob, researcher at the Raoul-Dandurand Chair at UQAM.
The political scientist, specialist in the United States, struggles to understand that Will Smith was not expelled from the ceremony after going on stage to slap the comedian Chris Rock, who had just made a dubious joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, as he presented an award on stage. Worse, he was able to return to the stage later in the evening after winning the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in King Richard. During his acceptance speech, the tearful actor took the opportunity to apologize to the Academy, but did not apologize to Chris Rock. He finally apologized to the latter on Monday evening, through his Facebook page. “Violence in all its forms is poisonous and destructive. […] I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I overstepped the mark and I was wrong. I’m embarrassed, and my actions weren’t indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness. »
Hypocrisy
All this history reinforces, according to Mr. Jacob, this idea wanting that Hollywood holds a double talk. Because the headliners of the cinema industry have accustomed us, in recent years, to grandiloquent speeches to denounce gun violence, racism or even the politics of Donald Trump. But celebrity excesses and scandals give many average Americans the impression that the rich and famous don’t apply their moral lessons.
“Seen from here, we think it’s good business for American politicians to be endorsed by celebrities. But in recent years, we notice a boomerang effect to that. This strategy rather reflects the image of a disconnected politician, because more and more Americans are disgusted by Hollywood, ”notes Rafael Jacob, who cites the last presidential campaign, during which Joe Biden starred, as proof. more removed from its political events, unlike Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama before him.
It is in this difficult context for the film industry that the 94and Oscar ceremony in Los Angeles. In previous years, the prestigious gala had experienced a dizzying drop in its ratings. Let’s see now if the controversy surrounding Will Smith will revive long-term interest in the flagship evening of American cinema. Early figures released Monday for Sunday’s gala show viewership jumped 48% from last year’s all-time low.
Double standards
The passage where the 53-year-old actor slaps Chris Rock has since been extensively relayed on social networks and in the media around the world. The following sequence in which we hear Will Smith invective the comedian was immediately censored on the air in the United States, while foreign television stations did not see fit to cut the sound at this time.
Like what a well-felt “F Word” goes less well in the United States than a live slap. “Partly because of their history, Americans have a much greater tolerance for violence than Quebecers,” said Pierre Barrette, professor at UQAM’s School of Media.
Sexuality also tends to be less well tolerated than physical violence south of the border. A huge star of the 1990s and early 2000s, Janet Jackson saw her singing career taken forever after she exposed a piece of her breast for a split second during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show. Singer Chris Brown, on the other hand, managed to return to the top spot on the charts a few years later, even after beating his then-girlfriend, pop star Rihanna, after Grammy night. in 2009.
What fate will be reserved for Will Smith? “I have the impression that there will be no consequences, predicts Pierre Barrette. What is certain is that there is a work of spin doctors. We should not be surprised, in the coming weeks, to see Will Smith in a confession-type interview, with Oprah for example, with tears in his eye as he apologizes. »
Impunity?
For the time being, the Academy has reacted by denouncing the gesture of the actor revealed to the general public in the early 1990s in the sitcom The prince of Bel-Air. “We have officially launched a formal review around the incident and will explore further actions and consequences in accordance with our statutes, our standards of conduct and California law,” a statement also read.
According to the CNN network, a dozen influential people within the Academy met Monday morning for a review, but could not agree on the reaction to adopt. Also according to the news channel, members of the Academy present in the hall on the evening of the gala would have immediately thought of expelling Will Smith from the Dolby Theater, but changed their minds for logistical reasons.
A delicate situation that includes Joanne Pouliot, director general of the Association of professionals of the humor industry, which organizes the Les Olivier gala. “The reaction time is very short in a live gala. When it happened, the Academy already knew he was going to win the Best Actor Oscar. It may have played in their decision not to expel him, ”she says, before adding that she does not know how her association would have reacted if such an event had occurred during the Oliviers, a little over a week ago.