This of course has nothing to do with the world of psychedelics, but did anyone watch the Oscars last night? I'm curious to hear peoples' reactions, as they haven't been as clear and one sided as I would have imagined today.
Personally, I feel it was an entirely regrettable bitch-assed move that really served no one very well. I also think it's likely to result in unintended consequences for a whole bunch of people who probably would have preferred he just stayed in his seat and controlled himself.
This may come as a surprise to some, as I am a product (to some degree) of the school of fuck around and find out. But these same schoolyard rules of engagement also dictate that you don't pick on dudes half your size, cold cock them when they're not expecting it, or do so as some kind of weirdly performative TV gesture, and then strut away like you've just done something gutsy and commendable.
Chris Rock is a paid comedian who was fulfilling the job he was hired for. He's hosted the event several times, and that is largely his act. Was it a nasty and personal joke? Sure, I suppose it was. Did it cross a line? Maybe, but again, that's the deal. He was brought there to roast the stars in attendance. Nobody else popped a gasket.
But the entire Smith family has made the conscious decision to live out every single nanosecond of their weird and tacky superstar lives on screens and in the public eye. They're basically Kardashians, so they don't really get to make that deal and then pick and choose what specific elements of their mockable lives get trotted out for public mockery.
And not for nuthin', but last night was the first ever Oscars ceremony brought to you by an all black production team. The event was by far the most racially and ethnically diverse one in its history. Clearly these were hard fought gains. It was a very purposeful and sorely needed push towards inclusion and representation - and that should have been the story of the night (along with the win of CODA). I guess that's the thing that I find most unfortunate. All of that progress is now set back because Will Smith is a psychotic baby man who couldn't keep it in his pants. He gave ammunition to every old school racist in Hollywood (and beyond) who would rather revert to a whitewashed world. With great power comes great responsibility.
Plus, at the end of the day, he undermined what will undoubtedly be the defining moment of his own career by conducting himself as a psycho, and he flat out guaranteed that his wife will henceforth be known ONLY as GI Jane, EVERY time she leaves the house... FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE.
Personally, I feel it was an entirely regrettable bitch-assed move that really served no one very well. I also think it's likely to result in unintended consequences for a whole bunch of people who probably would have preferred he just stayed in his seat and controlled himself.
This may come as a surprise to some, as I am a product (to some degree) of the school of fuck around and find out. But these same schoolyard rules of engagement also dictate that you don't pick on dudes half your size, cold cock them when they're not expecting it, or do so as some kind of weirdly performative TV gesture, and then strut away like you've just done something gutsy and commendable.
Chris Rock is a paid comedian who was fulfilling the job he was hired for. He's hosted the event several times, and that is largely his act. Was it a nasty and personal joke? Sure, I suppose it was. Did it cross a line? Maybe, but again, that's the deal. He was brought there to roast the stars in attendance. Nobody else popped a gasket.
But the entire Smith family has made the conscious decision to live out every single nanosecond of their weird and tacky superstar lives on screens and in the public eye. They're basically Kardashians, so they don't really get to make that deal and then pick and choose what specific elements of their mockable lives get trotted out for public mockery.
And not for nuthin', but last night was the first ever Oscars ceremony brought to you by an all black production team. The event was by far the most racially and ethnically diverse one in its history. Clearly these were hard fought gains. It was a very purposeful and sorely needed push towards inclusion and representation - and that should have been the story of the night (along with the win of CODA). I guess that's the thing that I find most unfortunate. All of that progress is now set back because Will Smith is a psychotic baby man who couldn't keep it in his pants. He gave ammunition to every old school racist in Hollywood (and beyond) who would rather revert to a whitewashed world. With great power comes great responsibility.
Plus, at the end of the day, he undermined what will undoubtedly be the defining moment of his own career by conducting himself as a psycho, and he flat out guaranteed that his wife will henceforth be known ONLY as GI Jane, EVERY time she leaves the house... FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE.
