Skip to main content

Mobile Ads

Dear Will Smith, Why The Apology?

You stood up for your wife and publicly slapped a man (Chris Rock) who insulted your wife…. I applaud your grit.  And so do all those people out there who live in constant fear of their loved ones being attacked. It could be a bunch of hoodlums whistling at your sister and passing lewd remarks, or it could be your wife’s colleague at work repeatedly inviting her out when she is not interested.

The misuse of the public space to humiliate your opponents, settle scores, or get even is a common curse to mankind. Your reaction in defending your wife made you a bigger hero than the one you play in King Richard. Ironically King Richard is about protecting one’s family. The way Richard Williams looks out for his daughters is the way we all ought to look out for our loved ones. There is a sequence in King Richard where you beat the shit out of a neighborhood Romeo who is troubling your daughter.  What should Richard have done?  Gifted the sadak-chhaap Romeo with a copy of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet on how to woo a woman in style?

What were you expected to do at the Oscars after Chris Rock insulted your wife?  Send him a memo on stage asking for an apology? Maybe. Violence is never the solution. Try explaining that to militants who mow down school kids in public attacks. Not to a man who reacts impulsively to his wife being heckled.

You acted on a protective impulse. You did nothing wrong. The public outcry against the slap is turning you defensive. Maybe you feel the Academy Awards will blacklist you. I wonder why nobody talks of blacklisting Chris Rock!  I guess it’s okay to insult. But it is not okay to react to the insult. When you smile away at cringe jokes at awards functions you encourage these wisecracking jerks to push further and further down the road of insolence.

Your slap came at the right time. It tells the world that, just because you have a powerful platform it doesn’t give you the right to insult and humiliate people. And even if the joke is at the expense of the star, it shouldn’t land on his family.

So, chin up, Will Smith. I think you deserve an added Oscar for standing up for your loved one. For those who think Mrs. Smith doesn’t need your support, I say she needs to know you care. That doesn’t make your wife weak. It just makes her proud.

Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based film critic who has been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out. He tweets at @SubhashK_Jha.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,
India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 


by Subhash K Jha
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Oscars 2021 adds in-person UK hub for international nominees amid travel concerns during pandemic

With less than a month until showtime, the 93rd Oscars are taking another pass at the script. Show producers Steven Soderbergh, Jesse Collins and Stacey Sher remain determined to have an i n-person ceremony on 25 April in Los Angeles but told nominees on Tuesday in a virtual meeting that they’ve added a British hub after some backlash from nominees about international travel restrictions. The main event will still take place at Los Angeles’ Union station which will include a red carpet component but they are planning something special for the UK location. The show is also working with local broadcast affiliates around the world to provide satellite links for other international nominees. They said they are not totally ruling out Zoom but are hoping it doesn’t come to that. Although plans and requirements remain fluid, attendees have been told they’re expected to quarantine for 10 days prior to the show. And everyone is being told to bring a mask, even if the show is being designed...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan to marry on 9 June; here's all you need to know

Filmmaker Vignesh Shivan and Nayanthara are all set to get married tomorrow, 9 June. Shivan made an announcement about the same on Tuesday, 7 June in an interaction with the media. Talking about their wedding venue, Shivan informed that the wedding will take place at a private resort in Mahabalipuram . Shivan also spoke about the change in the wedding venue from Tirupati to Mahabalipuram. The filmmaker said that the couple wanted to get married in a temple but due to issues in logistics, it was difficult to bring their families to Tirupati. So, they decided to change the wedding venue to Mahabalipuram. He added that the wedding will be attended by close friends and family members. The rumours regarding their wedding began after the duo was clicked with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and reports claimed that the couple had gone to invite the Chief Minister for their special day. Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan had met each other in 2015 for the first time during the nar...
Post a Comment
Read more

Dreams, desires and aspirations: Udan Patolas cast on why the show is a must-watch

The Bold Type , Four More Shots and now Udan Patolas , stories reflecting sisterhood and female bonding seems like the flavour of the season. Udan Patolas , the Indian adaptation of the Israeli TV show Honey Badgers, depicts the voice of today’s generation of Indian women who are fiercely independent and are not afraid to speak their minds. Produced by Applause Entertainment – the makers of the successful series ‘Scam 1992’ in association with Sol Productions and directed by Shakti Sagar Chopra, from the Hatim and Ramayan fame, the web series features actors Apoorva Arora, Aastha Sidana, Poppy Jabbal, and Sukhmani Sadana in the lead roles. It also features Rajveer Singh, Mayank Arora, Taniya Kalrra, Vaibhav Talwar, Rakesh Bedi, and Manik Singh in prominent roles. In an interview with Firstpost during the press meeting in Delhi, Aastha, Poppy, and Sukhmani (who is also the writer of the show) spoke about how the series will remind every girl about their close group of friends. They a...
Post a Comment
Read more