ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

Available for over a year

Will Smith slapped Chris Rock in the face on stage at the Oscars after the comic made a joke about the actor's wife Jada Pinkett Smith. The comic had taken aim at Jada's shaved head, a result of the hair-loss condition alopecia. Will Smith has since apologised to Chris Rock. He said, "My behaviour at last night's Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada's medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally." Sikisa, a British comedian, and disability right activist Ola, who lives in Washington DC, explain their reactions to the joke, and the events that followed it. "Jada Pinkett Smith has a chronic illness. Making fun out of a black woman's hair as a result of a chronic illness is a form of ableism, and it is wrong." Ola also thinks we should grant Will Smith "grace and humanity", as he had just been pushed too far, instead of condemning violence as a whole. "As a comedian, was the line crossed? When you talk about disabilities is where that line is going to get crossed." (Sikisa) They also discuss the irony of Chris Rock having made a documentary about black people's hair, how black women's hair is frequently the subject of online debate, and their own comedy acts. Photo: Will Smith (R) hits Chris Rock as Rock spoke on stage during the Oscars, March 2022 Credit: Reuters