Analysis: For Will Smith, the damage has already been done

While Will Smith apologized to Chris Rock and the Academy on Tuesday for the slap heard around the world, that doesn’t downplay the stupidity of his actions or greatly downplay the damage he’s caused.

Smith could have done a few things differently at the Oscars after Rock made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith: He could have taken Rock’s line, felt the sting, closed his eyes, shook his head and stayed in his seat .

He could have walked up to Pinkett-Smith, taken her hand and leaned in to whisper in her ear, “This guy is a petty jerk and I’m going to tell the world. You look beautiful, tonight and always.”

He could have bided his time, knowing he could be on the cusp of reaching the pinnacle of his acting career by winning Best Actor for his role in “King Richards” and that he could soon have the biggest platform in the world to say the what I wanted to say.

And then he could have kindly accepted his award and included just a scathing mention like, “To Richard Williams, his family was everything; for me mine is. My wife is beautiful and anyone who tries to make fun of her, even a joke is below contempt.”

Or, in accepting his award, he could have ignored any comments about the joke and instead made the grateful and touching comments he had prepared; and then walking into the newsroom and telling the world that his wife had a health reason for wearing her hair like that, and that she shouldn’t be the subject of a cheap, nasty joke. “As for Chris Rock, this guy confuses cruelty with humor and I want nothing to do with him.”

Instead, of course, Will Smith chose an entirely theatrical and violent route, rising from his chair, walking purposefully, uninvited, onto the Oscars stage and slapping Rock in the face, instantly transforming a major production. , the year of cinema and the celebration of the life’s work of dozens of winners (and nominees), in a “look at me” moment destined to be everything anyone would ever talk about or remember.

He then turned his acceptance speech into more “look at me” theatrics, seeking to justify an ugly act of violence as a form of noble family values, even saying, “Love will make you do crazy things.”

A few seconds after the slap, Rock announced that Questlove had won an Oscar for his extraordinary documentary, “Summer of Soul”.

How much has Smith’s toxic display dampened the momentum for Questlove? While he looked suitably shaken up to receive the Oscar, the room still looked a little stunned.

The extent to which Will Smith’s actions unfairly overshadowed the heartbreaking words of such winners as Ariana DeBose (Best Supporting Actress), Jane Campion (Best Director), Sian Heder (Best Adapted Screenplay) and Troy Kotsur (Best Supporting Actor), all of whom could they ever experience a night like this again in their lives? What right did Smith have to divert their attention?

Smith, and perhaps the people who depend on the 10% of the big payouts for the movies he stars in, came to their senses less than 24 hours after the slap. Smith offered a personal apology to Rock, the Academy, and everyone else who was enraptured by the gratuitous attention paid to this unpleasant moment.

But much of the damage has already been done, and Will Smith’s half-blame will do little to minimize it.

You won’t be able to undo the disturbing distraction you injected into the event. And you might not be invited to the ceremony next year. There may be some other damage to your career, though in Hollywood, even marginalized stars still get some offers (see Mel Gibson).

Generally speaking, winning an Oscar for Best Actor elevates a film career to new heights, not hibernation. Your apology will surely help to heal the self-inflicted wound.

Still, there are a few others who will potentially be affected by this vivid moment of showbiz violence. Comedians, politicians or anyone else who dares to stand in front of crowds and challenge the famous or the powerful may now be more concerned than ever about facing physical abuse.

Host Jimmy Kimmel spoke for many when he said on The Bill Simmons Podcast: “Was there anyone in the world who didn’t like Will Smith an hour ago? Hardly anyone, right? And now he doesn’t have a single comedian friend, I’m sure of that.”