03/29/2022
Let's talk about Chris Rock's joke, and the fact that many are using it as justification for Will's assault.
Let's start by exploring a bit more context. MANY people are seeing Chris' joke as an attack at worst, and disrespect at best toward Jada, and subsequently Will. However, having watched Chris deliver scathing attacks before, AND, recalling everything surrounding Demi's shaved head, for me THIS didn't "feel" like an attack.
Demi was lauded for cutting her hair, the strength, boldness, and confidence she projected. She was CELEBRATED throughout that awards season for how beautiful and dignified she looked. HOW is this a negative reference???
Frankly, this felt like a make up praise that was just ill-delivered and misconstrued. Chris' comment in 2016 about Jada boycotting the Oscar's, while absolutely accurate, was FARRRR more biting.
This all said, let's take a look at how comedy consistently exposes the hypocrisy in most of us. The "jokes" told by MOST comedians are often inherently mean and attacking. And we laugh and don't really care about the person being berated, UNTIL, it is a subject that hits too close to our own issues, is directed at someone we care about, or offends our moral compass.
After the myriad jokes about Michael's vitiligo, Whitney's and Bobby's drug and alcohol abuse, and Robert's peeing on underage girls, a hair joke is where we draw the line???
Many have said that it was bad timing because Jada is clearly dealing with something unpleasant. But I would confidently speculate that the timing was equally, if not more so, bad for Michael, Whitney, Bobby, and Robert. That's what comedians do, go after what's relevant at the time.
As for Will having "enough", he stated it clearly, public scrutiny is just a part of their CHOSEN professions. And THEY have laid their lives open more than most.
Also, as he said, they've dealt with it gracefully for a long time, AS THEY SHOULD HAVE. So what's different now? I will speculate and suggest it's a combination of a number of factors. I think Will may feel emasculated from multiple directions, and has grown tired of it. I think he might be harboring some repressed resentments and anger. AND, I think, like many others who've achieved a certain level of status, he feels he's now earned to right to be above the attacks. I believe Chris was a misdirected surrogate for Will's release.
So to address just the joke aspect of this situation, without addressing all the others, Will was flat out wrong. Even IF the joke was intentionally mean, vindictive, ill-timed, it did not warrant, of justify his response of assault.
I believe that after possibly feeling emasculated for so long, despite his tremendous success, Will resorted to the simplist form of masculinity that society has afforded Men of Color, PHYSICAL CONFRONTATION.
He should NOT be elevated or praised as some superhero "Black woman protector". While Black women too often don't get the protection they need and deserve, the mass majority of bruthas out here are providing what's needed for our mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, nieces, aunts, etc.
There is sooo much more to unpack about this situation. But for now, I'll leave this right here. Thank you for your indulgence.
Just One Black Man's Opinion...
