The Slap Heard Around the World
By now, you have no doubt heard about the slapping debacle from the recent Oscar night. Just to recap, emcee Chris Rock made a joke at the expense of actress Jada Pinkett Smith, wife of actor Will Smith. After briefly laughing it off, Will Smith was drawn by an overwhelming desire to take immediate action in defense of his apparently defenseless wife. There was, after all, a medical condition involved. (Whether or not that medical condition was known by Mr. Rock and whether it would’ve made a difference to him, I do not know.) A quick walk up onto the stage by Will Smith, a slap delivered to the face of emcee Rock, and there it was... the slap heard around the world.
At this point, I feel a need to elaborate about this episode putting the “slap” in slapstick comedy. But I will not. Although it sounds in keeping, slapstick really doesn’t apply and I wouldn’t want to minimize the talents of Lucille Ball, Charlie Chaplin and all the other comedic greats who use(d) this form of comedy.
Although this slapping saga is still playing out, there was a recent announcement that Mr. Smith has resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. It’s not clear what ramifications that decision will be, but I have a feeling that if Mr. Smith is going to amass any more statues, he had better start collecting Hummels. They are kind of cute, especially the happy traveler.
One may wonder on what plane of existence Mr. Smith lives which would allow him to do such a thing. Is it that he is just part of a “Hollywood elite” who feels like the common laws of decency don’t apply to him? Or is it that this behavior comes because of the frivolous lifestyle that is led by the anything-goes Hollywood crowd? If that is what you are thinking, then let me point out that this is one area where the Hollywood Elite and our own lovable Texas rednecks have in common: stepping in to defend the honor of “their” women.
Every weekend in honkytonks across this state, slaps and punches are thrown for pretty much the same reason as was done on that stage in Hollywood. According to one local police officer, and confirmed by a former local bar owner, the disturbances most often found at bars are usually over two things: money and/or women. Just look at that. Here you have Hollywood meets Peckerwood - people from two completely different walks of life - facing the same dilemma and deciding to take the same retaliatory action. Once again, life steps in to bring us all together on our big blue marble.
A most ironic aspect of this happenslap is that, it being Hollywood, someone is most certainly already pursuing the rights to the story to turn it into a major motion picture. Soon, the slap heard around the world may itself be nominated for an academy award. Ain’t that a real knee slapper?
Reminds me of the time I got into an argument with 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9. The odds were against me.
The column represents the thoughts and opinions of Johnny McNally. Opinion columns are NOT the opinion of the Navasota Examiner.
Johnny McNally is Grimes County’s Best Dressed Businessman advocating for Grimes County and writes a bi-weekly column for the Navasota Examiner.