Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes say Will Smith and Chris Rock moment was “sickening”
Both Schumer and Sykes hosted the 94th annual Academy Awards with Regina Hall
Aux News Chris Rock
Days after the Oscars, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes—who both hosted the event alongside Regina Hall— have added to the growing mountain of responses, criticism, and hot takes regarding that Chris Rock and Will Smith slap.
On Instagram, under a picture of herself, Schumer penned a caption that, at first, started as plug for her upcoming tour and her new Hulu series Life & Beth. “I think we can all agree that the best way to unpack what happened is to stream my series @lifeandbethhulu and see me on tour this fall,” she wrote.
However, she quickly shifted gears and addressed the big moment. “But for real. Still triggered and traumatized,” she wrote. “I love my friend @chrisrock and believe he handled it like a pro. Stayed up there and gave an Oscar to his friend @questlove and the whole thing was so disturbing. So much pain in @willsmith anyway I’m still in shock and stunned and sad. Im proud of myself and my cohosts. But yeah. Waiting for this sickening feeling to go away from what we all witnessed.”
Sykes’ full response will come during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show set for April 7. But in a teaser for the upcoming episode, Sykes tells DeGeneres, “I just felt so awful for my friend Chris.”
“It was sickening. I physically felt ill and I’m still a little traumatized by it,” she continues. “And for them to let him stay in that room and enjoy the rest of the show and accept his award—I was like, ‘How gross is this?’ This is just the wrong message. You assault somebody, you get escorted out of the building and that’s it. For them to let him continue, I thought it was gross.”
Rock declined to press charges against Smith, but the Academy announced that its Board of Governors will be coming together in order to “make a determination on appropriate action for Mr. Smith.”
119 Comments
I’d say Wanda Sykes and I have found something to agree on.
You both like pussy?
Don’t knock it til you try it
I said pussy, not Spam.
Why not both?
Not at the same time!
Hey look, no kink shaming here!
I can’t imagine a single standup will say, “yeah, it was fine that Rock got physically assaulted over a joke.”
Or a single good person. Or anyone with a brain.
You’d think that (as would I). Yet, there seem to be too many takes along the lines of: “Violence is bad, BUT…..”
“ I like big BUT’s and I cannot lie…!…”
Black privilege exists. Are you awake yet?
I thought it was hilarious but I’m also a nihilist
Dude nobody died. It was stupid and it’s over. People get slapped sometimes. Welcome to philly.
Go get a drink of wuhder!
Violence in reaction to something somebody says, that you don’t like or agree with, is beta male behavior. Have fun being a beta.
Yeah, people in Philly get slapped all the time. Yeah, suuuure. So many tough guy responses in so many of these stories that are utter bullshit.
So people in Philly get their feelings hurt by words enough, to resort to violence and intimidation?
I don’t think it was fine, but it was an open-handed slap. I think it was more performative than violent.
If he had gone up and knocked him out, or punched him with a fist I’d be more up in arms. Again, I’m not excusing Smith’s behavior, but Chris Rock was not hurt. The slap did not seem intended to hurt, but to make a point. (which it did, but probably not the one Will Smith intended it to)edited for grammar
Lots of women receive “performative” open-handed slaps for offending overly sensitive men, who could have punched them or knocked them out. There are degrees of violence, but slapping someone definitely counts. I’m glad there are laws against it and serious consequences for (some of) those who do it. I’m happy at least that Smith has admitted that what he did was wrong and unacceptable, even when people are excusing him.
I get your point, and I agree.
But that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about one specific occasion that happened. (and I’m not excusing him, I clearly said it was not fine)Will Smith slapping Chris Rock for a tasteless joke.
Please excuse my previous reply. I’m having a hard time processing this, and am now stepping away from this conversation before I say something (else) regretful.
You are more thoughtful than a lot of folks here. (Probably including me!)
This is a hard thing to process. I’m finding it to be so as well. I think ultimately it’s a very good thing that the incident has started an ongoing, very necessary conversation.
A conversation I’m going to listen to!
LMAO imagine having a hard time processing this
Lots of women receive “performative” open-handed slaps for offending overly sensitive menThis.
Some felt that thwack in their skin,
as they did Smith’s semi-strut return to his seat (drunk?),
and then the tearful self-referential remorse that was all about his suffering.
Man, was that textbook.
YMMV.Negating the “Philly” /no-big-deal defense is the fact this was performed in front of millions (or billions, eventually)
by someone who some see as a role model – regardless of whether he actively courts it – potentially catalyzing future violence against comedians,
the shock of which overshadowed honorees to come (Questlove’s heartfelt acceptance & his mom…)
and humiliating not only Rock but (I should think) Jada,
now that it’s *all anyone can talk about.*Maybe there will be some good in that; not all of it needs be public.
A lot to unpack, between Rock’s history –
some sensitivity to black women’s issues yet mocking Jada’s lack of hair –
whatever personal stuff he has with the Smiths,
whatever personal stuff is going on with Will,
and the execrably **hearty applause only minutes later for that lacrimose swill.
**Partially attributable to an unfortunately timed release of tension, but still.
It wouldn’t matter if he slapped him or knocked him out cold. The point is he walked in front of all their peers and tried to humiliate Chris Rock with a violent attack. Whether anyone actually got physically hurt is immaterial.
You are correct, and I am no longer commenting on this subject.
Whether or not anyone got physically hurt to the satisfaction of a television viewer, that is what is immaterial. Couldn’t be MORE immaterial. Like: “He HIT him!” “Well, it didn’t hurt ME none.” That’s what so much of this sounds like lol.
If a slap is performed, it is violence which is being performed. There’s no such thing as a non-violent slap. No. Such. Thing. Except in actual theater, where the slap is fake and highly choreographed and if actual contact is made, it is a VERY BIG DEAL and CAN LEAD TO ASSAULT CHARGES!
You are correct, I am not defending my original comment.
I saw that after I replied, thanks. My own views on this have become much clearer and stronger as a result of the whole incident. I wouldn’t have made that reply if I’d seen your later posts.
I made the comment, I’m going to have to read the responses! But it’s making me consider the situation much more deeply than I originally did.
Except in actual theater, where the slap is fake and highly
choreographed and if actual contact is made, it is a VERY BIG DEAL and
CAN LEAD TO ASSAULT CHARGES!
Is this actually true? I get that if tensions are high between actors, someone might be willing to use the pretense of the scene to actually hit someone, which would certainly be an exception, but I’d imagine that most of the time it would just be an accident of timing. There’s that famous photo of Harrison Ford punching Ryan Gosling on Blade Runner 2049, and I would think stuff like that happens several times in any production with a fight.
Violence is bad, BUT a mild slap that didn’t even leave a bruise is not worth being one of The Top Stories of 2022. It is insane that this story is still The Biggest Thing Being Talked About right now, more than even what is happening in Ukraine. Not to mention the people talking as if Will Smith should be arrested and sentenced to life in prison.
It wouldn’t matter if he slapped him or knocked him out cold. The point is he walked in front of all their peers and tried to humiliate Chris Rock with a violent attack. Whether anyone actually got physically hurt is immaterial.
If Will Smith had slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars after-party it would be a brief news item. Climbing the stage at the Oscars to slap a presenter on live television is going to make headlines. That goes double when the people involved are cornerstones of 90s popular culture and therefore beloved by the boring middle-aged doofuses who consume entertainment news.
Hey hey hey, I might be a boring middle-aged doofus, but… uh… what was the other thing you said?
Imagine being a conference among your peers and smacking someone in front of everybody, for any reason other than self defense, then later trying to explain it as taking your job too seriously. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I’m pretty sure I’d be fired on the spot.
That was my takeaway. Physically assaulting someone wouldn’t be cool anywhere, but … here’s an award. Eek.
Maybe one of these guys?
I wonder how it’s going with the Fox/ MAGA set ( not that I’d watch). Use violence to defend your wife’s honor. Will Smith’s newest fans.
Tiffany Haddish seems completely willing to be adopted by the Smith family, so there’s that.
When I want to share my feelings of disgust for the despicable actions of an abusive person, I call Ellen DeGeneres.
Sorry, she’s busy abandoning the latest dog she adopted.
My B, I’ll wait.
Between that and goading pregnant women into consuming alcohol just before they miscarry she’s got a lot in her calendar.
Wait… what?
She physically assaulted people? I thought she was just a mean person and shitty boss.
Sometimes.
Wait wait… are you telling me that The Ellen Degeneres Show is still going on?And that Wanda Sykes decided that that was the place to criticize how someone is treated?
I believe this is the final year for her show.
It’s almost over.
You should send her a list of places she’s allowed to talk and the topics she can cover
Yeah, why is it still on?
Now Ellen knows it’s OK to slap people.
Here are the people who this is about:Tied for 1st) Rock, Smith and Jada
2nd) Questlove
Tied for 3rd) The other documentary award nominees
8,045,673rd) Amy Fucking Schumer
Thank you. I’m not sure why, because I like Amy Schumer, but this really rubbed me the wrong way.
I’m working out why it bugs me, and your response helped!
I mean, she was a co-host. It makes sense that she’d be asked about it. It rubbed me the wrong way too but because she led it with shameless self-promotion
Yes, there is that!
She led with shameless self-promotion as a joke.
I think her response might be a little over the top, but it’s easy to forget that even mild violence is really shocking, particularly when it’s so unexpected.
That’s a good point. My reaction from hearing about it the next day and reading all the commentary is likely very different than being there and experiencing it firsthand.And now, I think it’s probably best I remove myself from any more commentary on this subject.
Well, she’s a comedian who was hosting the event. I’m sure seeing a fellow comedian/friend get slapped for a joke while doing his job at the event she’s hosting had a lot of relevancies.
eh, that’s a little harsh. She was a host of the oscars and a fellow stand up comedian. I think she has a dog in this.
Nah, Will Smith deserves judgement that he fucking sucks for what he did from just about anybody with some sense of decency.
She ain’t the only one.
Of all the things I am sick of in this story, being told by other white people that white people shouldn’t speak on this is rocketing to the top.
It’s actually hilarious how hard they try to be anti-racist only to circle around and be just as racist anyway.
There are some ways in which this intersects with racial issues and stereotypes, but a simple anti-violence stand is not one of them. It’s not OK to walk up to people and slap them over a joke, period.
Nope, Sofie Hagen, who apparently has to check a few times a day to make sure her skin tone hasn’t changed, has told me that this is entirely a black issue and only black men do this to other black men over black women and I do not have the right to comment.
I’m sorry that she is implying that black men are the only men who do this, but if that is true, I am going to stay out of it.
There’s a comically weird effort to inject nuance into this situation by trying to abstract behavior away from context (and/or suggest that race provides its own context, which leads to some very troubling places). Like, it’s a black-tie event being broadcast live on network television – “don’t walk onstage and slap the preventer” is basic politesse (and common sense).
I hate SE Cupp, but I agree. Having seen several alcoholic outbursts in my time, Will Smith’s actions were slightly triggering. In particular his yelling at Chris more than the slap itself.It still doesn’t warrant Smith getting arrested or whatnot, and Rock’s joke wasn’t funny, etc etc
I hate SE Cupp, but I agree. Having seen several alcoholic outbursts in my time, Will Smith’s actions were slightly triggering. In particular his yelling at Chris more than the slap itself.
those are certainly takes that one could have!
I watched Sadam Hussein executed on live television when I was 13 years old. I’ll live through The Slap.
There’s a Tsiolkas joke in there somewhere.
Just saw this after my last comment, in which I stated it was time for me to remove myself from this conversation. Right there with you Sofie Hagen!
Gross, performative self-congratulation. “Listen up, everybody — I know enough to not talk about this. Yep, this is me shutting up about this. Because I’m white, you see. That’s why I’m shutting up. And listening! OK, this is me listening. Go!”
Oh good grief to both of those people.
Seriously, though, that documentary was awesome! It was on Netflix, I think, and there are some great performances, and it is crazy to think that most of the world never knew it happened nor that it was filmed. Effing Stevie Wonder playing the drums!
As co-hosts of the event in question, both Sykes and Schumer are perfectly entitled to weigh in on the incident.On the other hand, if you are seriously going to call watching a man delivering a single slap to another man ‘traumatizing’ then you are an over-privileged baby and you need to get a grip.
I agree, if Schumer had been the one who g0t slapped, that’d be one thing, but she seems more upset than the guy who actually got hit. Rock is a grown ass man, he doesn’t need her being offended on his behalf, though since he’s friends with Sykes and Schumer, I do understand them wanting to comment on the issue itself. I just agree it is a little ridiculous that Schumer seems as if she got second-hand slapped in this scenario.
Coat tail riding is a career in Hollywood
If someone asks Jada Pinkett Smith about this situation, they’ll be asking her about Will Smith, because he made the situation almost 100% about himself. Anyway, are we seriously confused about Amy Schumer being kind of a jerk? There were like four seasons of a TV show about that.
Where does Wanda Sykes go on the list? Or Regina Hall?
The hosts of the event should of course have had their opinion heard. And they should’ve had one or all of them make an on-air statement about it sooner than 20 minutes after it happened. The whole thing was f-ed up. You don’t think this had any effect on the hosts of the show?
I think we can all agree that the best way to unpack what happened is to stream my series @lifeandbethhulu and see me on tour this fall,” she wrote.This is pretty disgusting. I get that it’s Hollywood so the anger is going to be performative, but this should have come AFTER the bit where she talked about how she felt, not before. Jesus.
It’s like when someone makes a gross sexual advance on someone else and pretends like they didn’t really mean it She’s playing off disgusting self-promotion as a joke but it’s still entirely disgusting self-promotion.
Oh cop onto yourself. She promoted her work on social media.
Ugh, it’s a joke. She’s not molesting anyone.
Exactly, it isn’t a great joke but as a comedian I’m sure she felt she had to inject some levity into the situation before getting real. It obviously wasn’t the type of callous self-promotion that is meant to be taken seriously.
Oh fuck off, you would’ve bitched at that, too.
To be fair, Amy Schumer’s comedic ‘voice’ is often very callous, rude and self important, in order to make fun of those types of people. So I’m not surprised at the joke, or the fact that she led with it.
Maybe you should go slap her for it.
What’s sickening is the discourse. Jesus, do we need to know, individually, what every single celebrity and non-celebrity thinks about “the slap”?Some may think violence isn’t justified over such a tame joke!Others may applaud Smith for defending his wife!Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Who cares?It’s like this moment was carefully crafted by the universe to spark maximum insufferable discourse.Sometimes rich people have minor altercations.
Oscar ratings pre-slap: zzzzzOscar ratings post-slap: ZOMG SUCH VIOLENCE AND HORROR AND DON’T MISS NEXT YEAR.I’m starting to think this shit is being milked for ratings. 🙄
Like childhood Leukemia? Or maybe a little dramatic?
Oh look, blacks being violent. That’s not news, that’s a constant every day occurrence in the USA.
Will Smith might’ve apologized to Chris Rock but he still owes us all an apology for the insanely stupid discourse this incident has spawned. In addition to all the weird race-fixated takes on the incident, we now have people unironically referring to the slap as ‘traumatizing.’
I’m sorry, did I miss something or has the TV for the last few weeks not been filled with images of shelled Ukrainian cities, bombings, refugees and injured kids lying in hospital beds? Grow the hell up.
It’s a deeply weird thing that none of us have seen before at something like the Oscars.It goes in the bucket with increased violence on planes, attacks on Asian people or random folks on the subway, and people buying the “stolen” 2020 election tripe. They’re all incidents or trends that show some breakdown in the established order. That freaks people out. It’s okay to talk about (it actually needs to be!)I don’t know what you’re trying to prove, but the existence of a war in Eastern Europe doesn’t make it immoral for people to focus on things they observe in their personal life. Our monkey brains don’t have the ability to care as deeply about a war in Ukraine as we would one in Houston. That’s okay.
More than one type of thing can be traumatizing, and to varying degrees. And everything is relative, isn’t it? Just because something else horrible is happening, you can’t feel trauma over something else? If you’re Wanda Sykes or Amy Shumer or Chris Rock, your place of business now feels particularly unsafe, doesn’t it? As much as we see violence in movies or TV, most people very rarely actually see it in real life. People who say shit like “grow up” are the reason we have to over correct and be overly sensitive now as it is. like, what do you care what someone else finds traumatizing?
Nah I’m sorry but fuck that. Traumatizing is not the same thing as shocking and unless you are Chris Rock himself it’s an insane overreach to call it the former (a point you pretty much acknowledge in your post btw). Neither Sykes nor Schumer witnessed the incident IRL, the possibility of their workplace being rendered less safe does not make the incident itself somehow more severe, and unless you are insanely privileged and/or were completely ignorant of the concept of violence before this incident it is impossible that this should radically reshape your conception of the world to the extent that it is considered traumatic. Hell, the fact that Schumer’s making flippant Tweets and Skyes is going on Ellen to discuss it should pretty much tell you how ‘traumatized’ they were by it.
And I don’t care what someone else finds traumatizing. I care what wealthy, over-privileged losers claim is traumatizing, and this obnoxious fad where people adopt psychological language that should be reserved for war veterans and CSA victims in an attempt to lend weight to their mundane negative experiences, so they can score social credit and sympathy. It is, put bluntly, stolen valor, and it diminishes what people with actual trauma are going through.
Telling people that only some sorts of things qualify as “real” trauma is a highly problematic thing to do.
I’ll agree with you that people who were watching it and claim they were traumatized are going over the top with it – it was shocking to see but not traumatizing. I disagree about tying that with other stand-up comics – what they saw is someone in their profession, on one of the biggest stages possible, get physically assaulted (whether it’s a slap or something worse is irrelevant), and the offender not only have no consequences, but go on to get an award and a standing ovation from your peers. That’s a pretty big change in how they likely viewed the world up to that point (typically if someone jumps on stage to commit assault they are arrested and no one posts think-pieces about how they might have been right to do it), so I think it’s entirely fair to describe that as traumatic.
So the only thing that can be traumatizing to an individual is bombing? Seriously, did you not think before you jumped into that whataboutism?
Yeah, bro, that’s totally what I meant! That only bombings can traumatize a person and literally nothing else!Are you familiar with the concept of an ‘example’? It’s where you take one specific thing to represent a broader category of thing that you’re talking about. Like this: ‘capeo is an example of someone who doesn’t understand examples. Or trauma. Or whataboutism.’
People’s brains have completely sloughed out of their ears from this horrendous display of violence (pls ignore the culture of real violence that our country continues to perpetrate against the most vulnerable people)
Really, what else are they going to say, so Wanda goes on Ellen, a host that is ultra mean to her employees to talk about a slap.
I think that next year, we will see Chris Rock and Will Smith presenting an Oscar together.
I mean, I’m as willing to criticise Will Smith for all this anyone, but holy Jesus, the way they’re talking you’d think an armed sniper was taking potshots at them while they were on stage.
As opposed to an unarmed sniper?
Well, they wouldn’t be very traumatised if it was an unarmed sniper, to be fair.
I’m just curious why anyone would hire a sniper who didn’t have any arms in the first place.
Look, Andrew might have some disadvantages but he deserves a chance, dammit.
Yeah, we should lend him a hand.
Fuck what amy schumer has to say. Fuck amy schumer.
Amy Schumer in that spider-man outfit wasn’t??!!