Chris Rock Responds | Oscars Face Criticism Over Harvey Weinstein, Roman Polanski Over Will Smith Ban

The Academy probably thought they were going to ban Will Smith for 10-years and no one say a thing. But the internet is not letting it go down like that.

The overwhelming response to Will slapping Chris Rock, is that the Academy over reacted.

The internet went into the Academy archives noting there are plenty of criminals in the Academy who have never faced disciplinary actions.

via Complex:

While the Academy decided earlier this month that “for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards,” some viewers don’t think enough of a punishment was given to other Oscar winners like Harvey Weinstein and Roman Polanski.

“BREAKING: Will Smith banned by the Hollywood Academy, 12 days after he slapped Chris Rock,” Piers Morgan wrote on Twitter Friday morning. “It took the same Academy 40 years to ban Roman Polanski after he was convicted of raping a child.”

Polanski won the Academy Award for Best Director in 2003 for The Pianist, 26 years after he was first arrested and charged with six offenses against a 13-year-old girl in Los Angeles, including unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and rape by use of drugs. Neither he, nor Weinstein—who was sentenced to 23 years in prison in New York after being found guilty of a first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape, and who has been accused by dozens of women of sexual assault–have had their Academy Awards rescinded, one Twitter user pointed out???????. Smith has not been asked to return his award.

“Just a reminder that Harvey Weinstein and Roman Polanski never had their Oscars rescinded, John Wayne was never expelled, and the Academy never apologized to Hattie McDaniel,” Twitter user @RieveAlavaix wrote. “Just in case anyone was looking at the Academy as some moral beacon.”

Polanski, 88, won the Oscar for Best Director in 2003 for his work on “The Pianist.” However, he didn’t attend the ceremony because he fled the US in 1978 following a rape charge. Harrison Ford accepted the award on Polanksi’s behalf and the filmmaker received a standing ovation.

One person argued that viewers shouldn’t condemn Smith for his actions, rattling off names of numerous other actors who have allegedly crossed a line. “No, we are not going to do this to a Black man when we didn’t do it to Roman Polanski, Woody Allen, Harvey Weinstein, Michael Douglas, Douglas Hoffman, Richard Dreyfuss, Paul Haggis, James Franco, Kevin Spacey, Casey Affleck, Mel Gibson, Arthur Freed, Joan Crawford [and] Clark Gable,” they wrote.

There is actually a point to be made here.

This one is a tough one for me.  In one way we can obviously say that black people are never treated equally for their mishaps in relation to non-blacks.  In another way we could say that it happened on their stage to one of their presenters who is black, and they are taking a serious  stand for Chris Rock.

On the other hand we could say that 10-years is ridiculous because Will does have actual talent.

I don’t know if anyone else notices this, but the viral footage of Jada’s behaviors have placed a soft spot in people’s hearts, encouraging many to come to the “I Am Legend” movie stars defense…

Personally, I’m more interested in what Chris Rock has to say about all of this.

Chris is taking this Oscar’s slap thing all the way to the bank.