Legendary Oscars Host Finally Responds To Will Smith Slap
One of the most, if not the most, legendary hosts of the Oscars has finally let his opinion known about the Will Smith slap.
Arguably the most legendary host of the Oscars has finally responded to how he feels about the Will Smith slap of Chris Rock. That host is none other than the legendary comedian, Billy Crystal. Crystal was well-known for hosting the Oscars throughout the 1990s and into the 2010s. Though his opinion on the matter might sound a little biased considering he was also one of the most successful stand-up comics in the world, he called the slap an “assault.” Quite honestly, the man is not wrong.
Billy Crystal was part of Bob Costas’s show on HBO called Back on the Record, where he was asked about how he felt about the slap. Being the fact that the man hosted the Oscars an astounding nine times, his opinion matters a bit more than most. He knows all too well what it’s like to go after celebrities with jokes. While most people seem to let these jokes roll off their shoulders, Will Smith took things into a more violent matter. According to Crystal, the situation was “a most disturbing incident, for sure. It was an assault. I’ve had experiences. I hosted the Grammys three times and I’ve been thrown things.” Turns out the musicians being made fun of are less tolerant than actors. The comedian would go on to explain how he and long-time producer for the Oscars, Gil Cates, would discuss what to do in a situation that took place last Sunday. They would place Crystal on certain parts of the stage in case someone was going to come after him for a joke.
While Will Smith slapping Chris Rock has been an isolated incident, it doesn’t mean that tensions run high throughout all award ceremonies. People might get upset that they don’t win and could end up doing something drastic. Billy Crystal also commented on the fact that his time running those award shows made him the boss of the ceremony as well. He spoke about one time at the Grammys which saw Jackie Mason and Little Richard trade defamatory marks to one another, and Crystal was sent out to diffuse the situation, which he did by telling a joke. The idea is that humor works as a double-edged sword in the situation. It could hurt someone’s feelings, but also remind people to laugh at words. They are just words after all.
Whatever one feels about the situation, a joke was made, and then that was followed by an assault. Chris Rock did not strike back or even strike first, and Billy Crystal has also claimed the same in his comments. The fallout for Will Smith has seemingly already begun. The Academy is getting together on Friday to decide the fate of the actor, and it could result in his Oscar being taken away, banishment, and more. Plenty of people have been making their opinions known on the matter, and Smith has come out and formally apologized. Whatever happens because of this event, Smith is likely going to have his record tarnished for quite some time. He has resigned from the Academy already, but that may not be enough punishment. The Academy could dull out some much more severe punishment to make an example of Smith and to show people this can never happen again. Horrible time to slap someone on the biggest night of your career.
