The Oscars: Let’s stop making excuses for Will Smith’s bad choices

Here’s what I’d like to say to the supporters of Will Smith’s violent public behavior during the Oscar telecast, in which he supposedly defended his wife’s honor.

This comment could get my Black card revoked, but I am tired of some Black people offering excuses. Smith should have been locked up on the spot to show what can happen even to the rich and successful if you act out. Will Smith’s behavior has him pointed to as  a reverse role model.

This was also no doubt a crime against the viewing public. Black parents, try explaining this one to your young kids who are fans of his show and music. Why is it when celebrities behave badly, the devil made them do it? At least that’s what a veteran Black actor said, or maybe it was just to help him overcome the shock and to make some sense of Smith’s heinous actions. 

No wonder we don’t get the respect we deserve from some other communities. It may be because of the disrespect we publicly show each other. Take a look at the spread of Black-on-Black crime, and how we don’t hold our own friends and family members accountable. If celebrities don’t bear personal responsibility, what message does that send? 

I think that Will Smith should never work again. If I were a Hollywood executive producer, I’d be worried about the liability issues his actions raise. I would never work at another newspaper if I assaulted my editor over a “joke” in front of coworkers, even if some thought it was inappropriate. Why does Smith get this special break? 

We continue to manufacture excuses for celebrity behavior because of the misguided belief that “this is happening to bring down a successful Black person,” when actually it’s happening because of their poor choices and ego. 

As a person who has worked in behavioral health for years, I understand how unchecked anger and rage lead to violently acting out. I know all too well the dynamics of bullying and thinking you’re special, which seem to be behind Smith’s actions. Hollywood is all about thinking you’re special, but expecting special treatment ignores that all our feelings are the same no matter how accomplished or wealthy we are. 

Many Black men are locked up right now and won’t get a do-over for basically the same behavior. I know because I spent a year working at a 28-day, $55,000 rehabilitation center in McLean, Va. where well-to -do clients were just as sick or sicker than the ones I worked with in southeast Washington, D.C. Sayings like “pride goes before the fall” doesn’t sink in when oversized egos are involved. And this appears to me to be a case of anger and rage overriding reason. 

As for bullying, those of us who grew up in tough situations know that bullies pick on those they perceive to be weaker. I feel it’s part of the reason Smith felt safe in slapping Chris Rock. Look at the bulked-up Smith and the smallish Rock and tell me his perceived physical strength advantage had nothing to do with it. While we have spent so much time trying to understand Smith, we hear almost nothing about what the victim must be going through. What does that tell us? Sounds like the sick “she asked for it dressed like that” excuse. 

The real issue here is a lack of impulse control by a grown rich actor who can certainly afford therapy to deal with any problems he might have, rather than overreact to a joke by a comedian who was just doing his job. When we have the resources to better ourselves, we are expected to make better choices. Smith’s action only perpetuates that long-standing racist myth that Black people lack the ability to control themselves and their emotions. 

Now, what should have been the best night of his life has become a nightmare for African American entertainment professionals. What a historic night it was supposed to be for Black artists, after years of protests. Because of Smith’s self-centeredness, few people will remember Questlove and Samuel L. Jackson, for his lifetime achievement award. This was the first time the lead production team of the Oscars were headed by Blacks from top to bottom, and what does a winning Black man do? Act a fool with the whole world watching.

Either we support the idea of a society free of violence, or we don’t. It can’t be one set of rules for Black public figures and another for Ray Ray and Boo Boo. Black church folks, can you please stop with the “we all have made mistakes” line? You’re the first ones to holler and march for change if someone you personally know has been hurt by violence in your communities. 

As we debate the violence in Ukraine, how about we do something about the violence right here in America by those whose supporters think are above the law? You and I just don’t have the power of The Fresh Prince and other celebrities who seem to always get that “get out of jail free card.”

Wendell Williams is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media. 

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