Chris Rock and Will Smith: The 2022 Oscars Slap

The Oscars is an event held every year that acknowledges and rewards notable contributors to the film industry, many A-list stars and praised movie directors attend said event. The 2022 Oscars, more specifically the Academy Award nominations were filled to the brim with praised stars, even being nominated is already a boost to one’s career due to the sheer publicity the events have.

The Oscars 2022 was held on March 27th, and one particular incident is still the topic of conversation online even over a week after. It has become known as “The Slap”, which was such a significant incident that it overshadowed any outfits or other events regarding the 2022 Oscars.

The Slap occurred after Chris Rock, a host of the Oscars, made a joke pertaining to Jada-Pinkett Smith, who had been openly affected by a hair loss condition known as Alopecia and is notable actor Will Smith’s wife, calling her “G.I. Jane” in reference to her absence of hair. Ms. Smith was irritated by the joke, seemingly rolling her eyes in response.

Will Smith then decided to go on stage and slap Rock across the face before walking back to his seat and sitting down. This response was viewed as immature, particularly since it occurred at an event with so many well known celebrities and also because Chris Rock’s joke wasn’t viewed as offensive enough to warrant said slap.

 Rock seemed a bit stunned over the incident but attempted to brush it off. As Will Smith sat down he yelled at Rock, “Keep my wife’s name, out your [expletive] mouth!”

“He handled it really well,” stated a freshman at Pitman High School, “the way he handled it probably made him look good, especially… since it was at such a big event like the Oscars.”

Rock’s playing off the hit and keeping his cool is actually beneficial to him financially, with ticket sales for his comedy tour increasing after the Oscars event. About 50% of all of his 2022 show ticket sales have seemed to be a result of the 2022 Oscars, with more people who know of the incident knowing his name and likely trying to show their support through money. Ticket prices have gone up drastically in Rock’s favor, starting from around $45 and escalating to around $500.

The infamous slap was a significant event at the 2022 Oscars, and it helped the public see both Chris Rock and Will Smith in different lights due to the way they handled the situation.