Is joking about baldness ableist?

singleagain

Tue, Mar 29 2022, 8:51 am

amother [ Electricblue ] wrote:

It's funny that he has no issue with his wife sleeping with other men but if he thinks someone insulted his wife, he loses it........
(His wife had an affair with Chris Rock.....)

They have an open marriage. If she sleeps with someone else that's not cheating.

amother

Electricblue

Tue, Mar 29 2022, 8:54 am

singleagain wrote:

They have an open marriage. If she sleeps with someone else that's not cheating.

I know. But it's funny that he doesn't care that she sleeps with other men but he gets hysterical when he thinks someone offended her.
Their marriage in general always was in bad shape, and suddenly he's losing it?
(The affair happened before they had an open marriage. I think both of them have cheated on each other's in the past.) I guess they both want to cheat so they decided to have an open marriage. Puke

singleagain

Tue, Mar 29 2022, 9:02 am

amother [ Electricblue ] wrote:

I don't pretend to understand poly/open relationships. But they do exist and from what I've read ... The fact that they have an open poly relationship does not mean that they tolerate disrespect towards their spouse.

But honestly that's a whole separate topic and I don't know if it's so appropriate to get into on this board.

Also just because someone decided to publicly come out with something after the fact doesn't mean it wasn't true before the fact that just means that they didn't want to be public about it.

How many times on this board has an OP started a story and then later on in the thread something else comes out It doesn't invalidate what she was saying it just changes the narrative.

Ema of 5

Tue, Mar 29 2022, 9:06 am

Did anyone notice that Will Smith was laughing at Chris Rock’s joke? Laughing!! Not just chuckling or smiling, actually laughing. And he was still smiling when he walked away from hitting him. Jada rolled her eyes…she didn’t look offended though. The oscars are all about roasting actors and actresses. Every presenter who gets on stage makes fun of someone….

PinkFridge

Tue, Mar 29 2022, 9:55 am

amother [ Firebrick ] wrote:

I wonder if Will knew that if he didn't act and do something his wife wouldn't be pleased with him that night....

It kills the moment when people say stupid things and make hurtful comments.

(I can't believe I'm contributing to this) Larry Elder claims that originally Smith was laughing at the joke too. I guess then he felt he had to be chivalrous?

PinkFridge

Tue, Mar 29 2022, 9:56 am

amother [ Coffee ] wrote:

I think he was right to smack him. For some reason verbal abuse is always defendable because "at least it wasn't physical."

I think Chris said something awful, and I'm glad Will stood up for his wife.

I'm aware that no one else shares my view.

He could have eviscerated him elegantly with words, during his acceptance speech or immediately after the program when the press would be after him.

Ema of 5

Tue, Mar 29 2022, 10:15 am

PinkFridge wrote:

(I can't believe I'm contributing to this) Larry Elder claims that originally Smith was laughing at the joke too. I guess then he felt he had to be chivalrous?

No need to claim anything, just watch the clip. He was laughing. Jada rolled her eyes, but didn’t look offended.

Ema of 5

Tue, Mar 29 2022, 10:24 am

amother [ Hyssop ] wrote:

1. Chris rock is now saying he had no clue she had alopecia

2. There are videos of will mocking bald men in stand up. Why are men ok but not women? None of them smacked him

I think Will Smith was wrong, but the answers you will probably get/see are either because she’s a woman so it’s just not ok, and she’s his wife so of course it’s different. (It’s not)

amother

Hyssop

Tue, Mar 29 2022, 10:26 am

Ema of 4 wrote:

I think Will Smith was wrong, but the answers you will probably get/see are either because she’s a woman so it’s just not ok, and she’s his wife so of course it’s different. (It’s not)

Men who are bald also have alopecia and find it painful.
Not sure why men looks can be made fun of but not women

Laiya

Tue, Mar 29 2022, 10:31 am

amother [ Electricblue ] wrote:

Actually, I can't help wondering if that was the actual sensitive nerve for Will. Another guy taking note of his wife, and....he's had enough of that.

causemommysaid

Tue, Mar 29 2022, 10:37 am

amother [ Hyssop ] wrote:

Men who are bald also have alopecia and find it painful.
Not sure why men looks can be made fun of but not women

I think women are much more tied to their looks especially their hair. Men are to some extent but not the same way. Women base their worth on their looks.

Reality

Tue, Mar 29 2022, 12:11 pm

causemommysaid wrote:

I think women are much more tied to their looks especially their hair. Men are to some extent but not the same way. Women base their worth on their looks.

So not true. It is very very upsetting for most men to go bald. Even for men who usually don't care about their looks. It completely changes how one looks.

Fox

Tue, Mar 29 2022, 12:13 pm

Remember that this is show business.

I don't know if or to what extent any of the business between Smith and Rock was scripted, but I know who won: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Viewership of the Oscars has been declining precipitously for years. Which is no surprise, really. The Academy requires that a film must be theatrically released (or at least planned for theatrical release). Except that fewer and fewer people have been seeing movies in theaters even before Covid. The only theatrical releases that draw people in are, for the most point, superhero franchises.

Even though I don't watch movies as a general rule, I used to be aware of nominees, plots, and trivia about notable movies and performances. But I haven't bothered in well over a decade. Quick, without looking it up, what's the general plot of Coda? Who directed it? Who starred in it?

But now we're all talking about the Oscars. Cui bono?

singleagain

Tue, Mar 29 2022, 12:55 pm

Fox wrote:

But I haven't bothered in well over a decade. Quick, without looking it up, what's the general plot of Coda? Who directed it? Who starred in it?

It's C.O.D.A. stands for Children Of Deaf Adults. The only hearing person in her family Ruby not only want to get out of her fishing town, but she wants to sing, which her family won't ever hear. Compound by the fact that her families fishing business is failing. But as the only hearing person on her family she has obligations to her family.

Marlee I always forget her last name is in it. She won an Oscar in 1973. .. Matlin. I looked it up

I never know directors. But I really want to watch CODA. Just difficult bc I don't have apple tv

amother

Leaf

Tue, Mar 29 2022, 1:12 pm

singleagain wrote:

I think I got a free trial to watch Ted Lasso. Check to see if you can, then binge both.

Back to the issue at hand.

Was Chris Rock's comment offensive? It was a terrible joke because I doubt most people remember GI Jane, and, frankly, Demi Moore was hot in it, so comparisons to her are not inherently insulting. Had he referred to a reboot of Kojak, otoh .... But it did offend Jada Pinkett Smith, and her baldness is caused by alopecia. Chris Rock had special knowledge of issues relating to black women's hair, as he did a documentary on it, which included alopecia. Moreover, there's bad blood there. Jada boycotted the 2016 Oscars, and Rock made jokes about it that were not taken well.

My rating? Meh. It was offensive, given the medical issue that is common among black women. But there have been a lot more offensive jokes made. He doesn't get a pass, but I'm also not going to tar and feather him.

Was Will Smith's reaction justified? No.