Lost in the Oscars fray is the hurt inflicted when a group is denigrated for a laugh. Chris Rock, who has examined this issue in a documentary, should have known better.
Why do people snap, as Will Smith did, when they seem to have everything? I look to Shakespeare, the master of revenge and self-destruction, to get some insight.
Will Smith has spent decades radiating boundless likability. His family has become known for sharing therapy sessions online. His smack at the Oscars has complicated all of that.
Will Packer, the producer of the telecast, said that Smith had been asked to leave after slapping Chris Rock, and then there were discussions of having him physically removed.
The academy revealed that Smith was asked to leave the ceremony after slapping Chris Rock at the Academy Awards, and said that it was initiating disciplinary proceedings.