Why is everyone so mad at Will Smith?

This question has niggled at me since The Slap.

Seriously, I lost all affection and inclination to watch anything with this man, even though I have adored most of the movies he has made, and most of the interviews he has done. I mean he was an icon.

The characters he played were so doggone good. Ethical, brave, kind, so kind. And always with a joie de vivre and a smile that just made you want to hug the daylights out of him.

And therein lies the answer to the question. We are not mad at him. We are mad at ourselves.

How could he fool us?

But guess what? I have come to the conclusion it is OUR fault.

Why?

Because we persist in putting people on pedestals. And then we scorn them when they fall off.

Why do we do that?

I am sure there are deep conversations to be had about this nonsense.

But the fact is, someone did not live up to the pedestal we put them on.

And lets face it, scorn is something we just LOVE to dish out.

So it has taken me this many months to see this, recognize it, brush it aside and go on the enjoy the characters in the movie, and recognize that the man behind it might just be plain human. Just like me.

So on this Sunday afternoon I am off to watch, The Men in Black series, because after all, it makes me feel good.

So, from here at North of 43, I cheer you on Will Smith! Go ahead. Entertain me.

Chris G August 21st ‘22
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CG

One is about 43 degrees latitude N. and longitude 80 W, The other almost equidistant south latitude and longitude 174 E. Two women, two minds, different personalities and experiences, choosing a life of meaning, continual growth and learning, at the same time negating ageist opinions of exactly what ‘an old lady’ should be.

14 thoughts on “Why is everyone so mad at Will Smith?”

  1. I like Will Smith. But whether you are a celebrity, ‘regular folks’ like us, on a pedestal or not, you’re right, we all mess up. I will watch him in a movie. That moment doesn’t change who I think he ‘is’ (which is kind of arrogant of me to think I know who he is). I think (in my not very important opinion) it added another layer to his humanness that maybe he wasn’t even aware of or prepared for. He is responsible for assaulting a man that the entire world witnessed. There is fallout obviously. And it’s up to him to figure out what made him do it. And the apologies are so multi-layered…. I’m glad I don’t have millions seeing my worst character moments.

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      1. So true. There really is no excuse for what he did. But he is ‘only’ human after all. I still shake my head at it. But…I also watched one of his movies this weekend without any issues.

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  4. I still like Will Smith. As you said, we’re all human. I guess I’m getting old because I remember a time when a man was expected to stand up for his wife when she was insulted or disrespected. It was usually handled with fists and a bunch of swearing…and as long as no one was truly, physically hurt…it was a message that conveyed that the person doing the dissing needs to think twice before they opened their mouth and did it again. I also remember when there was something that everyone understood called “fightin’ words.” That doesn’t mean I condone violence. That doesn’t mean that what he did was right or okay. What that means is I understand why Smith did what he did. That’s all. I still don’t know what he was expected to do in that situation…say nothing and do nothing? Act as though what Chris Rock said was okay? Would Smith have been excoriated for saying and doing nothing? Because I think he would have been. I dunno. What do you think he should have done instead? CG, this is a very thought provoking subject. Over time, people change, the way we do things as a society changes, but sometimes certain things are stopped and labeled taboo, but we’re not given a different (perhaps more appropriate) way to handle things differently from the way we once were okay with handling. I think that’s what happened to Will Smith. I wish none of what happened happened; but I’m not going to condemn him for standing up for his wife when she was made fun of on national TV either. Not everything that comes out of a comedian’s mouth is funny. If a comedian says something hurtful, is that really funny or okay or…if someone not a comedian had said the same thing, would we consider that bullying behavior? I haven’t heard anyone call into question what was said that started all of this. I don’t have anyone up on a pedestal. We all have the potential to have a wide range of emotions and behaviors both acceptable and unacceptable. To think that someone is just one way all of the time as though they’re not human…I don’t get that. Ultimately, we are responsible for our words and our actions. Maybe for Smith, what he did was worth it. He is certainly paying a steep cost. Mona

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