The Academy finally retaliated after more than a week to the Will Smith-Chris Rock fiasco. And their retaliation was plain and simple – Will Smith is banned from the Oscars for a decade. The 10 Year Oscar Ban for Will Smith may sound punitory and severely harsh at first. The Will Smith Oscar Ban was a long time coming ever since the controversy. But the punishment is actually a slap on the wrist for the Men in Black and Bad Boys actor. His indifferent, 7 word response to his own Oscars ban proves why the Academy is having trouble taming its own stars.
On the 27th of March, Will Smith attacked Chris Rock by slapping him during a live Oscars event watched by millions of people across the world. The slap that rocked the world – also rocked the Academy back into the driving seat. They needed to show who’s in charge. Will Smith’s lackluster Best Actor acceptance speech tried to justify him slapping Rock. He even tried to apologise to the people present, the Academy, and even to Chris Rock himself. Despite Rock letting the entire thing go, the Academy decided it was time they make a move.
The Will Smith 10 Year Oscars Ban Came Too Little Too Late
At the time of this writing, Will Smith is now banned from all Oscars event for a period of ten years. The announcement came only a few hours ago. Smith’s final memories of the Oscars would be him caressing that Best Actor statuette at the podium. The reason Will Smith thought he could do this and get away with it is because similar incidents have happened in the past in other awards shows. For Smith, it was just another controversy that would slide away from his career like water off of a duck’s back.
Both Chris Rock and the Academy of Motion Picture Art & Sciences refused to press charges. Will Smith and co. escaped a criminal lawsuit by a hair’s breadth. Had things happened a bit differently and Chris Rock was even a tad bit vindictive, the career of Will Smith as well as anyone related to him would have been finished.
In this sense, the entire Will Smith Oscar Ban is mere lip service. The punishment needed to be more severe. This truly does feel like a slap on the wrist. A man’s pride and honor were trampled on stage because of a simple joke. The Academy needed to ensure this never happens again. Their actions speak otherwise.
Will Smith’s 7 Word Response To His Oscars Ban Says It All
When asked about his view on the Academy declaring the 10 Year Will Smith Oscar Ban, this was Will Smith’s reply:
“I accept and respect the academy’s decision.”
There was not even a hint of apology in his tone. For far too long, Will Smith and ultra-popular celebs like him have gotten away with the way worse. The Academy could have made an example out of him so that no other celebrity thinks he or she is untouchable. Sadly Will Smith’s response proves he is neither regretting his actions nor willing to acknowledge where he went wrong.
The Academy Should Have Stripped Smith Off His Oscar
Rather than the 10 year Will Smith Oscar Ban, a better punishment would have been if Smith was stripped off of his Best Actor Oscar. The Academy was just not man enough to go there and raise a few eyebrows. Instead of giving it to another actor, they should have erased the Best Actor category from 2022 as punishment. That would have been cruel but just.
In the end, Will Smith did get away with it. Because of the Academy’s lack of a spine, now more and more actors will be emboldened to do stuff they could have never even imagined of doing before Oscars ’22.
