Drama Ensued at the 2022 Oscars
After the 2021 Oscars had the lowest ratings of all time, the 2022 Oscars were advertised as a wild event. The 2022 Oscars took place on March 27th at 8pm and might just be remembered for its drama rather than the awards.
Chris Rock was one of the comedians hired to up the ratings of the Oscars this year. During one of his sets, he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith and her alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss. After Chris Rock called her “GI Jane” because of her short cropped hair style, Will Smith stormed on stage and hit Chris on national television. The assault has sparked a controversy surrounding whether or not it was staged for views. According to nbcnews.com, while Smith later apologized, he was still allowed to remain in the building and accept his Oscar. This controversy has not only dominated conversation across the nation, but has also ignited debates between CHS students.
Junior Anders VanderEide said “Obviously he’d be mad, I’d be mad too, but it didn’t look like a real slap to me.” This has been a fairly common opinion with the student population; after all, these two men are actors.
On the other hand, junior Ethan Pysher’s opinion fell more within the middle ground: “My thought is that it looked too dramatic to not be staged. It files down to if consequences will happen. If files are charged it’s obviously real.”
Chris Rock has stated that he has no plans for filing charges against Smith. So far, it has seemed Smith has gotten away with a slap on the wrist and some negative media attention, although it might not be that way for long. The Academy has admitted to issuing a “formal review” and will “explore further action” against Smith’s assault, as tweeted by the film academy. It is currently unknown whether Smith will be able to keep his 2022 Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role in the face of all this divisive drama.
