The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Friday ruled that Will Smith will be banned from attending the Oscars ceremony — as a guest or presenter — as well as any other academy events for the next 10 years.
That may seem like a harsh punishment for Smith smacking Chris Rock onstage at the ceremony, nearly two weeks ago, over a joke the comic told about Smith’s wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith.
But consider the enormity of what happened that night. This isn’t like Smith confronted Rock backstage or in a Dolby Theatre parking garage and hit him. That would have been bad enough. He did it on global TV. And then Smith went back to his seat and screamed profanities across the theater at Rock — lest any of us (including Rock) think the whole thing was just a comic bit. If it were any other awards ceremony for achievements in a profession, chances are someone who rushed the stage and hit the presenter would be arrested and/or fired from their job.
