Will Smith’s hit by Chris Rock was one of the most amazing and shocking moments in the history of the Academy Awards. Despite the fact that Smith won his first Oscar, his actions made him the biggest loser of the evening. Almost as shocking was the fact that Rock was standing still and not trying to move when Smith got slapped. Rock’s nonverbal learning disability may explain why he didn’t defend himself.
Chris Rock didn’t try to defend himself from Will Smith’s slap at the Oscars
Rock joked about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s shaved head right before presenting the best feature-length documentary. Although he grinned at first, the joke did not please Will Smith, who reacted with one of the most famous slaps in the world.
Most stand-up comedians, such as Rock, are used to interrupting, but they are not ready for attacks. Even when the jokes fail, most viewers stay in their seats. Rarely do they jump on stage and attack a comedian.
Rock probably wasn’t thinking about self-defense when Smith approached him, but there could be another reason why Rock didn’t escape Smith’s slap.
