Have fun? During the first White House correspondents’ dinner in almost three years amid the coronavirus pandemic, host Trevor Noah noted how comedy has changed in light of the drama of Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Oscars.
“It’s risky to joke these days,” the 38—year-old Daily Show host said during his monologue on Saturday, April 30, according to C-SPAN footage. “I mean, we all saw what happened at the Oscars.
He continued, “I was actually a little worried about tonight. What if I really make fun of Kellyanne Conway, and then her husband [George T. Conway III] runs on stage and thanks me?”
The 53-year-old Fresh Prince of Bel-Air graduate made headlines in March when he punched the 57-year-old South Carolina native at the 94th Annual Academy Awards ceremony. Rock joked that Jada Pinkett-Smith, who married the star Ali in 1997, could play the main role in the movie “Soldiers”. Continuation of Jane because of her shaved head. (Pinkett Smith has openly talked about her struggle with alopecia and hair loss.) While the 50-year-old Maryland native slightly rolled her eyes in response to the joke, Smith took the stage and slapped Rock in the face.
“Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth,” the Philadelphia native shouted after returning to his seat.
The “Adult” actor refused to press charges against Smith, who won a trophy for his role as King Richard during the March 27 ceremony before eventually receiving an apology.
“Violence in all its forms is toxic and destructive,” Smith wrote in a statement on Instagram on March 28. — My behavior at yesterday’s Academy Award ceremony was unacceptable and inexcusable. …I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am confused, and my actions did not indicate who I want to be. There is no place for violence in the world of love and kindness.”
Amid the controversy, the “Men in Black” star resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which banned him from participating in future events for 10 years.
After the Oscar incident hit the headlines, many comedians fervently defended Rock and joked about the situation in general.
“Don’t even think of it as an awards show,” the author of “Born of Crime” said last month during the Grammy Awards ceremony, referring to Smith’s remark that went viral at the Oscars. “This is a concert where we give awards, we will listen to music, dance, sing, keep people’s names away from our mouths, and we will give people awards all night. So let’s get right to the point.”
Noah continued his musical performance by hosting an event in Washington, DC. The annual dinner, attended by President Joe Biden, is designed to celebrate freedom of speech and raise money for journalism programs. Many comedians, including the likes of Noah and James Corden, had the opportunity to roast the president before he also made a few jokes.
