*The entertainment world is currently ablaze after a wild scene at the Oscars as A-listers and entourages sat, mouths wide in amazement, as Will Smith proceeded to smack comedian Chris Rock following a joke he told at the Academy Awards at the expense of Will’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Earlier today, EURweb publisher Lee Bailey got on the phone for a discussion with crisis mitigation strategist and media consultant Zakiya Larry about what prudent steps can be taken by both Chris Rock and Will Smith to resolve the matter in a way that is thoughtful if not untraditional.
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It began with Bailey asking Larry what her thoughts are regarding the incident
Zakiya Larry: “My thoughts came after my shock, and I think all of us shared that sentiment. But then my thoughts turned to the PR and the crisis aspect of it. Because, everybody is talking about the fact that it happened or the shock and awe of it happening,” Zakiya told EURweb.com
“But my thoughts are ‘What does it mean for the careers of both these men? What does it mean to the fans? And what does it mean to the Academy?’ You know, that’s the PR brain, the crisis brain. The person who picks apart stuff and puts it back together. So, my thoughts immediately went there and, I gotta tell ya, there are some opportunities here for both of these men to do more than the traditional damage control.”
LB/EURweb: What do you think should happen next?
Zakiya Larry: “I don’t want to see a statement and an apology. We can start there. Let’s just set the stage here. We know it’s not okay. We get it. We heard Will’s thank you speech once he won an Oscar for his work in ‘King Richard’.”
“We also heard in his thank-you speech that he mentioned Richard (Williams) being a staunch defender of family, that was obviously a nod to what was going on, and he apologized to the Academy and his colleagues. That showed me that Will knows who butters his bread. But he also didn’t apologize to Chris Rock.”
“Now, a traditional PR approach would be ‘Will needs to come back today and issue an apology to Chris Rock. Now, this is controversial, but I don’t think he should do that. I think Will should double down but make amends.”
LB/EURweb.com: How would that happen?
Zakiya Larry: “Here’s what that looks like. Will does still need to come out today or within the next 48 hours, because that is the prime window for crisis mitigation. Will should come out and say he absolutely meant to defend and protect his wife.”
“However, he apologizes for how he chose to do it. I think that some apologies should be more forthcoming, but I think that these apologies will go to the kids and young people that look up to and idolize Will Smith. Also, to the kids and young people that look up to and idolize Chris Rock, and also to other performers who are using them as their benchmark. “
“Here’s the deal, we saw Denzel Washington console Will Smith. This was a very generational change of the guards, a legacy moment to watch. Will is that to another generation of performers. So, he should speak to them about managing how he chose to defend and protect his wife.”
“Number two, I think these men should make a joint appearance together. We have not heard from Chris Rock, and we also have to realize that this is rare air, for both of these Black men in Hollywood. There are very few. The public wants to hear from Chris Rock, but that’s embarrassing! That is humiliating, as a performer, as an icon in the comedy arena, also as a man! You got slapped open-handed, bruh.”
“That is not a comfortable thing to confront,” she continued. “So, let’s acknowledge that for Chris Rock. But, also, if he is to make a joint appearance with Will Smith, let’s not talk about the slap, let’s not talk about ego or masculinity. Let’s have them talk about marriage and family and the pressures of how that makes one feel, and how that’s being managed.”
LB/EURweb.com: What does Chris Rock get out of this?
Zakiya Larry: “Why would this be good for Chris Rock to sit in on this? Because Chris has used his platform in some of his comedy specials to talk about his missteps and misdeeds, and also lessons learned, having been a married man. He’s been very vulnerable in that space.”
“It would be wise for Chris Rock to lean into that space. Not to make it okay with what he experienced, but to have the conversation on a broader platform about a Black man who is experiencing pressure and also being looked at for vulnerability. That joint appearance can also change the tide of this conversation.”
“Lastly, and I feel very passionate about this, Will needs to make sure that he doesn’t fall on the sword of mental health.”
“The reason that Will should not fall on the sword of mental health is because it can be dismissive. It becomes a broad brush with which so many misdeeds are painted. Also, it’s very marginalizing for communities that live with or suffer from mental health issues.”
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