“It was not a good look for Will,” said Bill Maher today of Will Smith’s reaction to Chris Rock’s joke at the Oscars.
“I could make a case that we’ve all be under a lot of pressure and a lot of emotion — and I understand a lot of emotion running through him, but that was just out of line and it re-enforced the idea that jokes are the enemy.”
Will Smith-Chris Rock Incident Will Take “Weeks” To Investigate, Says Academy
The Real-TimeHost was Talking with TMZ.
“It was sort of like cancel culture encapsulated,”He said, “because at first you saw he was laughing at the joke, right? This is what happens a lot with cancel stuff. At first: ‘Oh, it’s funny.’ And then you look around: ‘Oh wait, I’m supposed to be offended.’ And then there’s the [subsequent] overreaction. He was like the Twitter mob come alive.”
Chris Rock was then applauded by the comedian, saying that he didn’t react in kind and allowing the show to focus on itself.
“Chris Rock is the hero here,”He stated.
Maher isn’t the only comedian to take issue with Smith calling Rock a joke. In the last two days, Jim Carrey and Whoopi Goldberg as well as Howard Stern, Kathy Griffen, and Howard Stern have all voiced their concern.
Smith for his part apologized today, saying, among others: “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong.”
Oscar Afterparty Photos: Jessica Chastain, Will Smith and Kristen Stewart