Rock, Paper.. Slap?

By: Anushka Bhayana

Can you hear that ringing in your ears? Of course you can! The 'Oscar slap' was heard by everyone. 

                                  

The 94th Academy Awards have proven to be quite the scandal and have stirred a lot of buzz. The news of the ‘incident’ spread like wildfire, and unless you’re living under a rock, we are sure you've heard of the ‘Oscar slap’ by now. Will Smith, who went on to later win the Best Actor Award for his part in King Richard, got up on the stage and slapped host Chris Rock right across the face after he made an unsavoury comment on his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair. Or the lack thereof. He jokingly called her GI Jane, a reference to the character in the movie who shaves her head.

This proved to be the tipping point for Will, who seemed to laugh it off at first but then stormed on stage and the rest is history. Seemingly the reason for his fit of rage stemmed from the fact that Jada Smith is currently suffering from Alopecia areata. Well, that hasn't stopped the internet from having a field day coming up with hilarious memes. Unfortunately Will, you can’t slap the internet :( though we wish twitter would add this feature soon.

But one positive effect the slap could have is bringing some awareness about Alopecia, a disease that plagues hundreds.


So what exactly is this disease?

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder. It results in the falling of hair in clumps and the intensity varies from person to person. This condition can hit anybody regardless of their age, gender and race. This disease has several causes including hereditary hair loss, an autoimmune disorder, hormonal imbalance, medications or certain cancer treatments, radiation, and stress. It is the body’s immune system that mistakenly attacks the hair follicles causing hair loss and is known to not be permanent.

As of today, there is no known cure for Alopecia. Cortisones may be prescribed as an anti-inflammatory drug or immunotherapy known as Topical Immunotherapy is an option. This treatment targets certain parts of the body producing an allergic response in that part, leading to hair growth.

It is not something one can be prepared for and can take precautions as the reason or cause is largely unknown. To increase public awareness about this, a one-month celebration in the month of September is held. A blue-ribbon is worn to show support to the people going through this disease.

So although it is a tradition to roast fellow celebrities while hosting the Academy Awards, Chris Rock may have crossed a line by making a comment on Jada’s condition. But surprisingly, this wasn’t the first time the comedian has mocked Jada Smith. Back in 2016, he made a sarcastic comment about her having boycotted the Oscars when she wasn’t even invited.

There have been several murmurs wondering if the whole act was staged. Some sources close to the production say that the joke was not a part of the routine at least till the show began. But was Will Smith's outrageous reaction to the comment appropriate on live national television? He admitted being out of line for doing so and has since issued a public apology to Rock, The Academy and the viewers. The LAPD also gave out a statement saying that Chris Rock had declined to file a complaint against Will Smith.

Post this ordeal there was wide criticism of the act and many said that there should be disciplinary actions taken against the actor. On the other hand, there are a handful coming out in support of the actor. Tiffany Haddish, Pinkett’s co-star in Girl’s Trip and Smith’s Fresh Prince of Bel-Air co-star Janet Hubert defended his actions post the show. While he did it in solidarity to his wife, violence is never the answer. 

Image credits: Google