The 92nd Academy Awards were held on March 27, 2022, but one event took center stage that night — the slap heard around the world. During the ceremony, comedian Chris Rock compared Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, to G.I. Jane, a headstrong woman who serves in the United States Navy.
However, given that she has alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss, the joke came across as insensitive. Will Smith walked on stage and slapped Chris Rock in the face after noticing his wife’s discomfort as a result of the joke.
This slap has resulted in discourse on top of discourse, but one aspect of this conversation that is absurd is the notion that people can say whatever they want and face no consequences. Whether it’s a rude comment, a slur, or a disrespectful joke, if the words that come out of your mouth are intended to offend someone, you may be fought, or in this case, slapped.
Will Smith’s actions could have been handled differently, such as confronting Chris Rock after the event or in private. No one can, however, predict how someone will react to their comment. Everyone’s words and actions have ramifications. There appears to be a widespread misconception that the first amendment allows people to become members of a “protected class,” but this is not the case.
People should not go to comedy shows with the intention of punching anyone who tells a joke they disagree with, but in everyday life, your words and actions have consequences. Chris Rock’s punishment was to be slapped, while Will Smith’s punishment was to potentially face charges and have films in production halted.
According to the Constitution, “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press…”.
The first amendment does not protect you from getting a beat-down.
Some inhabitants of free countries worry they are losing a fundamental right: the right to speak their ideas and express their opinions in public without fear of being shamed or rejected.
The First Amendment does not contain an “unless someone’s feelings are harmed” clause – but neither does it contain a morality clause. On the contrary, it may be claimed that individuals who support white nationalism, pedophilia, or genocide are morally bound to “shame and reject” them.
As a result, the moral panic about a manufactured crisis has reached a new level of ridiculousness. As though it’s a novel concept, we bemoan “cancel culture,” in which people face punishments for having controversial beliefs.
There’s a difference between defending the freedom of expression against government intrusion and inventing some mythical “right” to speak whatever you want without being “shamed or rejected.”
Holding someone accountable for their words does not limit their freedom of expression.
