Are you not not going to watch the Oscars this year?

[Mickey]

Incredible thread. 53 pages in only 3 days. Wow!
By the way that Will Smith thing was total scripted to create buzz around an otherwise dead Oscars. You fools have obviously taken the bait.

Why would Will Smith agree to stage something that makes him look like a jackass?

Becau$e rating$

I feel like the “staged” argument would work better if it didn’t state/imply that it was for Oscar ratings. Neither Will Smith nor Chris Rock depend on Oscar ratings for their success. Chris Rock has already seen an uptick in his ticket sales for his comedy tour, so there that, but I really struggle to see how Smith benefits from this at all. He’s actually hurt himself by drawing attention away from his award. It doesn’t really make sense.

It makes no sense at all.

It made Smith look terrible, took focus away from his achievement and he later issued a full apology.

Rock was visibly thrown off afterward and struggled to get back on script.

It couldn't have impacted on ratings for the awards, as nobody had any idea it was going to occur until the moment it did. Everyone only heard about it afterward, primarily via social media and news sources.

The argument is that it will increase ratings for NEXT year, when everyone's watching to see if more shit will go down now that we've collectively acknowledged that the Academy Awards are just one more octagon in which combat may ensue. But it doesn't make any sense for either of the participants to sign on, particularly not Smith, who has probably done real damage to his career.

[Rob]

Right, but that argument makes no sense given the parties involved. Will fuckin Smith isn’t trying to risk his career for Oscar ratings next year.

[Norah]

Also just use your eyes. Nothing about what happened looked fake.

[Rob]

Also just use your eyes. Nothing about what happened looked fake.

This has always been the simplest answer. Chris Rock was clearly shocked.

[BurtReynolds]

I don't know if it was fake, but people like Will Smith would absolutely trade a dumb award that no one will remember for being talked about by the entire country. This is a business.

[Birds in Hell]

I'll admit, the guy is pretty nuts:

[Jorge]

Will Smith is a loony toon but no, faking this type of event is not his brand of weirdness

[BurtReynolds]

They know these award shows are archaic and going away, but they can still be stripped of some value.

They are finally catching up with Kanye.

[Malloy]

keep going everyone

[Malloy]

what else do they know?

[washing machine]

Certainly doesn't make too much sense that the slap was staged.

I have seen various opinions out there that parts may have been staged and something went awry, which makes more sense but not something I buy either.

Sort of a Montreal Screwjob situation, if you will.

[washing machine]

Do we really want to live in a world where that sort of thing happens, though? (Ie: that violence at an award ceremony is staged for ratings.)

[wease]

I'll admit, the guy is pretty nuts:

That didn’t work out so well for him. All those cats sitting there are thinking “you’re the most popular cuckold in the world, what you’re saying makes no sense.”

[JuanHamm]

Certainly doesn't make too much sense that the slap was staged.

I have seen various opinions out there that parts may have been staged and something went awry, which makes more sense but not something I buy either.

Sort of a Montreal Screwjob situation, if you will.

Scott Hall thought the Montreal screw job was a work and now he's dead. Coincidence?

[BurtReynolds]

Has Jaden Smith chimed in yet?

[Malloy]

i actually think that’s right. what we saw was an improvisation. there was one plan, but it got vetoed and then these guys went rogue and the op got sloppy

[Mickey]

Do we really want to live in a world where that sort of thing happens, though? (Ie: that violence at an award ceremony is staged for ratings.)

Do you think we don't live in that world already?

[washing machine]

i actually think that’s right. what we saw was an improvisation. there was one plan, but it got vetoed and then these guys went rogue and the op got sloppy

The easiest support I hear for that is that...it was a GI JANE joke.

[washing machine]

Do we really want to live in a world where that sort of thing happens, though? (Ie: that violence at an award ceremony is staged for ratings.)

Do you think we don't live in that world already?

I want to believe we aren't all the way there yet, but I'm on a journey to rotate shapes and can see the writing on the wall.

[BurtReynolds]

It's somehow linked to the 2017 Las Vegas shooting but I haven't drawn all the connections yet.