On Will Smith, Chris Rock and Why Black Men Can’t Show Emotion Around You People
The macho expectations eating Black men alive and how much the rabid crowd loves it
If you’ve been following Will Smith, you know that this year (and the past few) must’ve been as difficult and as rewarding for him as any. He is a natural spotlight hog and we, the people watching his work for thirty years, have loved him. But he’s never satisfied. Smith’s bent toward obsessive perfectionism leaves him in a psychological lurch, especially in his twilight, as the sun sets on his unreal celebrity run from multiplatinum rapper to box-office stud to American performance institution. He is tireless, yes, but he must also be tired.
At the Oscars, this combination of existential fatigue, a narcissistic drive to become immortal, and the dissonant struggle of maintaining his public Blackness and maleness, came to a head. He walked on stage and slapped Chris Rock with an open palm. It was the Blackest moment in live television history. He showed raw, unprocessed disgust and guttural anger. He’s never shown that before. Not from the real Willard Carroll Smith anyway.
Rock is a lot like Smith. They both come from urban centers—Brooklyn and Philly—that produce stars by the dozen and still surpassed every mark their…
