Just my armchair perspective but I think he feels deeply emasculated by Jada’s affair and their talking about it publicly which was really cringe.
Absolutely. I think this situation has so many layers. It seems Chris Rock has a history of taking pot shots at the Smiths at award shows. Plus Will has had to endure never ending digs about ‘entanglements’ throughout this whole press tour for the King Richard film. Add all the emotion and pressure of Oscars night into the mix and I think he came slightly unhinged.
The problem with Will and Jada is during the last few years they’ve been obsessed with over sharing because they think it gives them the upper hand somehow. Like they’re above all the controversy and gossip about their lives if they’re willing to sacrifice themselves at the altar of public opinion. But that’s not how it works! The more you decide to engage in public vulnerability the more you open yourself up to criticism and ridicule.
In the internet age it’s somehow become a virtue to be really open and transparent - but actually I think old fashioned wisdom prevails. Keep private things private and maintain your dignity through silence. Let some things, especially intimate details about your family and marriage, stay private. It’s clear Will is someone who values his public image and social standing. And the past few years have clearly taken their toll.
I don’t think this incident had anything to do with protecting his wife, it’s about not being able to handle the ridicule anymore. It was a matter of pride and ego. And I’m not even a big fan of Chris Rock. I don’t think Will needs to hand back his Oscar when far more violent perverted scary men have been allowed to keep theirs. But I also don’t think people can just run up on stage and slap those who say things that bother them. As Chris himself said, it was a GI Jane joke about Jada’s shaved/bald hair style, hardly anything super offensive or rage inducing.