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by arghnoname 649 days ago
I've never been a Will Smith fan, but of all the bad behavior in the world, two guys getting into a minor physical altercation over jokes about the sexual relationships involving the other's wife does not do much for my outrage meter. This is almost normal human weakness stuff, as opposed to 'must be cancelled and shunned by all of society "for eternity" stuff.'

Rock presumably could have pressed charges. Smith can receive public approbation, but for me the world would be much less interesting if anyone who ever erred be prohibited in participating in it for the rest of their lives.

2 comments

The joke wasn't about sexual relationships but about an illness that caused her to lose her hair.

I'm aware the two have a difficult romantic history but this wasn't about that.

My apologies and I stand corrected. My memory is not a reliable witness, but the general point about it being a fairly normal human foible to over-react when you think you or your wife are being publicly besmirched I think is left unharmed.
On live TV at the Oscars? That's absolute psychopath behavior.
> absolute psychopath behavior

What a bizarre thing to say. Look, he fucked up. He absolutely should not have done that. But going from "losing your temper and fucking up" to "absolute psychopath" is utterly bizarre.

This kind of no-empathy no-forgiveness to anyone who did anything criminal is just downright mean-spirited and cruel.

Well I'm not convincing you probably but I think you're downplaying the context. This wasn't a bar fight, this was the Oscars. He was in front of all his peers and being broadcast to 100M homes and makes his living off his reputation and had no compunction about hitting someone on stage. And no I can't make a clinical diagnosis from afar but suffice it to say he has a severe personality disorder that makes him unsafe to be around.
I don't think you understand what that word means and calling someone that for a very human-like response is cruel to say the least.

A spouse who is not faithful can do heavy damage on a person's psyche.

By definition, no it isn't.