Will Smith and the Academy Drama

At your highest moment, be careful. That is when the devil comes for you.-Denzel Washington

Photo by: Chris Pizzello/Chris Pizzello/Invision/A

The just-concluded 94th Academy awards or Oscars, an annual event designed to acknowledge outstanding performance for actors, fantastic content for writers and technical excellence for directors, producers and technicians all over the world, was full of drama.

Normally, given the popularity of the awards and the crème de la crème of the movie world showing up at this yearly event, it is foregone conclusions that egos will ride roughshod over common sense in certain instances. Surprisingly, that is not always the case until of recent.

The ‘Oscars’ another appellation by which the Academy Awards go by has been around since 1929. Primary instituted to recognise outstanding performance in the field of entertainment and cinematic excellence. Since its maiden edition, it has grown to be the crowning heights of achievement for the five parts of movie making industry departments: Actors, Writers, Producers, Directors and Technicians.

This year Oscars, which is the 94th edition, had its fill of drama, the unwanted kind though. A slap to the face of the compere by one of the attendees and potential winner, Willard Carroll Smith.

Yes! A shining star of the black American race in the entertainment industry. A veteran and legend of the screen, a rapper and producer who had regaled blacks and white alike with artistic display up there with the best in the world of thespian. Staring in block busters movies like Men in Black, Bad boys for life, independence day e. t. c.

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His career has been rich to say the least, having started early as a rapper in 1984 and continuing in that path until 1990 where he starred in the sitcom ‘Fresh Prince of Bellair,’ a widely successful appearance which later branched into other movie appearances like Bad boys1 and Bad boys 2, then Men in Black,amidst other block buster movies like Mohammed Ali where he got his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

Haven wedded Sheree Zampino in1992. He had a son from the union which crashed in 1995. He remarried to Jada Pinkett in 1997 and had two children, Jaden and Camille, from the marriage.

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Will has always submitted to non-traditional beliefs about marriage, and so does his wife Jada. Both subscribe to polyamorous relationship, which is basically un-worded agreement to have extramarital affair in their conventional marriage. Raised a Christian by his grandmother but a self-avowed ‘a-religious person’, this mindset is alien to his other religious affiliation of Hindu (he has performed the Abisheka of lord Shika at Haridwar in India).

Will has no record of public violence or an inclination towards it except, of course, for the movies stunts, until he walked across the stage to slap the compere of the 94ths Oscars, Chris Rock. The reason: the anchor said something untoward about Jada. Precisely, he made mention of Jada’s balding head, an autoimmune disorder that leads to hair loss or alopecia during the event. Will didn’t take kindly to the funny jibe and took it on himself to avenge this slight of the tongue on his wife. His way, a slap to the face of the MC.

From a global star of such reputable standing, it was unbecoming and a faux pas of epic proportions. He would go ahead to win the award for the best actor and then use the opportunity to apologise to the audience, though not to the victim directly. It speaks volumes of the intensity of love and respect between the couples. It leaves one wondering if it’s not a big lie all ,these reported turmoil in their marriage.

Or could Will have overreacted in guarding the honour of his wife?. Jada didn’t show any resentment to the statement other than to roll her eyes, but that could be because she was avoiding an open confrontation. Her knight in the shiny armour, of course, saw it as anathema and in that period when Will was about to add to his fame, decorum deserted the star.

Will, the self processed polyamorous man flies to the aid of his lady who herself has a thing for other men? Why Will did that can only be one of two reasons?

• Defence of his wife- Standing up to his wife’s abuser makes him a model of a perfect gentleman. It is of no consequence if theirs is a ‘bad marriage for life. He probably believes he is the only one with permitted to besmirch his wife and none other.
• Confirmation of a lie - Another good reason could be that both Will and Jada’s claim to having had affairs outside of their matrimony is just a guise to cover up the love that exists between both of them. They act out the nonchalant partner out for others to see while nurturing powerful emotions on the inside. He could be their way of staying in this marriage of inconsistencies.

All these are open to debate, but one thing is sure though,Maya Anjelou and Morgan freeman and the elders of the black American people will no look kindly at his socially unacceptable behaviour .Though a safe assumption is that anywone would think twice before labelling Jada anything but a perfect lady in front of her husband;the perfect gentleman.