MIKE FLEMING: Joe, I thought it a good idea to go back and compare our feelings, days after we live-blogged the Academy Awards for Deadline on Sunday.
I must say right up front, I am ashamed of the position I took, in respecting Will Smith for standing up for his wife when she was insulted by Chris Rock, because Jada Pinkett Smith has alopecia and that is why she keeps her hair close-cropped.
The person I should have lauded was Rock, who had the discipline to keep his cool after being shockingly assaulted onstage. Smith blew what should have been the pinnacle of his inspiring career, and I blew it in not recognizing the incalculable damage he did to his legacy, and the Academy Awards.I think by not swiftly removing Smith from the premises, and denying him the crowning moment of an acceptance speech for the Best Actor trophy everyone knew he’d win, Academy leaders Dawn Hudson and David Rubin completely dropped the ball.
They can hold as many emergency meetings as they like, and everybody can talk about healing and singing Kumbaya, but I don’t know how they possibly fix this.
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