Selma Residents React to Oscar Slap

From the West Alabama Newsroom–

The incident at the Oscars between Will Smith and Chris Rock — has everybody talking. So, we asked people in Selma what they thought about the incident.

“I saw it as a meme first. I didn’t really watch the Oscars. But umm, it’s surprising,” said Deontae Dial.

It’s the slap — heard round the world.

Actor Will Smith walked onstage and slapped comedian Chris Rock during the Oscars — igniting a firestorm of controversy.

The slap happened after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife’s closely cropped hair.

“Even though Chris Rock was joking, but Will took it in another perspective. But its a sad thing,” said Kelvin Smith.

“He decided to pick on obviously this man’s wife, who I’ve read has an illness, the reason why that she you know, that she’s kind of, doesn’t have hair. And I feel like, he was right going up there slappin’ ’em,” said Tynesia Safford.

“It might of just been that tipping point that made him just come up there. ‘So, I guess, Everybody really does Hate Chris?’ It seems like it. It seems like it. Um, I don’t,” said Dial.

“I think Chris Rock is just too good of a comedian to dislike.”

But whether it was the joke or the slap — that people thought was wrong — most agree that the situation should have been handled differently.

“You could have waited until it was over with. Had a conversation with him. Instead of just snacking the man on TV like that,” said Shawanda Smith.

“They should have sat down and settled their conflict like men. And not get up in the middle of an event of that sort and slap someone. I think it was really ridiculous,” said Cindy Owens.

“They could have handled that backstage or privately instead of doing it in front of thousands or millions of people,” said Safford.

There were also a considerable amount of people — who questioned whether the slap was real — or just part of the show.