A slap in the face of toxic masculinity
The MAN|April 01, 2022
By reacting with violence, a man squanders the opportunity to be man enough
Bijoy Venugopal
A slap in the face of toxic masculinity
ONE OF the funniest memes in the aftermath of the Will Smith-Chris Rock incident at the Oscars was an image of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy holding a phone to his ear captioned with the text: “Will Smith, do you know what Vladimir Putin said about your wife?”

For those who missed the goss, the comedian Chris Rock hosted the Oscars last month and, with characteristic irreverence, made a hair joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith’s better half. As the audience laughed at Rock’s snarky reference to Jada’s alopecia, a medical condition that causes hair loss and baldness, cameras panned to the celebrity couple, who appeared unamused. Within seconds, Smith rose from his seat, strode onto the stage, and smacked Rock resoundingly in the face in full view of the august assembly, before returning to his seat and yelling a cuss word at the show host with a warning to keep his wife out of his jokes. Later that evening, despite his hotly debated onstage performance, Smith picked up his first Oscar. He also apologised to Rock on Instagram.

Assertion may be his first name, but Will Smith’s slap set off a ripple of repercussions. What it did for Chris Rock’s cheekiness, only time will tell. For one, his show, ironically titled ‘Ego Death’, sold more tickets that evening than it had in the past month.

This story is from the April 01, 2022 edition of The MAN.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the April 01, 2022 edition of The MAN.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE MANView All
The 2023 Bucket List
The MAN

The 2023 Bucket List

Before the world as we know it changes forever, here's a partial list of experiences to try in the year ahead

time-read
3 mins  |
January 01,2023
Do You Have The Time To Read Your Watch?
The MAN

Do You Have The Time To Read Your Watch?

Audemars Piguet Starwheel Code 11.59 is the latest among watches with unusual layouts

time-read
3 mins  |
January 01,2023
THEY CAME THEY RODE, THEY CONQUERED
The MAN

THEY CAME THEY RODE, THEY CONQUERED

FOUR WOMEN BIKERS TRAVERSING THE UNTOUCHED TERRAIN OF EASTERN ARUNACHAL ON THEIR DUCATI MULTISTRADA BIKES. THE 'EXPLORE BEYOND' BIKING EXPEDITION WAS AN INITIATIVE OF ARUNACHAL TOURISM TO SHOWCASE THE STATE AS A SAFE DESTINATION FOR SOLO WOMEN TRAVELLERS. THE RIDE WAS FLAGGED OFF BY CM PEMA KHANDU FROM THE BANKS OF THE SIANG AT PASIGHAT AND WOUND UP AT THE ORANGE FESTIVAL OF ADVENTURE & MUSIC, DAMBUK, WHERE THE BIKERS LET THEIR HAIR DOWN AND PARTIED LIKE THERE'S NO TOMORROW. YUP, GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN, AND IN ARUNACHAL THEY CAN - SAFELY

time-read
4 mins  |
January 01,2023
ΤΗΕ RIGHT ΤΙΜΕ
The MAN

ΤΗΕ RIGHT ΤΙΜΕ

AS CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABILITY BECOME BURNING ISSUES, WATCH BRANDS TOO ARE DOING THEIR BIT TO SUPPORT CAUSES, BOTH THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL THE TIMEPIECES THEY ARE CREATING AND THE INITIATIVES THEY ARE UNDERTAKING

time-read
4 mins  |
January 01,2023
THE GOLDENPASS EXPRESS
The MAN

THE GOLDENPASS EXPRESS

A LUXURY SWISS WINTER ESCAPE ROUTE

time-read
5 mins  |
January 01,2023
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
The MAN

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

WITH BOUTIQUE LODGES AND ΝΟ CROWDS, THE MORE EXCLUSIVE TEHLA ZONE OF SARISKA NATIONAL PARK IS EMERGING AS THE DESTINATION OF CHOICE FOR WILDLIFE ENTHUSIASTS

time-read
6 mins  |
January 01,2023
LAMBORGHINI HURACAN EVO SPYDER TOP-DOWN ADRENALINE MACHINE
The MAN

LAMBORGHINI HURACAN EVO SPYDER TOP-DOWN ADRENALINE MACHINE

A machine sculpted to perfection, the Lamborghini Huracan EVO Spyder is a sensational car in every sense. It is fast, it's beautiful, and it is just special

time-read
4 mins  |
January 01,2023
CARS TO WATCH OUT FOR IN 2023
The MAN

CARS TO WATCH OUT FOR IN 2023

WITH THE devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the acute supply chain disruptions caused by it beginning to ease, the automotive industry is rapidly accelerating out of the deep crisis it found itself two years ago.

time-read
5 mins  |
January 01,2023
DATING A SINGLE MOM
The MAN

DATING A SINGLE MOM

IT’S A COOL Friday evening. She is sitting with a cup of hot chocolate and unwinding with her phone. Her dating app has 10 unread messages. She hopes that at least one match will lead to a conversation and a date that weekend.

time-read
5 mins  |
January 01,2023
YOUR SHIP HAS COME IN
The MAN

YOUR SHIP HAS COME IN

Go-karting, the world’s first freefall dry slide on sea, musical shows, spa, artwork... this new ship has raised the bar on many levels!

time-read
2 mins  |
January 01,2023