Up until that moment the biggest story of the night had been the almost total shut out ofThe Power of The Dog. With 12 nominations it was expected to win big,but ultimately it only scored one Oscar:Jane Campion for best director.The Power of the Doglosing out on one flank toDuneand on the other toCODA was this year’s narrative. Until the slap.
The slap,and the fiery exchange which followed,was met with confusion,and then shock. A few seconds earlier Will Smith had been laughing at Chris Rock’s jokes. He even appeared to laugh at Rock’s joke about his wife,Jada Pinkett Smith,though he may not have immediately understood its meaning.
Watching from the rabbit warren of corridors connecting the Dolby Theatre,where the ceremony took place,the nearby media centre erupted. Life here runs out of sync with the TV clock:while the audience watch an award on-stage,backstage at the media centre,it’s a touch behind,talking to the winners of the previous award.
But the moment the slap hit all eyes shot from the press stage to the overhead monitors,trying to make sense of what we were watching. And then,the shocked silence was stung by the sound of Smith’s rage-choked voice ringing out. “Keep my wife’s name out your f---ing mouth.” Twice.
Hollywood is all about control. The PR machinery is almost as big as the business itself,and often rigged for silent running. No comment was forthcoming from the Academy. No surprise there. Even a request for clarification – whether it was indeed genuine,and not some kind of stunt – was also met with silence. Though there was little doubt what had taken place.