An open-handed fake and rehearsed smack performed (poorly) on a literal stage during a failed 'award' show for individuals who rehearse and perform fake scenes as their jobs in order to generate 'buzz' for the show is not a "punch".

At this rate of exaggeration Will Smith will have beat up Chris Rock 6 gorillion times on stage by the end of the week.

Chris Rock was on the "lolita express" a few times too. High standing hollypedo. Staged to stay relevant

Why do people keep saying he punched him when it was clearly a slap?

Everything is rehearsed at least a week in advance for this shit show.

I knew people who were stand-ins for this for years, and they said as the week went on more and more actors would show up to get the timing down that the stand-ins had already established, based on the director's plan.

They have security everywhere and the panic switch at-the-ready, so if something goes not to the well-rehearsed plan, they're off the air.

chris rock had his hands behind his back with his face leaning forward as a potential threat is walking straight at him and all the way up to striking distance, to getting slapped. He grew up in NYC and knows the only people who do that are targets and there was no sound of the strike. There was no shock from anyone, no mad scramble of stage hands/security, no cutting away, just keeping the camera rolling and a half-assed attempt at muting will using the f-word. So just like with violent movies on tv: they'll show the violence, but mute the cursing, lol.

Assault on national television seems like it would be a pretty easy case to prosecute.

Maybe the biggest tipoff that this was fake was jada overacting (which is typical of her) her being offended by the joke, which was the set-up for will's defending her.

Then he wins the oscar and gets tearful about love and other bs.

That incident, and the black, female host goosing the white presenter, and the heavy-handed woke agenda push in all facets of the production, just disgusted me.

I get the feeling from some of the people involved that they can't even believe we're still buying this shit.