Uploaded April 2022 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
A cruel joke by one entertainer, a foolish and violent act by another? A celebration ruined? Or an awkward and ugly symbol of our polarized times? However one interprets “the slap,” attendees of the 2022 Academy Awards and viewers around the world were stunned and confused when actor Will Smith assaulted comedian Chris Rock for a remark aimed at Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett. Politically and culturally, what are the Free Speech implications of this incident that caught the attention of tens of millions of people around the world? Were real or imagined lines crossed, and what lessons are to be taken from it?
This event is sponsored by The Free Speech Project (Georgetown University)
A cruel joke by one entertainer, a foolish and violent act by another? A celebration ruined? Or an awkward and ugly symbol of our polarized times? However one interprets “the slap,” attendees of the 2022 Academy Awards and viewers around the world were stunned and confused when actor Will Smith assaulted comedian Chris Rock for a remark aimed at Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett. Politically and culturally, what are the Free Speech implications of this incident that caught the attention of tens of millions of people around the world? Were real or imagined lines crossed, and what lessons are to be taken from it?
This event is sponsored by The Free Speech Project (Georgetown University)
