Hollywood actor Will Smith’s slapgate at the 94th Academy Awards took the internet by storm on Monday. The actor’s picture of slapping comedian Chris Rock following his joke on Will’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia condition, has been ruling the social media feed. And now dairy brand Amul has also given the slap gate incident its own typical twist.
Amul’s latest topical advertisement features the cartoon version of Will slapping Rock. The text along the cartoon read, “Chris Rocked by slap.” Along with this, Amul also had a message for the viewers that read, “Snack, don’t smack.”
During the live telecast of the Oscars, Rock had come up on stage to present the best documentary prize. Before he could announce the winner, Rock had a short comedy routine during which he joked about Will’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s buzz cut to Demi Moore’s appearance in the film G.I. Jane, suggesting she appear in a sequel. Although Will was seen laughing at the joke at the time, Jada was not so pleased by Rock’s humour. A few seconds later, Will walked up to Rock and slapped him across the face, leaving the stars sitting at the event quite shocked. Will walked back to his seat and shouted, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f*****g mouth.”
It should be noted that Rock’s joke was based on Jada’s appearance which was the result of a medical condition called alopecia in which the person experiences hair loss from the scalp or elsewhere in the body.
Will was later announced as the winner in the Best Actor category for his performance in King Richard. The movie is a biopic on the life of Richard Williams and his crucial role in the stellar success of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams. The actor also apologised for his behaviour during his acceptance speech.
However, more than Will’s Oscar win, it is his slapgate incident that has got people talking across the world. For many, the indelible image of Will slapping Rock has provided a new meme template.
