Using violence in response is never commendable. But Will Smith is also human. And as human beings, there will always be certain limits for them to stand up for what they consider important in life.

Football lovers must remember 16 years ago, Zidane went down in world football history with his headbutt on Materazzi in that year’s World Cup final between France and Italy. The reason was later told by an insider, it was because Materazzi’s parody about Zidane’s sister made the French captain unable to hold back his anger and instant outburst. That final, France lost the championship to the Italians. But not long after the final whistle blew, Zidane also proudly walked up to the podium to receive the World Cup Golden Ball award, although the image of the “header” is still intact. And although the cause of that legendary headbutt came from Materazzi’s excessive provocation, it remained imprinted on Zidane’s exemplary career as a stain on a time he could not contain himself.

Today on the stage of the Dolby Theater, the world once again witnessed an outbreak when loved ones were made fun of. This time, it’s Will Smith personally went on stage to give Chris Rock a blow when his wife becomes the protagonist in an ungainly joke.

Will Smith gave Chris Rock a slap in the face…

… after his wife was seriously offended

There were praises for Will Smith’s punch as much as Zidane’s first butt. But soon after, there were also protests and considered it an inappropriate violent act of retaliation in the context of a prestigious awards ceremony, just like how people commented on Zidane’s actions in the movie. That World Cup final was “unsportsmanlike”.

Of course, using violence in response is never a laudable act. There are countless other ways to avoid making the millions of people watching the live screen feel like they are being encouraged to publicly retaliate. But, Will Smith or Zidane are just humans. And as human beings, there will always be certain limits for them to stand up for what they consider important in life. With Zidane as an older sister, and with Will Smith as a wife.

The limit of jokes

One of the top reasons we give when we make fun of someone is simply: “Just kidding.”

There is one thing that ungrateful jokers are forced to admit, that when they tell jokes, a part of them implicitly admits that what they say is true. They see and believe it, nurture it in their heads, and then decide to utter it as an affirmation hidden under the guise of humor and innocuousness.

Joking is always taken as a shield to justify all attacks directed at someone. Asking an innocuous question, criticizing a defect in appearance, saying a malicious word that can leave hurt,… we can completely cover up our own ungratefulness by giving that was a joke. And it’s a joke, who cares about each other, right?

Treating every sarcasm as a joke softens the “sin” of the person who said it. They do not have to repent of their attack on others and can comfort themselves that they are a bit ungrateful. They can laugh and walk away without receiving a harsh reaction from the other person, even if someone shows discomfort, they can completely frown and think that the other person is sensitive.

But that never makes the ungodly jokes any less lethal. Just because you take the sentences as jokes, doesn’t mean the people who are their target – have to feel amused too. Just because you’re joking, doesn’t mean the person listening to them shouldn’t be upset. Just because you think it’s innocuous, doesn’t mean the person who has to accept it has to take it lightly.

Hollywood in particular and the entertainment industry in general have had a long history of mocking artists on stage. Ellen Degeneres is one of the most veteran hosts of American television, but she is also one of the most criticized when she often jokes poorly with the artists participating in her show. In 2010, Ellen once forced Mariah Carey to drink wine to share information about the pregnant diva, of course, Mariah was extremely reluctant to click her lips.

In 2013, Ellen purposely “digged” into Taylor Swift’s love affair by asking about the number of ex-lovers of the singer, only to end up with a slide show of the boys she dated to the center of the screen. discount. Taylor not only showed her displeasure, but then almost screamed and almost cried. Only at this point did Ellen “let go” and stop her excessive joke.

Mariah Carey and Taylor Swift…

… were all victims of Ellen Degeneres

Paris Hilton was also once a case of public humiliation about going to prison on David Letterman’s show. The veteran MC focused on asking questions and mocking Paris’s imprisonment for the duration of her program, although Paris had previously accepted to participate with only the request that no one would mention it. In later recordings, Paris’s confused, embarrassed and embarrassed face can be clearly seen when David Letterman constantly teases.

Paris Hilton wasn’t having fun on David Letterman’s show

Will Smith can sit with a fake smile and clap his hands over Chris Rock’s bland statement, showing that he doesn’t care and sympathize with his colleagues for an ungainly slip of the tongue. But think about the next time and others too, if not for one person to stand up to say that someone has crossed the line, then the limit of ungratefulness and malice will be widened. further and do not stop. Today could be a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair loss, but tomorrow could it be about another person’s physical appearance, or a precarious situation one can’t get over? If no one stands up to set limits on malicious jokes, there will be people who have to keep quiet, smile awkwardly at parties, accept insults directed at them even though they feel in their hearts. really hurt.

Jokes are not always fun. And when it’s not fun, you have every right to stand up and draw a clear line for yourself.

Limits of protection

Everything in life has its limits. Jokes have limits of jokes, and retaliation has limits of retaliation.

In an ideal settlement, Will Smith could stand up and publicly demand an apology from Chris Rock for offending his wife. Similarly, Zidane can ignore Materazzi and continue his game. Force is never the key to solving problems and Will Smith will certainly continue to receive a lot of opposition to the punch today. But everything is just “ideal”, man is not a perfect entity. We are filled with emotions and sometimes, we cannot control our behavior when angry, especially when the attack is directed at the people we love.

Will Smith’s punch was clearly a misnomer. Standing as a star with millions of admirers, this is even more a bad example for those who are watching him. But, that punch can be sympathized because before he was a big star, he was also a husband and father. And how much respect would a husband and father get when he had to sit there and smile at a joke about his wife that he himself didn’t enjoy? Everyone’s tolerance limit is different. And today, when Will Smith’s limits are breached, he seizes the opportunity to stand up and defend what he considers important.

One can see Will Smith’s action in a very heroic way, romanticizing it as a strong manly gesture. One could also see it as the behavior of a brute, seeing fists as the solution to all problems. Depending on each person’s perspective, there will be different explanations and conclusions for that punch. That punch both teaches us a lesson about setting boundaries for ourselves, as well as a lesson in how to deal with an angry outburst.

And whether or not that punch is a set episode in the show’s sophisticated script. Then know that it has also “punched” many people to wake up because of how deeply ungrateful themselves can leave other people.