Although actor Will Smith can’t control himself and beat comedian Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars, he is allowed to stay until the end and also receives an award. After massive criticism, the Academy wants to prepare better for “various eventualities”.
After the slap incident at the Oscars last year, the organizers have now put together a “crisis team” for this year’s gala. “We’ve got a whole crisis team, something we’ve never had, and a lot of plans in place,” Oscar Academy executive director Bill Kramer told Time magazine.
“We’ve gone through a lot of scenarios, so it’s our hope that we’re prepared for anything that we can’t anticipate now, but that if it does happen, we prepare.” The Academy boss added that he “couldn’t have imagined in a billion years” Smith’s infamous slap in the face last year.
In addition to preparing for various eventualities, the Academy chairman has high hopes for presenter Jimmy Kimmel, 55, who will host the Oscar ceremony for the third time. “It’s so important to have a host who knows how to deal with live broadcasts and a hall audience,” said Kramer. Kimmel, best known in the US for his late-night show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is known to be “funny and respectful” and have “rough edges, but not too sharp ones”.
At last year’s gala, actor Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock onstage after he made a joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett. Smith was not expelled from the hall afterwards, and a little later accepted his Oscar for “Best Actor” on stage. The organizers have received a lot of criticism for this.
Smith later apologized. He was banned from film academy events, including Academy Awards, for ten years. This year’s Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for March 12th.