Letters to the Editor  | The conversation: The Will Smith slap, the men, the women

Dear editor,
Karamba: Hey Saikou, did you see Will Smith slap the living daylights out of Chris Rock when Chris made fun of Will’s wife and her medical condition? Now that’s how you stand up for your family!
Saikou: Yeah I saw it but I think Will overreacted man. Will should have known that he’s someone a lot of people look up to and how he reacted to that situation should have been better. He’s a role model and a public figure.
Ismaila: Man, I hope I’m never in a position where another man makes fun of my wife’s medical condition. I don’t want to judge Will at all. I just don’t know how I would have reacted. But we can agree that Jada’s reaction to the joke is what countenanced Will’s actions. What I do depends on how my wife would feel.
Jakaria: Saikou, this thing about so called role models acting in accordance with some arbitrary standards we set for them is crazy! You act like being a role model or public figure means one should be perfect. What would you do if someone made fun of your wife’s medical condition? Chris is lucky; I would have had his mouth bleeding!
Jainaba: Wait a minute! What makes you guys think that Will was doing this for Jada? Will was doing this for himself. Being a man, this was more about him and his foolish pride as a man than about protecting Jada. This idea of men being the protectors of women is misogynistic and patriarchal. Jada can defend herself. We shouldn’t encourage men to keep thinking they’re protectors of women!
Rahman: Jainaba you’re just one of those confused feminists! Your nerves to judge someone’s intentions through your own warped feminist lenses is rather unfortunate. You could see Will was laughing at the joke until he saw the reaction of his wife which spurred his reaction but leave it to you to always see things in a black and white feminist prism.
Ansumana: I think Chris was lucky! I would have given him a harder punch than Will did. You make fun of my wife’s medical condition, I’ll make sure you never make fun of anyone else’s medical condition and if that takes beating the shit out of you, then so be it. I’ll be saving someone from getting hurt by your stupidity!