Something I've noticed on social media -

[cab67]

As far as I’m concerned, Will Smith and Chris Rock should both be ashamed of themselves.

I said this on Facebook and immediately noticed something - there was a disparity in the responses. Most of my friends agreed with me, but a handful - all of them high school acquaintances to whom I’m not very close - disagreed. They put the blame all on Will Smith. One of them even stated that he found Rock’s joke to be funny. When I pointed out that ge was basically mocking someone for a medical condition, he replied with ‘it’s not life-threatening, and she and her husband should lighten up.’

Those who said things like this are all Trump voters.

I hear this all the time from the right - people are too sensitive and should learn to take a joke.

It’s what my teachers told me as I was bullied severely up through mid-high school. Suck it up and all that.

A large part of the voting public now openly condones bullying as a normal approach toward life.

[pandr32]

1. What did Rock say that was bullying?

Jada is an accomplished woman, a celebrity who rocked her shorn head publicly without shrinking. Chris Rock is a comedian who is known for, and was hired to do his bit (that always involves panning the celebrity crowd mercilessly) on stage. It is meant to make light of each other. Will Smith robbed Jada Smith of her public triumph and reduced her to "my wife" and violently assaulted Rock in front of everyone.

[cab67]

2. You don't think mocking someone for

a medical condition that affects her appearance doesn’t constitute bullying?

I don’t for a minute think Chris Rock was being mean-spirited. But it was a very poor decision on his part, as illustrated by the look on Jada Pinkett Smith’s face.

Sometimes, bullying is done without direct intent.

[pandr32]

3. I didn't see it like that

I think Jada may have been surprised, but his words only underscored that she was rocking her look and is fierce doing it. He didn't put her down or diminish her power. Maybe the Smiths have become too much of a celebrity power couple--taking themselves way too seriously. Certainly Will does.

[treestar]

10. wouldn't mean spirited be in the definition of bullying?

Bullying isn't accidental.

[cab67]

14. I was severely bullied until mid-high school

Bullying can, indeed, be accidental.

[treestar]

16. How?

How can a bully not intend to do the bullying?

[cab67]

18. It's a matter of normalization.

When cruel nicknames or rumors become so ingrained in a group that they become a sort of common wisdom, they get repeated be people with no regard to the harm they cause.

The underlying motivation means nothing to the victim.

[Quakerfriend]

4. Anyone who bullies or condones bullying is

a coward, plain and simple.

[barbaraann]

5. I think Trump took many Americans from Bullying Culture to Rape Culture. n/t

[Tetrachloride]

6. I am on the side of my wife.

Most of my blood relatives and their spouses don’t acknowledge her existence.

[KT2000]

7. Yep - BIL sends me cartoons

that make fun of Biden. I am told to get a sense of humor when I object. If we discuss it on the phone he laughs at me. Only thing is - he is not that smart to understand what he is really doing.

[elias7]

11. How about sending him cartoons of the lunatic right, that should be fair, right?

[KT2000]

17. I'll try it!

thanks

[Binkie The Clown]

8. The sad truth is that sometimes it rains and sometimes you get bullied.

The only thing we can do is learn to deal with what happens.
If my happiness depends on me getting somebody else to change their behavior, then I'm in for a lot of misery.

[snowybirdie]

9. Wish I had

A dollar for everytime this brouhaha was mentioned today. Would send a fortune to Ukrainian relief. Two millionaires fighting about stupid stuff.

[cab67]

15. I, at least, am capable

of following more than one news story at a time.

[snowybirdie]

19. Damn

[Evergreen Emerald]

12. Nope. Nope. Nope.

Violence is unacceptable. When people get angry in Burger King--unacceptable. When people get angry on airplanes--unacceptable. When people get angry in the park--unacceptable. When people get angry at the Oscars--unacceptable.

[cab67]

13. Did I say it was acceptable?

[uponit7771]

20. "They put the blame all on Will Smith. " and "Those who said things like this are ALL Trump voters."

The onus of blame goes to the person breaking the law and that was Will Smith not Rock and his tasteless joke.

We're not all Trump voters who say Wills punk as emotionalness

[cab67]

21. I didn't say that, either.

I was referring to the sample I encountered on Facebook. And these people weren't just putting the blame all on Smith - they were actively defending the Joke told by Rock, which most rational people realize was in very poor taste.

I also very clearly stated that BOTH Smith and Rock behaved badly.

[Diablo del sol]

22. College educated, likely more liberal than most on this board.

Poor taste joke but not nearly to the level of being hit.

Majority of blame goes to Smith.

They are public celebrities making millions. They openly post about sexual habits, infidelities, etc.

[IngridsLittleAngel]

23. Bullying is not exclusive to "their" side either...

Plenty of it here on DU, especially if you're a part of the wrong segment of the population.