Comment

Comment by SabineTawni on April 7, 2022 at 12:40pm

I also developed AU later in life, although I developed Alopecia Areata early (age 24).  It always resolved on its own until age 60 when it became diffuse, then age 65 when it turned AU.  I am glad that you are able to handle it well, and that Chris Rock's remark did not bother you that much.  But while AU is horrible for anyone, I do think the ramifications for women are very different than they are for men.  Split nails?  Yes, that is a problem with myself as well, along with no nose/ear hairs, no brows/eyelashes or body hair.  While I too am fed up with Hollywood antics and would like to see more medical investigation into treatment and a cure for our autoimmune disease, if we allow comedians to give the impression that our disease is not a REAL disease (therefore, worthy of jokes), that will never happen.  We need help and support, not being the butt of tasteless jokes.  Yes, Will Smith must be held accountable for his actions, but I refuse to give Chris Rock a free pass.  His "joke" was discussing, and I can't help but notice most of them supporting Rock have a lovely, full-head of hair.

Comment by Kathy on April 7, 2022 at 11:34am

Well said Picdubois, could not agree more. 

Comment by Picdubois on April 7, 2022 at 11:18am

I am not supportive of bullying. Not familiar with Cindy Lauper, actually not a big fan of Hollywood, or the Academy as they seem to be a lot of rich "Hey Look at Me" types. I have developed Alopecia Universalis relatively late in life three years ago and Chris Rocks remarks did not bother me that much. I am more concerned about what my compromised immune system might be up to next, like my fingernails cracking in half. Sorry that Jadda felt uncomfortable by the remark or anyone else who was offended. My Alopecia started after receiving amoxicillin for an ear infection it did not cure and was mis-prescribed a second time. A medical investigation of that scenario may be a better use of time then worry about the Hollywood shenanigans.

Comment by SabineTawni on April 7, 2022 at 10:12am

Sorry, Picdubois, but this was not a "roast".  It was the Academy Awards, and Jada Smith was blindsided by a remark ridiculing a medical condition.  Don't misunderstand me, I am in no way condoning Will Smith's actions.  They were blatantly wrong!  Free speech?  Fair enough, but I don't think we can use that as an excuse to bully someone.  The last time I heard we were suppose to be addressing the problem of bullying.  Again, I will ask you the same question that I have asked before and never received an answer.  Would you have been O.K. with Chris Rock calling out Cindy Lauper over her psoriasis?  If so, why or why not?  If Bruce Willis attends the awards next year, will the host be allowed to exercise his/her "constitutional rights" to hurl snarly comments about his aphasia?  I am puzzled as to why no one here appears to be willing to answer these questions.  

Comment by Picdubois on April 7, 2022 at 8:18am

Free speech is free speech - it is a constitutional right. Period. Full stop. If it is hurtful or tasteless, or insulting, that does not give one the go-ahead for physical violence. Certainly, it does not give one the right to assault, which is what this was, unless it was feigned. In this case, it was a Hollywood comedian, roast act, and public figures for the most part roll with the punch in fun. Jada did not. There are cases where in your face comments are conducive to violence, but this was not one of those times.

Comment by nohairontop on April 6, 2022 at 11:06pm

Education is KEY, not violence. No one ever learn anything from violence but information has educated plenty. 
Use your time wisely, Will. 

Comment by SabineTawni on April 6, 2022 at 11:50am

I agree, Kathy, it was a bad joke.  It was also bad idea for Chris Rock to stand up as host of the Oscars with a packed audience on national TV and blindside Jada and Will Smith with an inappropriate comment about an auto-immune disease.  Hopefully, Bruce Willis and his family will not attend the Oscars next year and have to worry about his aphasia used as cannon fodder for jokes by the host.  But Cindy Lauper needs to be careful about attending as her autoimmune disease (psoriasis) might be seen as fair game.  After all, "it's only skin".

Comment by Kathy on April 4, 2022 at 3:55pm

I can’t claim to be clued in to the plights of most, everyone has something with which they are struggling. I think it was simply a bad joke, Jada didn’t like Will laughing at it and he acted badly out of guilt. Jada laughed when Rock got slapped because her husband straightened up and flew right.  All very human and all very imperfect. Just like we all are. 

Comment by SabineTawni on April 4, 2022 at 9:46am

Dollhead, I can't help but wonder that if Cindy Lauper who has been very open about her psoriasis had been sitting in the audience, would Chris Rock and his disciples been fine with him hurling an insult at her at the Oscar Awards in front of a full-house?  If so, why?  If not, why not?  For all those who are "fine" with Chris Rock's bully, don't worry, there's more to come!  Next year when and if Bruce Willis shows up at the Awards, they will have another target for their bullying as they sling barbs at him concerning his aphasia in front of a full audience.  Can't wait to hear the criticism of Willis and his family not being "able to take a joke".

Comment by Dollhead on April 3, 2022 at 11:38pm

Let's look at a few things:

1.) The same people who were laughing at the "joke" in the beginning were absolutely fine with the smack when they thought it was part of a skit, which means they would have been perfectly OK with simulated violence. So what makes a slap OK if it's part of a skit yet not OK when it's not part of a skit if violent actions are violent actions? Even in the split second I thought "maybe this was staged," I wasn't laughing at CR's comment, was not laughing at the possibility this was a skit, and there were people in the audience who weren't laughing either. You could hear it in the room.

2.) Comedians are in an uproar because they know now there's only so far you can push the limits and now they have to really think twice about violating people's boundaries. And no, freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences, just as much as every action has an equal and opposite reaction. (Once again, it's F*& around and find out.)

3.) Will Smith exhibits that actions have consequences, has admitted to that by what he's done since what happened, and by all the people ready to burn him at the stake.

4.) The lack of any consequences for CR's actions post slap proves that consequences are only for some people.

5.) The moment CR's ticket sales dry up and when people start actually placing the blame squarely where it belongs, I have a very strong suspicion he's going to be done "assessing the situation" and have a faster epiphany than the Three Wise Men.

6.) Will Packer was the executive producer. The very minute CR went where he did, the camera should have been cut and they should have gone to commercial. PERIOD. And then has the damn nerve to try and CYA his way out of his screw up on morning TV interviews. Please don't pee on my bald head and tell me it's rain. Oh, and BTW, he was the producer for the movie Girl's Trip which had Jada Pinkett Smith as part of the cast. Niiiiccce! Way to throw a woman under the bus! Also, he's a producer for a sequel to Girl's Trip that was announced in January. Maybe CR can write the script with extra bald head jokes since it seems to be so damn funny.

7. So the message I'm also getting from CR - the one who wrote "Good Hair" for his daughter - is that "Good Hair" is only "Good Hair" when it's not cut extremely short, and that it becomes bad hair worthy of ridicule. Also, if I remember the reason why the protagonist in in G.I. Jane shaved her head it was one of the only ways she would be taken as seriously as the men. So once again, men making comments on women's appearances; " you'd look so much prettier if you'd smile!" "I'm not comfortable with your shaved head, so I'm going to call it out".

8.) Let's talk again about "Good Hair," shall we? We women in the Black community know what that means; it usually goes with light-skinned women with straight hair, brown-skinned women with slightly curly hair, or like my mother used to say, "black as homemade sin" with straight hair. You can't be dark-skinned and have coarse hair without somebody opening their mouths about it. And there are still Black men who make jokes about wearing wigs or say we're "tryanna be white". So those who don't have a choice and have to wear a wig have crap talked about them and those who do not get ridiculed still. (See: CR, Oscars 2022.)

9.) Now we have some sort of "purity test" on whether Jada Pinkett Smith actually has alopecia because she's not bald enough (?!) How is this any different than people going, "Is that your hair?" "I don't think that's your hair!" and then reaching out to snatch your wig off to prove something.

Once again - a man thought it was funny to make fun of a woman with an autoimmune disease in front of the whole world. This. Is. Not. That. Hard.

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