Will Smith’s Oscars slap continues to be a major topic of discussion amongst celebrities in Hollywood and the public at large. Since the incident at this year’s Academy Awards, stars have shared varied opinions on the matter, as some have criticized the actor for his actions and others have defended him. Other A-listers, particularly comedians, have joked about the matter, though, and Seth Meyers has become one of the latest to do so. The TV personality shared a wisecrack about the incident during a streaming presentation and evoked Fresh Prince while doing so.
This week, the Late Night host made his traditional appearance at NBCUniversal’s Upfront presentation at Radio City Music Hall. During his set, the star took shots at a number of topics, from the Golden Globes to the continued rise of reboots, revivals and spinoffs. One of those remakes he mentioned was Peacock’s Bel-Air, the modern interpretation of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. And when mentioning the show, he segued right into his Oscars joke (via Deadline):
We are joined today by the talented cast of Peacock’s Bel-Air, a gritty dramatic reimagining of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. We were also treated this year to a gritty drama reimagining of Will Smith.
For those who may somehow be unfamiliar with the “gritty drama reimaging” Seth Meyers is referring to, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock while the comedian was on stage presenting at the Oscars. The moment occurred after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. The Oscar winner formally apologized the following week, before resigning from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Shortly after, the organization banned Smith for a decade as punishment.
Chris Rock has not spoken on the matter in-depth, though he did crack a joke about it after Dave Chappelle was attacked on stage at a Hollywood Bowl event. British comic Richard Ayoade also made a slap joke while hosting the British Academy Television Awards and received major laughs. And musician Sean “Diddy” Combs kept the awards joke tradition going by making comments about the slap during the Billboard Music Awards.
Many within the comedy sphere have been a bit more blunt when sharing thoughts on the matter. Wanda Sykes, who co-hosted this year’s Oscars, didn’t mince words while saying that she was still “traumatized” by the incident. Even fellow comedian Steve Harvey “lost a lot of respect for [Smith]” after the event.
In the case of Seth Meyers, the irony within his statement is hard to deny. At this point, it honestly doesn’t seem like the slap jokes will be stopping anytime soon. And it wouldn’t be too surprising if other entertainers mention Will Smith-connected productions like Fresh Prince in when sharing barbs.
Those who are interested in seeing just how gritty Bel-Air can be can check out the show by grabbing a Peacock Premium subscription.
