Chris Rock punched down at the Oscars
Punching down at the Oscars photo by Time Winkler / Unsplash
At last night's Oscars, Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith. In response, Will Smith jumped on the stage, slapped Rock on the face, and told him to (paraphrasing) not talk about his wife that way.
My Twitter feed exploded, and has been filled since then with opinions and commentary.
One frequent opinion on Black Twitter is that people who aren't Black shouldn't comment on Smith's behavior.
So I'm not going to say anything about Smith. But I would like to scientifically unpack how Rock's joke relates to inclusive language. Since I write about inclusive language all the time, and I think it will be helpful as people process.
Oscar presenters frequently roast famous members of the audience.
In this case, Rock's joke was to tell Pinkett Smith he was looking forward to seeing her in GI Jane 2.
Pinkett Smith has been open about her ongoing struggles with alopecia and recently shaved her head. She's been wearing stylish outfits that highlight her nearly hair-free head rather than wigs or head wraps that disguise it.
So how does this joke relate to inclusive language?
Academy Award Statue Photo by Martii Salmi / Unspash
Rock's joke violates 3 of my principles of inclusive language:
1. Accurately reflects reality.
3. Doesn't disrespect or demean someone.
6. Doesn't lightly reference painful history or experiences.
Reality:
GI Jane is a character played by Demi Moore who shaves her head by choice. She's moving into a mindset that will allow her to succeed at grueling military training.
By contrast, Pinkett Smith is grappling with an autoimmune disease. One of the symptoms of this disease is severe hair loss. Pinkett Smith shaved her head in response to this hair loss.
Disrespect:
Rock's joke brought attention to Pinkett Smith's appearance. It pointed out how she is not in line with American beauty norms. And it subtly suggested that she was "on the warpath."
When it does not meet white women's beauty norms (long, straight), Black women's hair is under constant attack.
And, using what I call "inflating language," Black women are often mischaracterized as aggressive, "manly," and dangerous.
Painful experiences:
Rock's joke does indeed lightly reference someone's painful experiences. Here, it is making fun of a fashion choice that is a response to chronic illness.
Like making fun of a blinged-out wheelchair.
To sum up, Rock's joke may seem innocuous. But it's actually really problematic.
❌ It misrepresents reality.
❌ It disrespects someone making unusual choices when it comes to beauty and self-presentation.
❌ It makes fun of someone specifically because of their illness.
This is why you may see the words "ableism" and "misogynoir" to describe Rock's joke.
Ableism because it demeans someone for having an illness or other disability.
Misogynoir because it specifically demeans and disrespects a Black woman.
Was it a funny joke? No.
Was it "punching down"? Yes.
And that's not inclusive language.
Industry-leading inclusive language expert Suzanne Wertheim facilitates in-person and virtual inclusive language trainings, as well as offering empowering and educational inclusive language keynotes.
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