Bill Maher has long been known as a comedian who is not afraid to speak his mind, regardless of how many feathers he might ruffle in the process, so naturally, he was there to weigh in on what happened at the Oscars last week with Will Smith and Chris Rock. Kicking off Friday’s edition of Real Time on the first of April, Maher at first joked that he was there to have Smith’s back in light of what happened, only to quickly clap back, “April Fools, you’re a d**k.” Maher then shot out some more verbal barbs at Smith, clearly unhappy with the King Richard star’s actions.
“I’m not here to humiliate Will Smith, he gets enough of that at home. I will say this. If every single person in America this entire week was talking about nothing but the sucker punch heard ’round the world, the whole ‘keep my wife’s name out of your mouth’ thing didn’t really work out. Can we at least say that? And the Oscars, wow, there was more in that ten seconds than the whole three hours of The Power of the Dog. Who would’ve guessed that the movie that comes out of the Oscars with all the buzz was G.I. Jane? And comparing a woman to Demi Moore looking her hottest is not exactly the worst insult I’ve ever heard in the world.”
Maher also brings up how the Oscars broadcast first showed Smith appearing to laugh at Chris Rock’s joke before taking action. To that, Maher says he blames “toxic femininity” for leading to what happened, suggesting he was fine with the joke until his wife “gave him the stink eye.” The comedian quips that Smith also had a “shoving match with Liza Minelli” after refusing to leave the Oscars late that night, as the Academy says he was told to do. Maher also takes aim at the Academy’s announcement that a formal review has been launched into the incident which may result in Smith getting barred from the Oscars.
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“The Academy’s getting very stern now. The Academy says from now on, they may ban Will Smith from ever coming back to the Oscars. And my question… ‘What’s the punishment?'”
Related: Will Smith Resigns from Academy After Oscars Backlash: ‘I Am Heartbroken’
Will Smith Resigned from the Academy, But the Backlash Continues
Will Smith has admitted wrongdoing with a public apology to Chris Rock. After it was announced that he was facing suspension or expulsion from the Academy, Smith also revealed that he was resigning and is prepared to accept any addition consequences deemed appropriate, which could very well include having to give back his Oscar.
“I betrayed the trust of the Academy,” Smith said in his resignation statement. “I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken. I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film.”
He added, “So, I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any further consequences the Board deems appropriate. Change takes time and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason.”
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Jeremy Dick
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Jeremy Dick has been a writer and editor since 2014. He is a self-professed horror expert, pop culture enthusiast, and Bob Saget fanatic.
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