AboutWhat does the meme depict?

The 'Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock' meme captures the moment from the 2022 Oscars where actor Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock due to a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. In this widely shared image, Smith is pictured striking Rock across the face. This image has been used extensively as an object-labeling template in memes, often replacing the figures with other popular characters or celebrities to create humorous or satirical content.

OriginWho did it first?

The incident occurred during the 94th Academy Awards ceremony on March 27, 2022, where Chris Rock was presenting the award for best documentary feature. Rock, referencing Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head, suggested she could have starred in 'G.I. Jane', which led to a visibly upset reaction from both Will and Jada. Will Smith then walked up to the stage and slapped Chris Rock, leading to widespread confusion among the audience about whether the altercation was real or staged. As Smith returned to his seat, he shouted angrily at Rock, a moment that was partly censored in the U.S. broadcast but shown uncensored in other versions. The footage of the slap and Smith's subsequent outburst was shared globally, with one clip posted by user @bubbaprog on Twitter (now X) gaining significant attention. A video explaining the incident can be viewed on YouTube.^[1]

Origin: 2022