by Nathaniel R
Two weeks too late the Academy has essentially asked Will Smith to leave the building. The only appropriate time to do that would have been immediately post-slap, if you ask us. But after letting him stay and deliver a tearful speech in which he apologized as well as blamed the devil, and giving him a standing ovation, they don't really have much of a moral high ground to do so now. But they had to say something...
The Academy has ruled for a 10 year ban from attending the Oscars or any Academy events (though he'll still be eligible for nominations). Here is their public statement:
The 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year; however, those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behavior we saw Mr. Smith exhibit on stage.
During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room. For this, we are sorry. This was an opportunity for us to set an example for our guests, viewers and our Academy family around the world, and we fell short — unprepared for the unprecedented.
Today, the Board of Governors convened a meeting to discuss how best to respond to Will Smith's actions at the Oscars, in addition to accepting his resignation. The Board has decided, for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards.
We want to express our deep gratitude to Mr. Rock for maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances. We also want to thank our hosts, nominees, presenters and winners for their poise and grace during our telecast.
This action we are taking today in response to Will Smith's behavior is a step toward a larger goal of protecting the safety of our performers and guests, and restoring trust in the Academy. We also hope this can begin a time of healing and restoration for all involved and impacted.
Will Smith, meanwhile, has been apologizing for two weeks, has accepted the Academy's ruling, and seems genuinely sorry. Hopefully the Academy will realize soon that the Will Smith incident was a fluke; the true saboteur of Hollywood's most important event was not an actor who lost his cool but an organization who lost their confidence and mission trying to court people who don't respect or care about the movies.
Let's put this in horror movie terms; the call is coming from inside the house!