Oscar scandal: According to the Alopecia Foundation, Will Smith should have said that

Scandal at the Oscars
Alopecia Foundation: That’s what Will Smith should have said instead of hitting

Will Smith’s freak out at the 94th Academy Awards draws wider circles. In the UK, the Alopecia UK Foundation has now come forward with a non-violent response they believe the actor should have made to his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head joke. The charity also drew attention to the dramatic consequences that alopecia can have for those affected.

Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood at the gala after Rock made fun of Jada Pinkett Smith’s baldness. “GI Jane 2 – I can’t wait to see this,” the Academy Awards host said to Pinkett Smith, referring to the movie “GI Jane,” in which Demi Moore shaves her head as a soldier.

Pinkett Smith, who is also an actress, suffers from alopecia areata. The disease leads to circular, bald patches on the head. In 2018, the 50-year-old made her diagnosis public. It is unclear whether Rock knew of Pinkett Smith’s illness.

“Maybe Will Smith could have said this”

Alopecia UK says it is committed to improving the lives of those suffering from alopecia through support, awareness raising and research. On your webpage the foundation responded to the Oscars incident by releasing a speech it felt Smith should have given instead of physically attacking Rock: “It’s not our job to write Oscar speeches,” the foundation announced, “but maybe Will could have grabbed the mic and said something like this…”:

“Excuse me for interrupting the session, but I really feel the need to dismiss the joke Chris Rock just made about my wife Jada. The difference between Jada and Demi Moore, who auditioned for the role of GI years ago Jane shaved her head is that my beautiful wife did not go bald by choice, she suffers from alopecia and has chosen to embrace the baldness that comes with it, rather than wearing a wig like many women with alopecia do. There have been times when this illness has caused grief and worry to my wife, and by extension, to me and my family.

I think it’s time to stop making blatant jokes about people’s looks. In a society where it is unacceptable to make jokes about someone’s race, sexuality or disability, perhaps it is time that we extended this to all visible differences as well. Yes, my wife is bald. But is that a reason to throw her into an unsolicited joke when she’s here like everyone else just to enjoy the evening?

Child suffering from alopecia takes his own life

There is another reason for me to denounce such a joke. Across the United States and the rest of the world, millions of children and adolescents are living with alopecia. Unfortunately, some of them have to deal with bullies who make fun of their hair loss and crack jokes. Something like this shouldn’t happen again in 2022, and yet it is. This month, a 12-year-old girl with alopecia tragically took her own life because she felt she could no longer stand up to the bullies who made her life miserable. All because she looked different.

Chris, if I left your comment unchallenged, it would reassure millions of people around the world that it’s okay to joke about people with a visible difference they can’t control. This is not okay and it’s about time this stopped. Thank you.”

Alopecia UK clarifies in the post that jokes and humor related to hair loss should not be generally condemned. “We know that many people with alopecia use humor as a means of coping,” the foundation writes. But no one suffering from the disease should be confronted with unwanted attention, comments or jokes. “We’re sure Chris Rock doesn’t want his joke to be used to throw thousands of young girls with alopecia as an additional swear word,” GI Jane,” the comedian said. “But as we have seen, words have consequences and it is time to acknowledge that.”

According to the US organization National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF), about seven million people in the US and around 147 million people worldwide are affected by the disease. Alopecia areata is “unpredictable”, can occur at any age and “causes significant physical, emotional, psychosocial and financial burdens,” the NAAF said on Monday. It can be a temporary or lifelong condition, and there is no cure or effective treatment. “Many people living with this condition suffer.”

Source: Alopecia UK

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