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The Root writer Candace McDuffie recently came under fire for saying that Chris Rock deserved to be slapped by Will Smith at the 2022 Oscars.
On Sunday, the journalist penned an article titled, “Chris Rock Still Deserved to be Slapped by Will Smith,” a day after the comedian addressed the Oscars incident and ripped into Jada Pinkett and Will Smith during his Netflix special, Selective Outrage.
McDuffie recently appeared on CNN to discuss her take on the situation with host Don Lemon and said that Rock was finally being “held accountable” for making jokes about African-American women:
“It's not so much about being slapped as it's about accountability, right. He has made black women specifically the butt of his jokes for years and he's finally being held accountable.”
She continued:
“So I feel this kind of sets the precedent going forward that people will be more careful about how they treat black women.”
Shortly after, Lemon warned that people would accuse McDuffie of condoning violence with her statement:
“Is Candace McDuffie condoning violence, saying that Will Smith should have slapped Chris Rock?”
The writer then admitted that her words may seem like a “bit much” in the “literal sense.”
However, in her essay, McDuffie mentioned that her opinion is not about condoning violence but about people who should face the necessary consequences for targeting African-American women through words:
“It’s not about condoning violence, but words, especially ones that make black women the punchline, should have consequences.”
Candace McDuffie also reflected on Chris Rock’s G.I. Jane joke about Jada Pinkett Smith that prompted Will Smith to slap him onstage and said that words can be “violent” too:
“Honestly, sitting here, you know, calling Jada out of her name, making fun of her hair condition, talking about her alopecia, words can be violent as well. And as we see black girls and women, we suffer abuse at higher rates in this country, so continuing to humiliate us only perpetuates this.”
Lemon then asked the journalist about her opinion on people who would call her out for being “too sensitive” at Rock’s comedy. In response, McDuffie pointed out her take on the issue with comedy:
“I think it speaks to a larger American pattern of using marginalized people as comedic fodder. It can also lead to violence being incited. It can lead to us being not seen as human. Words in comedy have larger consequences as we've seen in recent years.”
The writer also alleged that Chris Rock’s set on Selective Outrage “wasn’t comedy” and that she saw “pain” in his performance. She also claimed that the comedian “hasn't healed from what happened” at the 2022 Oscars and he was allegedly “taking it out” on African-American women “instead of dealing with his feelings.”
What is known about Candace McDuffie?
Candace McDuffie is a senior writer for The Root website. According to her official website, the writer focuses on the “intersection of race, gender and entertainment” and her written work has been featured on digital platforms of prominent websites like Forbes, Rolling Stone, Newsweek, Entertainment Weekly, Essence, Glamour, Spotify, MTV, Grammy, Marie Claire, The Boston Globe, Paste, PAPER and SPIN.
She has also appeared as a commentator on BBC World Service: World Business Report, HBO, MSNBC, KCRW and the Smithsonian Channel. McDuffie also serves as a public speaker and has delivered speeches and moderated panels at an array of conferences, schools and cultural events.
The writer reportedly spoke at Spotify's Co. Lab Sessions, Black Communities Conference, Boston Book Festival, Writer's Digest Annual Conference and The Muse and The Marketplace. McDuffie received the Music Journalist of the Year at the 2020 Boston Music Awards as well as Hennessy's Privilege Toast. She was also a Key West Literary Seminar Fellow in 2022.
Twitter calls out Candace McDuffie over opinion on Will Smith x Chris Rock Oscars slap
Journalist Candace McDuffie recently wrote a piece titled “Chris Rock Still Deserved to be Slapped by Will Smith” and defended her stance during an appearance on CNN.
Her justification for the slap left several social media users disappointed, with many taking to Twitter to react to McDuffie’s opinion:
As reactions continue to pour in online, it remains to be seen if Chris Rock will respond to Candace McDuffie’s opinion about the now-infamous Oscars slap incident in the days to come.
