The Slap, the Cry, and the Ugly
I’m queuing for fried plantains while Tim fills a basket with vegetables at the weekly Maybachufer market. It’s a brisk, sunny March afternoon. This week, the Internet exploded with “The Slap” at the Oscars — Will Smith’s smacking of Chris Rock for a tone-deaf joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia-related baldness, and Smith’s subsequent teary award acceptance speech.
Incidents like these produce polarizations in societal discourse — typically vapid, occasionally insightful, but always reliable in drawing to surface the undercurrents driving societal patterns.
There are quite a few people still ahead of me. A man and woman slide into line behind me, and I cannot help but be drawn into their conversation.
The woman, draped in deep blue felt overcoat and gold-rimmed sunglasses spewed vitriol:
“He’s obviously not well — to be weeping like that in front of everyone. Get your shit together, nobody cares about your tears. Save it for home. Don’t come out in public if you can’t stomach it and swallow it.”
Her male companion made concessionary sounds but didn’t say anything back.
