“To be honest, I’m not even sure it really happened. I’m still in shock.” Dasington, along with spectators around the world, watched in disbelief as Oscar-winning first-person actor Will Smith take the stage and slapped presenter and stand-up comic, Chris Rock, after Rock made a joke against Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. The slap in the face sparked a heated debate on social media, with many denouncing Smith’s violent reaction, others supporting him for defending Pinkett Smith and some questioning the limits of comedy. But for Dassington, a well-known Montreal comedian and owner of the Bad Boys du Rire comedy club, the art form knows no bounds. “As a comedian, to be the best at what we do, you have to allow yourself to push the boundaries consistently,” he said. Dasington said he personally tends not to apologize for his comedy. “I do not want to hurt anyone. I think most people who do what I do do not want to hurt anyone, but a joke is always laughing at someone or someone.” CLOCKS Eva Alexo explains why she understood Will Smith’s reaction to the joke:

“Everyone is reaching their limit,” says Montreal comedian Eva Alexo

Eva Alexo, a local comedian, says Will Smith’s reaction to Chris Rock’s joke was understandable, given how ridiculous Smith was on social media. 0:59
Pinkett Smith has been open for years about her struggles with hair loss caused by alopecia. Rock banged her shaved head while on stage to present the Best Documentary Award, much to Smith’s surprise. Eva Alexo, a Montreal comedian and co-creator and producer of the Montreal English comedy show The Kickback, says that while Sunday night violence was unwarranted, she understands Smith’s emotional response to the joke. The ridicule of Smith and his wife on social media has been well documented. “As a comedian I will say it [the slap] was it a lot at first glance? “As a human being, I would say that there is always a framework and everyone reaches their limit,” said Alexo. “It is very easy for us to look at celebrities and judge them and say that they do not have the right to have feelings because they have all this money, but they are probably more cyberbullying than the average person.” CLOCKS Will Smith slaps Chris Rock on stage:

Will Smith caresses Chris Rock on stage during the Oscars

Actor Will Smith hit Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars during the live broadcast after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith. 2:30
Alexo said it’s important for comedians to change with the times. He said there is a limit to some of the issues that are considered funny in 2022. “Comedy is supposed to be about healing and finding light in really dark situations and making people feel better about it or being related to you,” he said. “It’s not my place to talk about something I do not know.”

Rock showed professionalism, comics agree

However, what Dasington and Alex agree on is Rock’s post-slap behavior, which advertises his professionalism. “This was the biggest night in television history,” Rock joked before returning to the presentation of the Best Documentary Award. Dashington said that if he had been in Rock’s place, he would have filed charges against Smith. “I would not give anyone a chance to believe that this is appropriate behavior because you did not like something I said,” he said. Bruce Hills, president of the Montreal Just For Laughs comedy festival, shared Dushington’s sentiment via Twitter to denounce the lack of consequences for Smith after the attack. So we just let the comedians attack because we do not like the joke ?! No consequences ?! # Oscar – @ Brucehills
Montreal comedian Mike Ward, who was found by the Supreme Court of Canada last year not to have violated the limits of free speech because he was mocking a child with disabilities as part of his comedy, referred to a Rock’s bit tweet as “innocent funny.” The limit of freedom of speech is a common debate in the world of comedy, Alexo said. She says as a stand-up comic, that it has to do with expressing herself, but she draws the line at mocking the trauma of others. “It’s not my life experience. It’s not my story … And it’s not something I’re going to do.”