As I originally started writing this post, I opened with the suggestion that perhaps this isn’t the most important issue of the day: the physical assault of a comedian by an actor during the Oscars show last night.  It seems insignificant when compared to reports of the abuses suffered by Ukrainians at the hands of Russian soldiers; and yet both have the potential to bring us to the same realisation – that our inaction can define us just as much as our actions do; and that inaction can serve to normalise something which otherwise should not be.

During the Oscars show last night, the comedian Chris Rock made some jokes about the people who were present for the evening; including a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s hair cut (Jada has shaved her head following her diagnosis with alopecia).  After initially laughing at the joke, Will Smith (who is married to Jada Pinkett-Smith) then walked on to the stage and slapped Chris Rock, before returning to his seat and shouting at the comedian to keep his “…wife’s name out your fucking mouth.”.  The ‘show’ then continues with all parties present, during which Will Smith is then presented with an award for best actor.  The acceptance speech that he gives sounds to me like a fusion of a thank you for the award, a justification of his act, and an apology: albeit not to Chris Rock himself – merely to the other people in the room.  He then expresses the hope that the Academy will invite him back, and walks off to laughter and applause.

Some while ago I wrote about violence visited on the Palestinian people by the Israeli government, citing the graffiti by the artist Banksy who wrote  “If we wash our hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless, we side with the powerful – we don’t remain neutral.”  This is perhaps a very dramatic interpretation, but from my perspective this means that inaction is equal to support; if we do not condemn, we condone.

Although I was not present at the awards ceremony I can find no report of anyone walking out of the show at any point – either because they were offended by the joke or the violence; from which it would follow that all who stayed condoned both the joke and the violence…  Although the Academy tweeted that they do not condone violence in any form, they permitted Will Smith to receive the award after having assaulted Chris Rock and have as yet taken no action against to sanction him in any way.  Nor as far as I can tell, did the Academy comment on Chris Rock’s joke or sanction him either.

Our reactions to these situations demonstrate our beliefs to those around us, which is something from which other people can take guidance for their own lives. The importance or scale of the event is also not necessarily an indicator of how our reactions will be felt.  In this instance a very famous man expressed his emotional reaction to a joke levelled at a member of his family through violence. This man later explained to some extent why he did what he did and was then applauded.  Nothing else.  The show was not stopped, the man was not arrested and he has not (at least in public) apologised to the person he hit.  From this lack of action by the authorities and by the Academy shows that they do not consider the action worthy of any greater remark – that is normal.  Furthermore, the lack of reaction from any of those sitting in the theatre where this occurred, risks normalising not only the violent behaviour in itself, but also the passivity of the audience.

There is a lot that can be drawn from this whole event – ranging from toxic jokes (if such they can be called), and toxic masculinity, through to the whether or not violent behaviour can or should be excused by upbringing or religious beliefs (Will Smith said that he was overwhelmed by what god was calling on him to do and be in this world).  Through all of this however there is a point which focuses my energy and which is the reason for this article: the clear demonstration of our own reaction to these events.  The show carried on… the audience stayed, the televisions carried on filming, the awards were given out.  The message this sends to me is that it is OK to do nothing.  You don’t have to react, you don’t have to speak out – no matter which side of the debate you take, life goes on.

The lack or the scale of our reaction is what allows such things to become normalised. (Just as we accept that Europe will continue to buy gas from Russia – because after all, the comfort of Europeans is more important that the rights of Ukrainians…)  I am sure that public reaction would have been different had everyone stood up and left the theatre, or had the award for best actor not been given because the person to whom it was being given was not a person of whom the Academy approved.  We all make moral choices in everything that we do – through our participation or non-participation we signal our acceptance or otherwise of a thing .  Because of this we cannot claim that any activity is without moral judgement – be it sport, or politics or work.

Our voice is heard even when we are silent.

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemöller