LeVar Burton poked fun at Will Smith at the Grammys on Sunday night, but the moment wasn’t even televised. Burton referenced Smith slapping Chris Rock at another award show one week prior when he took the stage to host the off-air awards. He worked with comedian Nate Bargatze, who had the real visual gag of the night.
After his segment was finished, Burton said with feigned seriousness: “I want to warn you all that our next presenter is a comedian. If you know what I mean. So, I need to caution everybody: remain in your seats and keep your hands to yourself, alright?” The live audience laughed uproariously according to a report by TMZ, and laughed even harder when Bargatze took the stage. The comedian came out wearing an oversized bucket helmet like you might wear on a motorcycle. Many lifted their phones to take pictures of the gag.
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“Thank you. They said comedians have to wear these during the, uh, joke parts,” Bargatze told the audience. He was nominated for best comedy album this year, but lost the Grammy to Louis C.K. All of this stirred up some controversy despite the fact that it took place before the actual televised award ceremony.
Burton retweeted headlines about the viral moment, but his only additional commentary was one wide-eyed emoji. He also re-posted the video on his Instagram Story. Bargatze did the same on Instagram, again with no additional commentary.
Commenters seemed to agree that Burton and Bargatze’s bit was harmless, and was just “lightening the mood” in the packed theater. However, discussions of “the Oscars slap” have covered every inch of the emotional spectrum this week, with many pundits turning the controversy into a proxy argument for other issues in the U.S. This covers everything from racism to misogyny, free speech and ableism.
Smith’s only explanation for his attack on Rock was that it was a moment of blind rage triggered by his perception that Rock was making a joke about his wife’s recent diagnosis with Alopecia. Sources close to Rock have since said that he did not know about Jada Pinkett Smith’s condition. Meanwhile, many were more focused on the fact that Smith was allowed to stay in the theater after the slap and even accept an award less than an hour later.
However, some of those arguments swung the other way on Sunday when Louis C.K. was given a Grammy. Although that moment wasn’t televised, some thought it illustrated a double standard tied up in racism and sexism.
Whatever you believe, it’s clear that the award show controversy is not going anywhere anytime soon. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences still has an ongoing investigation into this year’s events.
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MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 03: LeVar Burton attends the 8th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at NASA Ames Research Center on November 03, 2019 in Mountain View, California.
