The now infamous moment when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Academy Awards caused outrage for many who watched it at home. Those angry viewers flooded the FCC with complaints, calling for fines and even invoking BLM.
According to TMZ, the Federal Communications Commission, a U.S. government agency that regulates television, received 66 complaints about the slap, most upset about the violent attack and voicing concern about what their children saw and heard displayed on TV.
“The level of violence from one black man inflicted onto another over something he didn’t like hearing is intolerable!! Are you tolerating this??? Thought black lives mattered?? Obviously not!! Is that your message???? Smith should be fined & suspended!!!!” … one angry viewer from Michigan wrote.
Many complainants were upset about their kids witnessing a physical assault on live TV and claimed it led to some very uncomfortable conversations with their children. One parent in Oklahoma said their kids asked them, “if Black men are always violent?”
