Is a Night with Oscar Proof that the Pandemic is Over?

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - We have a look at the merits awarded at the 2022 Academy Awards of Merit Ceremony. 

A comedian got a bit of a surprise while presenting, and as a result, called it, "the greatest night in the history of television."

Many are taking the celebration as another sign that the pandemic has come to an end.

Amid the hype, actor and creator of the series, Atlanta premiered the show's third season, after a four year hiatus. Glover said, "We were fine with taking time off and we were like, Oh, we'll take a little time off and then we'll really hit it. And then the world was like, Hey, how about some more time off? And I think it just forced us all to like -- well, first of all, the scripts got tighter and things changed -- like big things, I think in both the seasons that we thought were, like, just insignificant, we were like, actually, we need to do this better -- like kind of thing now because they were more prescient. And we got to tighten things. So I feel like very happy about people being able to see them, you know?"

Atlanta actor Lakeith Stanfield said, "You know, we were all in such different places when we finally made the season, started to work on the season. So we just kind of brought our experiences to the forefront. You know, all of us are going through a lot of different things and we tried to, you know, incorporate that in the characters and reflect."

Not only were the stars gathered together, they were close enough to touch one another, and in one case, that got interesting.

While Chris Rock was on-stage presenting the award for best documentary, he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's bald head. Rock took aim at Pinkett Smith's shaved head, saying, “Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it, all right?”

The Baltimore native has been open in the past about having alopecia, a medical condition that causes hair loss, and her husband didn't appreciate the comment. Will Smith made his way to the stage and audibly struck the comedian. He then walked back to his seat and shouted for Rock to leave Pinkett Smith alone. Rock replied that he was just making a “GI Jane” joke - and Smith yelled back at him a second time.

At first, much of the audience thought it was a gag.

Later on, however, Will Smith won the award for Best Actor for his role in King Richard, a film about the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams. In Smith's acceptance speech, he apologized to the Academy, and said he feels the need to protect the people in his life.

There's speculation that Smith could have his award revoked over violating the Academy's Code of Conduct.

The man on the other end of the exchange, Chris Rock, seemed to get a kick out of it. Although Rock did not get an apology.

Pinkett Smith was also the subject of jokes from Rock when he hosted the Oscars in 2016. She did not attend the Oscars that year, saying her decision stemmed from a lack of diversity among award nominees and how Black artists were not properly represented.

The responses on Twitter from fellow stars were not favorable for Smith. George Takei tweeted,  "Many people, especially kids, look up to actors. Because of that, we have an obligation to try to be good role models. With celebrity comes responsibility."

Mark Hamill also tweeted about Will Smith hitting Chris Rock, reading: "Stand-up comics are very adept at handling hecklers. Violent physical assault... not so much. #UgliestOscarMoment_Ever"

Ahead of the party, the woman who would become this year's Best Actress winner for a film in which she had to wear a lot of makeup explained why she showed up early to honor those lesser lauded awards.

Jessica Chastain said,  "Not just my hair and make up team, I'm here to see all the early categories because so often a lot of the attention goes to the actors because people see our faces on screen. But the reality is there are so many people that are involved in creating a performance and creating a film. And I need to acknowledge and admire each one of them."

With more on movies' biggest night, Frank McCaffery reported, "A star quickly rising! Ariana DeBose won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in West Side Story. And she has three starring roles scheduled in the next year. Expect to see her in an action film titled Argyle with Samuel L. Jackson. Also, lookout for her in the sci-fi/thriller I.S.S. as well as a project alongside Russell Crowe called Kraven the Hunter."