Communication Professor Reacts to Will Smith's Apology Video 

Bro, you don't even know his wife's name . . . wow.

You need to read Sofia Breland comment.☑ O.k. …Will apologise to your fans but … *Chris Rock wasn’t ready…Will didn’t respect that. Will wanted the world to know 1. Will reached out. And 2. CHRIS wasn’t ready. So Will should wait. * A genuine apology doesn’t need an audience. That Apology belongs to Chris. It’s up to Chris what is done with it. * there is no parole without remorse.

Hmmm I’m disappointed because I’ve watched the whole apology and you have left out very key parts that show Smith is a total narc and has no remorse for Chris, but lots for himself! That’s a shame!

Ive been working with traumatized adolescents and adults for many yrs, some of them antisocial on different levels, many of them done misdemeanors or some other more serious crimes and offenses. Ive done hundreds of "interviews" and conversations with them. I have to say that his apology-speech definitely seems reversed and far from being natural. I think that, that particular aspect is striking. He's looking for the right words, so to speak, trying to remember the right words far too much. Its interesting how my perception can differ so radically from the Communication-coach Alex Lyon.

Yes@ he shows how great this really was! He owned it. Was vulnerable revealing his deepest weakness. He rejected his own choice multiple times. I think he is as offended at himself as he was Chris Rock with all that head shaking at himself. Without dismissing the original offense on Chris Rock' s part. It real. He is a sweet and humble. Good on him

Hahaha. Party like it's 1999. (RIP Prince) That part really bothered me. He should of gone home. Going to a party after doing what he did is so distasteful.

You are absolutely right.

Security should have removed him immediately. He should have not been able to accept his award. Then they gave him as much time as he wanted for his acceptance speech. Totally u professional on several accounts. Privilege.

He was asked to leave and refused. Ego and arrogance, the only thing he's sorry about is that there were repercussions for him professionally.

@@lindam9018 I don't think it should have been his choice to go or stay. He should have been immediately escorted out by security. Anyone else who assaults someone like this would have been charged. Privilege allowed this farce to happen.

He was asked to leave by security, and refused. But yeah, he should have been escorted out of the building in handcuffs, like any regular person would have been.

I don’t think the audience understood whether or not it was a joke IRT. I thought the two comedians were playing a skit at the time.

It was pretty appalling. It affirmed my decision to stop watching the academy awards!

The Behavior Panel did a much more in-depth analysis of this. Check them out on RU-vid if you never have. They don’t buy this apology.

@@joeterp5615 I have, I love their channel. Thank you 😊 There is also one channel, Martin DeCoder, he analyzes words and expressions and gives good insights into people's motives.

That's a fair suggestion. I'm currently running an unscientific poll about "sorry" vs. "apology" on the community page for my channel (and on Linkedin). I might make a follow up about how people perceive those two words. We'll see.

@@alexanderlyon I feel like its important to a) Say I am sorry b) Say it within the first two sentences c) Issue an apology within a reasonable time period from the occurrence of the incident. Chris probably trusted that Will would make amends quickly and did not press charges because he had faith in him. He waited patiently and the apology ship sailed. Chris has moved on with his life and it ended the way it ended. IMO, Will's biggest problem is not Chris accepting his apology, it is regaining the trust of the people he violated that night. His actions were extremely deliberate and violent. He evoked powerful, traumatic emotions in people around the globe. Bullying and workplace violence... many people have personal experience with these things.

@@alexanderlyon “I apologise” sounds formal and as if you’re just going through the motions. It implies a certain distance from the offending actions. On the other hand, ‘I’m sorry” sounds much more personal and vulnerable. I think it’s because of the “am”, ie it’s saying I FEEL sorry, whereas the “I apologise” uses an active verb which says nothing about the person’s feelings. A grammarian or editor might be able to shed more light on this.

@@MsElinorh I completely agree. " I apologize" seems to distance the person, kind of a cop out. "I am sorry" is more heartfelt.

The best thing to say when apologizing is “please forgive me”

I was about to write the same comment. Totally agree. I even think Jaden Smith owes Chris an apology because that comment supported Will’s violence public assault toward Chris. Jaden might has well have slapped Chris and his mama too.

I absolutely agree! We see that kind of behavior in a lot of teenagers today and it is quite ugly.

He's just imitating what he see as the strongest member of the family. Angry mama Jada. So was Will. She has them all wrapped around the skinny witch finger.

Absolutely 💯

Right! what was it he said? something like " And, That's how we do it!"

Perfectly said! The guy behind this video is kissing some serious tail in the hopes that Will Will appreciate it and reach out to him. He’s trying to get something from this because the great majority know Will is full of it and yet he’s saying will was authentic?! GtFoh

Amen. Perfectly said

Yes , well said!

If he wasnt poking the bear for years taking shots at the smiths he wouldn’t of gotten slapped y’all karens about whole situation like you’ve never did something to someone begged for forgiveness

@Fresh Prinz It doesn’t matter how many years Will has been fuming. If you don’t communicate that something is a problem for you; then no one will know. You have to communicate…Chris Rick is a comedian. And it still didn’t stop anyone from cracking jokes on Jada. It wasn’t targeted to alopecia; it was targeted to G. I. Jane. It’s illegal to lay hands on someone, you don’t have the right to hit somebody because you are mad at them.

You CLEARLY need a come-uppance. Just wish I could witness it. That's a beautiful glass house you live in.

@@aesir0784 Do you not understand the difference? We all make "mistakes" and bad choices. I've made bad choices and mistakes as well, but own up to it and accept it. It was his choice and his choice alone.

@TheSuperSpeeder FYI... it is oops. Spelled OOPS. Used in a sentence... "Oops, I made a mistake." *** this is NOT me condoning his behavior. I was very saddened by his actions. I have adored Will Smith since I was a kid, actually still have my cassette tapes of his and Jazzy Jeff's music!) This is me making notes to you... maybe your touch screen fights you like mine does... damn keyboard... 😉

Mistakes are not that simple. In Will's case, his mistake was not that he acted on impulse and had an oops moment, rather his mistake was that at the time he believed he was doing the right thing for his wife. It took cancel culture and falling out of grace with public opinion for him to realise the world has evolved and violence is no longer an acceptable response when someone hurts someone we love. He probably had a dated way of thinking and strong feelings about it at the time, that was his mistake.

Or maybe it's God that reminds us.

@@rosiefroese5461 Or maybe it's just a sense of morality 😆

That is awesome. I’m there too, and your comment really helped.

@@iamgr80k People make mistakes that are also crimes - that's because it has to do with the law. Some of us make mistakes that may not be against the law but is criminal morally. But the point of Elizabeth's comment is the lesson *she* learned, not her forgiveness of Will. Just because you're above mistakes and never broke the law (doubtful if you've ever driven faster than the speed limit), doesn't mean others can't learn from someone else's mistake. She's just more generous than you. And as for Chris - Chris accepted his apology and didn't press charges so how are you justified in perpetuating the negativity?🤔

@@rebekah1362 Trolling rebekah? I gave my opinion without insulting anyone. So, what's your beef? If you watched the video, you would know that Rock is not ready to speak with ws. Does that sound like someone who has forgiven anyone? And thank you for revealing who you are... when someone shows you who they are, believe them. In this case you show that you are uptight about my honest opinion. Maybe you can honestly talk with someone about that. I wish you all the best.

Sounds narcissistic, but I'm not privy to everything that happened. I'm glad you managed to distance yourself from her, life is so much better without that added toxicity in our lives.

@@FoxyGirlWonder I AM a Black man... just speaking from experience and was mostly joking... But not really..

It's hard to come back from humiliation in front of your peers. In Chris's case, it was humiliation in front of the whole world.

your first mistake was trying to stay her friend

@@alanduff1054 What? I am not sure what you mean, is she black? or am I black? Would it make a difference?

What are you talking about? You can only view the world from your point of view, it is normal to mention ones own head space before getting into a speech like this. Just because he did not mention Chris first means shit buddy. Some people are just assholes who don't want to except an apology (not that he owed you one) I swear. He didn't hit you bro, he hit Chris and it's a problem for these two men to handle. Let men handle their business and stop being so damn sensitive. Also, he apologized to Chris before mentioning his own family, looking right into the camera when he did. How much more sincere does this man have to be. He hit a man, he didn't rape a child. People need to fuck off and stop acting like he did wrong on to them.

I, me, myself. Clear emphasis in the whole structured set up. And that strategic water bottle placement... 🤣😂

Not only that but he tries to make Chris look bad by saying he didn’t want to talk to Will. An authentic apology doesn’t mention anything about the other person and what they have or haven’t done. If Will had focused solely on himself and just said he was sorry and he will always regret my behavior because violence is never the answer he’d have been good. I can see in wills eyes his disdain for Chris and he doesn’t mean what he is saying. Let me remind everyone that actors are paid liars. They are the best liars in the world next to spy’s that engage in espionage where their life’s are on the line. An actors job is to portray a lie so well that the audience believes they are who they transform into. Look into the words Will uses, how he uses them, his tone of voice changes, which we can hear him at the beginning change from low to high pitch momentarily which is a sign of lying, especially when he says Chris the first few times. Lastly. The micro expressions on his face which he cannot control and the look in his eyes. Everyone speaks with their eyes, only a few can conceal what they really mean with their eyes.

I like when regular people think they're therapist all of a sudden. "I can see in wills eyes his disdain for Chris and he doesn’t mean what he is saying." Muthafucka please. Get off it. The man made a public apology, that's it. Look at your own life and the things you've done before judging so damn hard. He hit a man, he didn't kill a man. As far as I'm concerned the man should get back to work entertaining and let everything else fall into place when it does.

@@brentc4593 >>spy’s that engage in espionage where their life’s are on the line

C‘mon, don’t be that guy.

ARE THE PEOPLE WHO DROVE HIM TO DRINK SORRY?

Sorry isn’t good enough if he said it multiple times like he said sorry isn’t efficient

Are you psychic?

Eloquently explained!!! More accurate to what we all watched than the analysis offered

Perfectly said! This dude might be getting money from Will to make this video or he’s hoping Will will see it because he lost all credibility with this horrible assessment of Wills “authentic apology” smh

>>I can understand if you’re chocked in the moment if you did something like this. But that instant chock wears off

I was also disappointed with this analysis

💯 percent correct!

Also, called it an incident, said when it happened, etc. as though it was an event he was at, instead of something he did.

@@saran.4001 Good catch, I missed that one.

@@eliseintheattic9697 Oh I think you covered it very well.

Exactly 🤔

Exactly! And answering questions was really quite unnecessary. He could have just said all those things without the questions.

Agree. It feels very manipulative almost as if he's using his stardom and fans to collectively force Chris Rock to respond and tell him it's okay and WS's life will go back to the pre-Oscar hype

I 100% agree with you. I doubt he is sorry. Real apologies don't need to be broadcasted to the nation. He could privately tell Chris his apology. By broadcasting it too publicly, it is clear it's a PR stunt to fix his public image.

@@williamgrant8333 It's like he's trying to shame Chris into accepting his apology by broadcasting this to the world. To me it makes him even more despicable . Do it in private. Then if Chris wants to broadcast it to the world , that's up to him. Not Will.

@@jenniehughes6927 Exactly. We as viewers get caught up in the drama as observers but forget that in the real world, when our friends or relatives are sorry, they don't make some big public show about it. When it's genuine, it is done privately for the most part. Will Smith didn't slap the world, he slapped Chris.

You guys aren't wrong in your opinions. His life and Chris's have been lived in the public. These comments on RU-vid are as public as most people will ever get. Screw up publicly, apologize publicly is my philosophy 🤷🏾‍♂️. Maybe a shorter video but, ...my opinion.

He can’t say that. That’s assuming that he hurt him. And he can’t just make that assumption without talking to him first. I understand why you’d say it, but it would get ripped apart.

He also said he reached out to Chris, so he wants to apologize directly I'm assuming.

He also reinforced that Chris who insulted him.

@@rustcohle9267 I thought it a compliment to be compared to Demi Moore who looked FABULOUS AND FIT in G I Jane. Will laughed his butt off till he caught Jada's eye roll.

Christine Madrazo--Will Smith's family sucks.

It's not a perfect apology. You're right about that. I think he clearly apologized Rock on the first question, to Rock's mother, brother, and family. I didn't hear him hold anything back there. He seems legitimately disappointed in himself, like he's not the man he hoped he was. He answered two more questions, one about Jada and one about what people/fans think of him now. I do think that those are the other two key questions people have been asking. But, you're not wrong that there are very likely PR concerns going on here as well. I think any public figure would be thinking about that side of it.

Disagree, I think he is actually sorry, and covered a lot of people, Chris Rock and Chris's family mainly. Regards at what he should be offended or not, nobody gets to dictate that... He was entitled to feel offended by proxy, since we don't know the struggle he's seen his wife go thru because of her alopecia.

@@gabyg4818 he’s sorry that he slapped Chris on Tv which turned into a public issue. If this was happening behind closed doors, he’d be much less sorry. Hence the continued emphasis on how the “fans” view him. The guy is a narcissist and clearly continues to carry the weight of this bizarre marriage. As for him being offended, if you think jokes have limits then comedy may not be for you. Comedy is about pushing boundaries. Where’s Demi Moore’s outage because she’s some sort of bald standard? We aren’t all snowflakes.

I can't speak to his intent and no one but him can because we can't read hearts or minds on the surface while not perfect he hit most of the right responses necssary, on the second point about misplaced feelings of being insulted no one is a position to make that determination, this same premise is how we invalidate ppl feeling leading to segregation and perpetrating of heinous crimes if we stopped one moment to get out of our own ass we would see things from someone else perspective and understand it whether or not we share that opinion/viewpoint. What is a joke to someone is death to another.

@@ron2971 I think you’re right. We all have the tendency to view things from our limited perspective. And here we all look like narcissists as we critique others.

💯 Rock definitely behaved like an adult in that situation

Nope. Chris had a job to do, and knew better. Sorry. No angels in this story.

I felt completely different. The entire apology reflected as sincere to me. I don’t think it’s fair that folks get to stand on their white horse and decide whether or not someone’s heart felt apology is sincere after months of considering it. Every comment I read about his authentic and well spoken apology is coming from a space of arrogance. He is a human being not a god who does no wrong because he is a celebrity. Put him in the proper place in your eyes, as a human seeing eye to eye and then listen to the apology. Obviously there was tension when apologizing to Chris, as they haven’t discussed privately yet and as he stated there is unfinished business between them. That’s not our business.

@@blueskies773 Nope, totally disagree with you about his sincerity, but I do agree with you that it is between Will & Chris which is why these public social media/PR statements come off as self serving and are ineffective.

Perfectly well said

I agree.

I apologize is literally a more aulic way to say i'm sorry. If he said "i'm sorry" someone would have commented with bla bla "i'm sorry" is so childish why not use a more mature "I apologize" . PFFF

Interesting

Which means he's nowhere near truly sorry, just sorry for what it's done to his career

Agree. I actually think that was again disrespectful to Chris. Their history is irrelevent. They both are professionals at a public event & Will assaulted Chris, but it does look like Jada is really pulling his string. Why did he find the joke funny at first? But I do think Will is so invested in his fucked up marriage that he can't think clearly

So true

Yes..."I apologize" doesn't sound the same as "I'm sorry". It's distancing.

So true

I disagree, for two reasons: One, when apologizing, it's really important to actually say that word, and mean it. It was powerful to me that Will did that within the first few moments. And two, "forgive me" is putting the wronged person in the position of having to take action they may not be ready for. Chris doesn't need to forgive Will if he doesn't want to, so asking him to do so (especially publicly) would come off as slightly passive-aggressive. I'm very glad Will didn't do it that way.

You could rethink it like : of course he is sorry, but why doesn't he apologize?

@@angelamitchell4745 If Will doesn't ask for forgiveness then what's the point in apologizing? "I apologize" doesn't mean that he's remorseful for his actions, it's simply a formal admission of wrongdoing, that's all. Also, I don't think anyone really expects Chris to forgive Will anytime soon. But asking for forgiveness would have meant that Will truly values Chris's friendship, and it would have demonstrated genuine humility on Will's part. The fact that he never said "I'm sorry" and "forgive me" is why I'm not buying his "apology". Here, I'll reword my original comment and you tell me if you still think "I apologize" is better: "Chris, I am so sorry for the pain I've caused you and your family. I want you to know that your friendship is very important to me, and I sincerely hope that one day you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

😂🤣 I think he has a hard expressing his feelings like Kanye west like he's bipolar. Or he's defending himself it's really hard for them to grasp reality for these types of people

I see your point. You might be right. I'm not sure. If I were advising Smith, I would not have told him to do much of what you suggested, maybe in private he could have asked Chris how he felt about it. Publicly, though, it would have a high likelihood of making Rock seem weak. Rock hasn't spoken much about it since but from what he has said, he's already shaken it off and moved on. If Smith has talked about how embarrassed or hurt Rock was in this big public video post, it very likely could have backfired even worse on Smith. What you say is certainly a fair suggestion. It might have helped, but may have made things even worse, as if he were speaking for Rock.

I agree. Good points.

@@alexanderlyon I definitely hear and understand your points. I also recognize that I approach this as a wildly emotion-driven person, which tends to color my responses. 😊

Exactly right. This is much more about himself and how he let down his family. He is obviously more sorry that he caused Jada embarrassment than Chris getting hit and humiliated by him.

Sounds like you want Will to go to Chris grovelling on his hands and knees .... Men are Men and it should be enough to genuinely say sorry and its done.. !!!

You statement would hold value if Will Smith behaved like that in the past.. He made 1 mistake in 25 years and all of sudden people want to define him by his lone mistake . SMH

True

@@moussaipresidangue3203 A mistake is taking a left at the signal when I should have taken a right. The word mistake has turned into a "cop out" saying. It has turned into a way to minimize or dismiss something. Own it Will!! Take responsibility for your actions. Our society is a governed by a set of rules and laws. When breaking these laws comes consequences. Own it! Take responsibility for your aggressive actions.

@@cindyland6273 what would you have Will Smith do? What other word would you have him use? Where is it that you feel he is not taking responsibility - cos he could do a lot less...

@@ellemp8201 Read my post again. You will find answers to your questions.

I agree with you, Paul. If he'd say what you suggest at the very beginning (e.g., "slap," "violence," etc.) it would have made an improvement because they would have been his words directly rather than saying the word as part of the question.

I found it to be kiss a$$ central! This guy isn’t doing an authentic job because he doesn’t want to make an enemy of will Smith for whatever reason. But his analysis is pure garbage and I speak within a lot of experience in the field of non-verbal communication and also linguistics. How this guy didn’t focus in on how Will blamed Chris for him not being able to apologize to him directly is shocking and shows either a real lack of talent or a desire to go nice on Will in the hopes will will reach out and hire him for something one day. The great consensus for this video from Will and what people see is that he was being very inauthentic! A true apology doesn’t ever focus on the other person. You don’t say I want to say I’m sorry butttttttt..... but Chris wouldn’t talk to me so now I’m going to tell everyone to make me look like a victim now because Chris wouldn’t allow me to apologize to him, so now I have to make this video. A sincere and authentic apology makes no mention of the other person other than saying one is sorry for their actions and any harm they caused to them!

agreed

Will is a good guy, a good guy who's human. He let his emotions get the best of him. What he did was wrong, undeniably. He publicly assaulted Chris Rock for making a joke, something Rock was actually paid to stand up there and do. It would be more meaningful if Smith went to anger management classes or otherwise did something to atone for his action, but this apology is certainly a good first step. It means something to me to see him make this effort. So many people don't even do this much and admit they were wrong. He's demonstrating remorse and regret, and that at least is good. I think Smith should be grateful Rock has not pursued legal matters against him, as assault is a crime, and I hope he truly is re-evaluating how he handles situations and getting help to do better in the future. We all make mistakes. I can't judge Smith for what he did; it's not my place. I acknowledge it was a crime and he should not have done it. I do think he is a good guy who did a bad thing, and I hope in time he will prove he's trustworthy again to behave at public events and not cause harm to others like this. Chris Rock impresses me greatly for how he's handled this situation with class and decency. I wish both men well going forward.

If someone is a good guy in most areas and then makes a stupid mistake, does that make them a "bad" person? Or are those just labels we conveniently give to behavior to discourage or encourage it collectively?

The real world impact! Dude he slapped a man, he did not rape a child. Get over it...damn. He did not show the whole world nothing. Only one asshole tried that shit with Chapelle and we all saw what happened to that guy. Also comics have been struck before many times in the past 40 years for saying shit on stage some person in the crowd didn't like. Will isn't the first person to walk on a comic's stage and commit an act of violence, he's just the most famous.

@@daviddarko5837 we all saw what happened to the guy who attacked chapelle is right, so your saying Will should have gotten his ass kicked I agree. Bad bad look for the ultra wealthy to get away with crime when a normal person would be in jail and ruined financially.

@@BigFattyNat Please man, stop whining. Chris just didn't press charges. I hit someone a few years back and was off the hook because the person did the same for me. That said, money always changes the game. Don't know why people still bitching about that simple fact?

🙄 Good grief. Comedians were getting attacked way before Will ever stepped on that stage. If anything, comedians are on notice that their words have consequences like everyone. Freedom of speech yeah, but be prepared to get a backhand or a soda can upside ur head. You weirdos act like Will slapped you personally. Newsflash! He doesn’t need you to forgive him. You were probably not even a real fan.

@@neghiethervil5606 The comment I've been waiting for 👍

I think you are right. I don't have any proof of this but I think he's still having a hard time believing he did what he did. I think he shocked even himself when he slapped Rock. It's hard to accept that we're not the kind of person we thought we were.

@@alexanderlyon I hope that's what it is. I wonder if he's still, on some level, thinking HE (Will) shouldn't have done it...but (in his mind) CHRIS deserved it.

How do you know that

if you ask me it's a social distraction holywood cult drama

Absolutly. He seems to still be proud of what he did.

An Oscar he didn't deserve. Never been a fan of his acting. Anyone of the other nominees are much better actor more deserving. SMH! I haven't watched the award shows in 30 years. They are not worthy. They are a joke!!

because people love to hold on to the drama . Chris rock can insult, make nasty comments in the name of humour but god forbid somebody take offense and retaliate- I am surprised more offensive comedians don't get hit more often. Darned Americans many of you defend the insurectionist of Jan 6 but condemn a man for a slap that caused minimal damage-there is no logic to it!

I won an Oscar for my work on King Richard and accepted the award by acting like king dickhead seems to be his story

@@Suelorie well glad you are perfect but I have to say you can’t close your eyes to someone assaulting another person and forgetting it and giving that person a pass. Personal responsibility for one’s behavior and actions is a must. And Chris rock was making jokes and jabs at a lot of people who were attending and they didn’t all start swinging at Chris rock or punching him. It is comedy ..,it wasn’t intended to be taken seriously. Honestly if you can’t find humor and laugh in life you be way too sad and depressed. Some people find humor even when their lives are very depressing and difficult. Shoot I mean if we all go slap people every time someone says things that we don’t like we all be in jail for assaults. Will Smith is lucky Chris didn’t file assault charges against him..! Some people would of taken him to court..!

@@BlueskyDenver So, Chris is suing... Do you wanna?

Absolutely love yr comment. Well said. Couldn't agree more. 1000%

The slap looked scripted at 1st like it was fake. Have you seen Vlad or maino talk about it. In interviews

100% agree. When will he learn. The unsincere 'apology' screamed desperation.

He's a prick that's obvious

Creating an apology video directly on his RU-vid channel and leaving the comment setting on willing to face more suffering is not escaping the consequences of his action.

The last question was specifically about how his fans and the public feel about him know. His comment, "We can be friends again" was not at comment about Rock. If you watch it again, you'll see that he's responding to the question he read off right before he said that.

Will apologised....Good, now he can crawl back under his rock (no pun) and take Jada with him.

Victims 😂😂😂

@@call_in_sick ... keep reading.

@@julians7268 I read it. I don’t buy the victim bs. Regardless of his relationship with his wife you do not assault other people. That’s what children do - lack boundaries.

Yes. Smith is a victim and Jada is the abuser. She is mentally and emotionally abusive. But I don't think Smith realizes he's in a toxic relationship or that he is the victim in that relationship.

@@call_in_sick which is why I said in paragraph two that it in no way justified Will's behavior. I'm not saying they were both victims on that night, just that when I see Will Smith I also see a victim. Jada continuously humiliates Will and shits on his attempts at pleasing her. It's truly painful to see.

Yeah, it’s telling that he’s ruminated on what happened.

Especially when copying an old script from an old movie.

I'd like to hear more about this bridge, sir. I'm listening. ;-)

😆

@@alexanderlyon Sure, not a problem, Mr. Communications Coach. First off, the bridge that MiloTheSwift was referring to - according to the popular adage - is from the New York City borough of Brooklyn, hence the phrase "there's a bridge in Brooklyn I'd love to sell you" - which refers to the intended recipient being someone who, like yourself, is very gullible and is easy prey to other people's bullshit. I shall now analyze Will Smith's "apology" speech, and breakdown exactly why it's not sincere at all, and is only a poorly designed public relations move by his media people to try and get him back within Hollywood's good graces: 1) First off, the official "look me in the eye" apology has to happen immediately after the demeaning incident occurred, and not be planned months in advance where effort is being put into trying to think of the right words to communicate with which will hopefully lessen, or even reverse, the damage to the public image of a well-known celebrity - in this case being Will Smith. The length of time it took for Will to apologize to Chris Rock only goes to show that the "apology" wasn't heartfelt, and that he truly didn't mean it from deep down within his soul. 2) Now, for the actual apology itself, it came in the form of a sit-down answer & question session, which again, shows that Will Smith didn't take the initiative to issue this apology on his own. Instead, he's taking a back seat and following the course of pre-planned scripted questions being asked of him as he stares straight ahead into the camera. This again shows the apology wasn't sincere. 3) Next, listen to the tone of Will Smith's voice while he's verbally giving his "apology" - it's very robotic & structured, and doesn't contain any rueful regret at all. What's totally laughable is when @5:30 - for a second or two - he makes his voice sound like he's ready to break down & cry, only to return to the normal slow & deliberate speech pattern that he used throughout the rest of the speech shortly thereafter, indicating that he was using his strong acting skills during that brief time segment to try and convey true remorse, before quickly returning back to normal. 4) Finally, let's take a look at one of the verbal remarks he made during his supposed apology - @8:42. He says, and I quote "The work I'm trying to do is......I'm trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself". Okay, so here he's strongly implying that he's "trying" to "work at" being sincerely apologetic, instead of it coming directly from the heart naturally AND, on top of that, he indicates that he's "trying" to be remorseful without having to be ashamed of himself - where he's clearly showing his naivety about the clear & plain fact that in order to be truly remorseful, one has to be ashamed of what they did in the first place. You absolutely can't separate one from the other in order to be truly regretful for the bad actions that you took or spoke of in order to intentionally try to hurt another individual. There you have it, Mr. Communications Coach. I'm early awaiting your response to what I stated above. To be honest, the tone of the response that you gave to MiloTheSwift kind of indicated that you felt like he was just "shooting his mouth off" (or maybe in this case, the phrase "typing his fingers off" is more appropriate? 😀), and that your remark itself was going to go unchallenged. Well, here I am, coach. Let's hear what you have to say now 😝😄.

I was just trying to be humorous. I made a joke at my own expense and I made my self laugh when I typed the bridge response. That's good enough for me. As far as your points, they are all fair. Thank you for your thoughtful comment and specific observations about Smith's apology. You clearly put a lot of thought into your interpretation of what you saw in the video and I respect that. In the end, I'm just putting out my reaction. I won't have the last word on this. People can either take it or leave it. Ultimately, it's Chris Rock's opinion that matters more than mine.

I thought Will's performance insincere and self serving. How many versions of 'sincere' are there?

@@fluffdumpling8515 Yea re-watching it, and seeing the body language expert's analysis makes me look at the apology differently. It really just feels like a PR move.

Could be. I don't think it was written for him, though. I'm sure he had some people read over his talking points beforehand. I doesn't sound to me overly scripted, however. Just my view.

Probably hired his wife's boyfriend.

@@alexanderlyon his wife's boyfriend and his sons boyfriend read it over for him.

And they did a bad job….

You make a good point, RG. Many high-profile figures laugh it off, pretend it never happened, or never admit to any wrongdoing. I give credit to Smith for stepping up trying do do his best here.

@@alexanderlyon lol do you work for Will? He's supposed to get a cookie for a BS apology. If someone did that to you they would be booked.

I think Rock would have been fully justified in pressing charges. In fact, I take Chris Rock's side in all of this. But this video is not about whose side I'm on. I'm only focusing on the video that we're all just looked at. You think it's a BS apology and that's a valid opinion.

@@strauqq1 why are you so angry tho lol more mad than the dude that got slapped lol Yall KEVINS AND KARENS something else 😂

@@alexanderlyon yeah you also missing the fact that hes been taking shots at the smiths for years especially jada it reached a boiling point assault is assault will smith was dead wrong but we aint gonna act like comedians don’t humiliate people with dark humor everyday both sides wrong one guy just got slapped for running his mouth way i see it

What about Chris Rock? Or is breaking down only worthy of sympathy when it's documented for us to see? The fact that we are witnesses to this "breakdown" as it is unfolding in front of cameras to be viewed publically, devalues it. Or it does for me anyway. I definitely see a man who feels real fear and remorse and is trying to actively solve what he's done. I just don't buy that it has anything to do with Chris Rock at all. I think he is not finished with a career that he worries might be finished with him and is desperately doing damage control. CR chose not to participate in that. Maybe he didn't want to give him a chance to claim he'd made an apology and feel pressure to accept when he's not ready, maybe he's still hurt, maybe he is just trying to move on. Whatever the reason is, the show has gone on without his involvement. That says to me that CR is not the focus of the reparations Will Smith wants to make. Hollywood is. The internet is. His reputation is. We are.

@@JD.727 I can see your point. I don’t know if it devalues it for me but I do find it sad. I was only looking at Smith because he is the one issuing the apology and I can totally see what you are saying. The issue with CR is totally separate in many ways. I think what we are witnessing is Smith’s own break down and he did it in front of everyone. I would not be surprised if CR chose to just stay out of all this and let Smith figure his own crap out. And I would understand why too. I don’t think he needs to do anything unless he wants to address it on his own terms. I actually admire the way he has handled it. Just let Smith sink or swim on his own.

@@Brandon-fv5sm Totally agree. A lot of it is sad. Even the fact that such a sincere sounding apology brings suspicion that it's some kind of tactic is sad. Who knows how much is genuine and what his motivations are? Maybe he doesn't even know. When you perform your whole life, I wonder if it makes it hard to identify your real feelings vs the feelings you are expected to perform. And then if you are good at masking your personal emotions, do you then have to relearn how to identify and then perform those so they seem as genuine as they are? The whole industry seems fairly toxic. That being said, this is definitely a well crafted video, from the light directly behind his head giving him a halo, to the all white hat and tshirt. I do feel manipulated into feeling a certain way, just like he does in character, and like actors often are by their industry. Idk about you, but this just seems like a good reminder not to feel too attached to celebrities and be very thankful I'm not one.

I’m glad it was helpful. I have a video from a few weeks ago about how to apologize the right way the first time. It uses the same checklist for and gives lots more examples. That video might be helpful as well.

@@alexanderlyon thank you 🙏

It's really not difficult to say sorry if you feel sorry.

Well said, Siward. Thank you.

​@@alexanderlyon And thank you, Alex, for the many great videos! Certainly those about ethical subjects like this one and another recent one.

In 1989 Will told his bodyguard to beat up a promoter who almost lost his eye from the beating. So this will be Smith's third chance.

@@noless We have all made more mistakes than we'd care to admit. But when you see someone may be genuinely trying to be better, forgiveness may be necessary.

@@MikeF031 So how many chances should a privileged person like Will Smith get? His career should be over now. He's been famous for decades and is a multi millionare. He'll do fine.

@@noless Not sure how much money has to do with it. People are people. I'd say publicly, Will is on thin ice and I think he knows that. If he pulls another stunt like he did at the award show then I'd give up on him as a decent person but as of now, only time can tell.

@@MikeF031 Celebrities are almost above the law in America. What Smith did would land him in jail if he wasn't a famous actor.

He wasn't apologizing to you

He wasn't apologizing to you... Read that again!

Seriously? Years? Thats a bit over the top... and Chris Rock insulted Jada, its not like he is completely innocent here.

Seriously? What insult is it to be compared to Demi Moore at her most fabulous and fit body and face? Jada shaves her head ... just like Demi did for GI Jane. With alopecia sufferers hair comes out in clumps and leaves shiny bald spots that never grow hair again. Jada has stubble, not shiny great hairless bits.

Damn the consequences. He should have punched Chris.

He did hire a PR team. This wasn't done without meticulous preparation. But.the vibe is it's all self serving damage control above all else

@@timleelim9930 yeah I’m afraid I tend to agree, which is obviously why Chris refused to meet him!

I believe that he is truly sorry. I felt that he gave the best apology that he knew how to. He’s not perfect none of us are. It’s time to heal and move on from this with a new respect for the devastating consequences of thoughtless actions :(

EXACTLY... he's in denial bout being in a toxic relationship and he's in denial about being a fool for such a ugly woman in front of the WHOLE world, AND he WON'T ALLOW himself to feel like a piece of shyt for what he's done to CHRIS, those in attendance, all who watched and his fans; when ACTUALLY feeling like shyt is part of the process when you KNOW and genuinely feel bad for what you have done to someone... He's not there yet, so until he IZ and process ALL of it, he IZ a piece of shyt...

I think your take on this makes sense, actually. I hadn't considered it that way.

Those comedians are cowardly bullies. After they saw him slap Chris Rock on an international stage, none of them have the balls to say anything to Will's face. Comedians are cowards. They hide behind being a comedian to say things they know are socially unacceptable. What Will wanted to accomplish was to get Chris Rock to stop attacking Jada. He achieved that with the slap. He doesn't care if comedians make fun of him, it goes with the territory. But none of those dive bar comedians can get anywhere near Will Smith in person. If you pay attention to details, Chris references the slap, but he doesn't dare speak Jada's name. He finally got the message.

The whole act was to cover search engine results of him on Epstein's flight log. He is a child trafficker. Nasty piece of shioooot

@@AnaisKarim Smith is a comedian who's made fun of other people's baldness too. That makes him all the more despicable. Bet big man wouldn't have dared to do that with someone who he thought would be more likely to punch back. Rock has been gracious by not pressing charges and he never even gave a hint he appreciated that.

As long he got that disrespectful wife it will never be the same

Lol people are so dramatic. The man disrespected his wife and and he reacted. Get over it 🤷

Very much. It’s all about him. This apology has nothing to do with Chris. It’s about how people view Smith.

He's been replaced in two movies and as TV series. So yeah his career is pretty much over for a while anyways.

So says Rock when he saw this sorry not sorry. In the end, that man's view counts for their relationship. Smith did this for his audience, not Rock.

@@timleelim9930 exactly!

Thanks for sharing your heartfelt story, Spreewerks. I admire your courage to apologize and try to make things right. Sounds like you're heading in the right direction now. I wish you and your family the best.

@@alexanderlyon Of course and thank you for taking the time to reply back. I also wish the best to you and your family.

It might have helped to explain what was going on in his mind but I might have come across as if he was justifying or making excuses. Explanations sound a lot like excuses in the context of an apology. Perhaps he'll go into more depth about it in a future long-form interview or podcast appearance.

@@alexanderlyon I think if he explained his short comings (why he reverted to violence) it wouldn't sound like an excuse. I feel he should state that it is NEVER ok to revert to violence. Truly, what an awful thing to do to someone. Appreciate your analysis, Alex. I do believe he can redeem himself.

Agreed.

Chris Rock needed that slap

@@alexanderlyon Thanks for explaining very well. I felt he is making excuses to justify his violent behaviour. He is not an evil person, but what he did to Chris is not going away that easily.

It didn't for many, judging by many of the other comments. For me, the last part reminded me of the Demi Lovato post froyo rant apology

"faux pas" is EXACTLY what Will did with this WEAK azz apology... Downplaying his HORRIC behavior...

He won't be truly sorry until a Jury awards Chris Rock $20 millions dollars.

So Weinstein fooled you into thinking being the executive producer means that he actually produced those films? He provided the money or he bought them after they were made and distributed them. That’s it.

I feel the same way, this was definitely an outlier for Will. Loved him since his first album too! Still rock it out every so often. People are people and people make mistakes. It's the aftermath of the mistake that tells who they truly are.

Will Smith is the worse person in the wooooorld. Worry about real things!

nobody would ask to be arrested

The point that you want for him "the suffer".. I Know, You are not good person to be friend with. You intentionally ignore his honest speach with amazing Apology "Backed by profesional" just Because in your inner world and your inner subjective laws, rules and view on the world he did not take enough damage FOR YOU, so YOU can say something like you worte here. I will tell you something : That is disgusting!! You just revealed how rotten your heart is and your intentions too. All you want for him is to suffer.. That says alot about you.

I watched "Parking Wars" since it came out. Yeah that Philadelphia ego is a real thing

@@cherb23 Exactly that's stupid and it comes from a person who NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY OR DO they just want to have something against you. So, this comment is totally off.

@@ichi8017 Exactly :D He will always find what he needs in order to connect his thoughts with his rotten heart. You can be the best and the most kind, inteligent person on this earth, but if he will see one single hair off your hair style... He will go like: HE IS SOOO UGLY AND HE SURE DID NOT SPENT TIME DO MAKE HIMSELF PRETTY, LOOK AT HIS HAIR!! IF HE CANNOT TAKE CARE OF HIMSELF, HE IS NOT ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF OTHERS.. WHAT A UGLY FAKE HUMMAN!.. 🙉🙊🙈🙈🙃🙃🙃🙃

Thanks for watching and making positive comment, Natas. It would have been easy for me to just rip him apart and criticize every word or gesture, but that wouldn't be a fair breakdown. I'm encouraged that you see that I'm trying and I agree with all of your points. No apologies are perfect but this one was not bad.

The point of the comments section is discussion. No one is claiming to be an expert, but people have every right to voice their opinions.

Yes, I love the comments sections. I'm extremely active in talking to people. I 100% agree with you and I respond to lots of critical comments and have had many engaging conversations with people who disagree respectfully. Still, while nobody is claiming to be an actual expert in the comments sections, some people really do talk down on others and insult others openly when their opinions differ. I get insulted graphically every single day on almost every video. I don't like it but it also comes with the youtube job description, I suppose. All that said, I agree with every word you typed.

Well put and properly stated.

🤮looks fake to me.

It is not that people have not made a mistake, it is just that when us REGULAR people make mistakes there are real consequences. Like if anyone of us did that to someone we would have been arrested and put in jail for assault.

I see what you mean, sort of. In the third question he read off, he called it a "slap." He was not using his own words but was quoting/reading the question. I gave him partial credit. It would have been a big improvement if he named the mistake in his own words. Still, what I was pointing out was that this was the first time (of 3 apologies) where he used the word "slap," so it was worth pointing out that he did name it in that way. And most people do not ever mention the offense in any way when they apologize. They say things like, "I messed up," "What I did was wrong," etc. So, he didn't go far enough in naming the mistake but he did go farther than most people do on that box. Also, this is one of those offenses that everybody saw on video. In other words, everybody watching including Rock knew what he did. In that way, naming the mistake plays an important role but not as crucial a role as saying "I apologize."

My apologies if my comment seemed disrespectful, but I've listened again up to the point where you check that box, and all I hear up until then is him referring to 'my behaviour' and 'that moment.' I hear no reference to a slap up to that point, hence my comment. By comparison, I see him gesticulate with the hand he struck with, which to me looks like an assertion of something parallel to the words of apology, perhaps 'There, I've said it.' None of it seems to gel. But, what a sore predicament for a man whose power came off scripted scenes. He shows control over conflicting emotions, but feeling apologetic doesn't feature among the strongest ones. That's my take anyway.