Bad Boys: Ride Or Die has brought the box office back to life, raking in over $100 million dollars this weekend. Stars Will Smith and Martin Lawerence returned to their iconic roles for the fourth time, and fans showed up in support, making it one of the most successful movies of the summer so far. If there is any proof that everyone is over Will Smith’s Oscar slap on Chris Rock, it will be the box office return for Will’s new movie. Stephen A. Smith, who clearly did not see how much money Bad Boys 4 made, thinks people are not ready to watch Will Smith at the movies because he needs to apologize to the black community.
Stephen A. initially said to the audience that he "will never stop being a Will Smith fan" and that he "in all likelihood" will be attending the premiere of the upcoming Bad Boys movie. However, Smith takes a more critical stance for most of his rant, which starts with the host highlighting a picture he and Will took together back when the actor was promoting his Concussion film. In short, Stephen A. Smith says he wants to see "an actual sit-down interview" focused on the Oscar-winning actor’s Chris Rock slap. According to Smith, Rock "will never get over that, ever" and is "damaged,” because of the incident. He added that the actor’s decision to slap the comedian "tarnished" the evening in question in 2022.
Stephen A. Smith Goes On Rant About Will Smith And Chris Rock
"We know you wouldn’t have smacked Ricky Gervais, Bill Maher, Bill Burr or a host of others," Stephen A. Smith said. The ESPN personality argued that the Fresh Prince alum should "sit down and talk to the Black community.” He continued, "We know you wouldn’t have done that. No apology is necessary. I’m just saying a lot of folks ain’t get over that. A lot of folks find it hard to just go to the movies to watch you. I’m one of those people." He clearly did not see how happy fans were to see the new Bad Boys movie.
As many fans on social media have pointed out, Stephen A. Smith is often disconnected from the culture in which he believes he is an authority. His rant is detached from reality because Will Smith's movie is one of the highest-grossing of the summer. People of all races, but especially black people, arrived in droves to see the new Bad Boys. Not to mention, Will Smith has been getting love everywhere he goes during his promotional tour with Martin Lawrence. Overall, Stephen A. Smith has missed the mark again with his attempt at cultural criticism.
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