Joe Rogan uses Will Smith slapping Chris Rock as an example to explain how the Hindu concept of 'Kali Yuga' may actually be true - "You can get a very distorted sense of reality"
Will Smith slapping actor and comedian Chris Rock at the Academy Awards earlier this year overshadowed his win for Best Actor, and had many including Joe Rogan weighing in on what happened.
Rogan was joined by former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett, where they tried to make sense of Smith's actions on such a significant night in his acting career. The UFC commentator and comedian explained how The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star's actions could be connected to the Hindu concept of 'Kali Yuga':
"I just don't think like living that kind of life where you are that kind of person. You're an actor, you're constantly on the red carpet. You're this weird kind of public pedestal place. I think you could get a very distorted sense of reality and I think that that's what we saw manifest itself...We were talking about that before and that's kind of where we're at. We are in Kali Yuga."
As mentioned on the podcast, Kali Yuga was described as being an idea that the Hindus came up with that there are certain ages that are almost unavoidable in civilization, where they go through these types of cycles.
While assessing what took place at the Academy Awards, Rogan mentioned that there was essentially a feeling of entitlement and that the actor might have felt as though he could easily get away with it:
"This is a nonsence scene where you're allowed to go smack someone. Like that is a non-consequential move. That's like you're saying there's no consequences to this. I'm going to go up and smack him in front of everybody and I'm going to give him the f**** whatnot."
The scene at the Academy Awards sparked outrage from many in the media and viewers as Smith was allowed to stay at the ceremony and was given a standing ovation when he went on to accept his Oscar for Best Actor.
Check out the full clip:
Fallout from the Will Smith-Chris Rock slapping incident
Will Smith apologises to Chris Rock and fans over Oscars slap https://t.co/q7OxxGfd6G
Although there was backlash for there initially being no accountability for Will Smith, the Academy did in fact detail the consequences for his actions.
In April, it was revealed that the Acedemy board banned the Bad Boys star from all Academy events and programs both virtually and in-person, but he would not be stripped of his Best Actor award. However, the ban hasn't stopped the 54-year-old from continuing his career. His latest film, Emancipation, is scheduled to be released on Apple TV+ next month and is in talks to reprise roles in sequels to some of his most popular films.
Rock, on the other hand, is set to headline Netflix's first ever global live streaming event on their platform in 2023.