The Rules of the Stage: A Conversation with Ricky Gervais (Episode

In this episode of the podcast, Sam Harris and Ricky Gervais discuss the infamous Oscar slap.
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Subscribers to the Making Sense podcast will hear the episode in its entirety in their subscriber feed. If you’d like to hear this entire episode for free, you can access it by downloading the Absolutely Mental app. This bonus episode is listed in Season 3.
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Released: April 18, 2022
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[@garyhamilton2104]

I wanna see Ricky put on a suit of knights armor and walk up on stage: "Alright, I'm gonna make a joke about Will Smith's Wife"

[@harperdr1]

Ok

[@harperdr1]

Ok Sorry, I had no idea I sent random comments. Had this playing next to me for the car ride home and must have bumped the screen or something.

[@jjohnsonmarine]

ROFL!

[@ankitshah2795]

Schultz did that already!! You should watch his video. It's dope.

[@carlosescudero9845]

yessir!

[@lowfrequency1180]

What’s most egregious is the inaction of the producers of the Oscars. They should have had Smith escorted out of the building immediately. Imagine Rock, stunned, confused, embarrassed: “Well, I guess I should keep going?” Probably being fed messages in his earpiece, “Don’t stop! Move on!”

[@blue24563]

A lot of people were blaming those watching for laughing and not stopping him, but they probably thought it was staged.

[@bludmoon4508]

why guess? the producer went on record explaining everything from his point of view - he wasnt sure if it was part of the script or not, until Will started shouting. but yeah... k then

[@turtlemasterroshi]

Agree, Will was obviously on drugs, but we should have expected the adults in the room to be more responsible.

[@ggyubari5687]

The most egregious is the spineless people clapping and giving him a standing ovation after what happened

[@neilbrucker5985]

Now imagine that was 50 cent smacking someone on stage Or a man hitting a women or white person slapping a black person or any other 2 people. That shit was absolutely pathetic especially after laughing at the joke to begin with. Maybe you find the joke not funny or it is offensive to you there are soooooo many better ways to come at that situation and he chose the absolute worst way. It made him like even more silly and arrogant while he was thinking he was being a tough guy. And to get away with it and then go on to win an award and get a standing ovation was utterly despicable to me and just goes to show how out of touch alot of people are.

[@enso6725]

Joe Rogan made a good point… ‘if you can slap a man and immediately turn your back, you’re a bully’

[@potterj09]

Rock should've gone New Jack City on him.

[@3amDragon]

@Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin The point is it means you've attacked someone you know won't attack you back. You know either they're too nice or there's a power dynamic stopping them.

[@MrXennon1]

@Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin 3amdragon is correct, the definition of bullying is as such: seek to harm, intimidate, or coerce (someone perceived as vulnerable). Your "definition" is absolute bullshit. You have no idea what you're speaking about and are ignorant.

[@clubadv]

@Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin called g yourself v Putin is pretty lame as is your rationale for dismissing this

[@profd65]

@@3amDragon No, the point is don't run your mouth if you're too much of a coward to back it up.

[@BrokeTheSeal]

How did I not know these two have a podcast together? Great. Now I’m going to be spending countless hours listening to every episode they've done together

[@jdl2180]

I'm pretty sure RG was a guests.

[@BrokeTheSeal]

@@jdl2180 I’m referring to the Absolutely Mental podcast he mentions in the beginning which is a podcast with him and RG.

[@iluvatarchem]

It is awful. Dont bother

[@johnnysprocketz]

my condolences

[@aarondavis8943]

You didn't know because it's stupidly not just on you tube where it belongs. It costs more than Netflix to listen to a bloke chat with a bloke. Or you can apply for a "scholarship" and wait ten days to get access. Everyone other social media entertainer can make it pay with Patreon and donations, but for some reason one of the biggest brains on the planet needs a paywall and his own app. Fuck this nonsense.

[@skipsch]

I've had alopecia before because of an autoimmune condition, and if someone I knew slapped someone else for making fun of it I'd feel like such a jackass

[@randomlady6899]

But he wasn’t even making fun of her alopecia. He was laughing at what he thought was her choice of ‘hair’ style

[@tosvus]

Thank goodness that Gervais finally got Sam to talk about this subject!

[@AgnieszkaWalczuk-v2o]

Ricky Gervais is the first person to my knowledge who made Sam laugh out loud. Now, THAT'S talent.

[@LD-qj2te]

Ricky is always so on and funny with such great clarity !!

[@Baron_Blue_Max]

Sam calling Will's relationship with Jada "colourful" is like saying a crush wound is colourful.

[@someguy3186]

The understatement makes it better though.

[@zzzzzz69]

i loved the tone of that adjective, had a laugh at the choice of words

[@NicodemusT]

It’s the “going out for smokes “ take.

[@Michael.Eddington]

What’s a “crush wound”?

[@Baron_Blue_Max]

@@Michael.Eddington if you are injured by having some part of your body crushed - massive discolouration results. Eg. slamming your hand in a car door.

[@Tupacem]

"I wouldn't of made a joke about her hair. I would've made a joke about her boyfriend." 🤣😂🤣😂💀

[@VectorOfKnowledge]

"wouldn't have".

[@chemicalimbalance7030]

It’s weird. You said “would of” and then in the next sentence you said “would have”. Do you just flip a coin? Genuinely curious.

[@strangelet4588]

Lol, yeah. Classic Rikki. Dude is a treasure.

[@Conn30Mtenor]

I would love to see Will mess with Ricky. That wouldn't end well.

[@senbassador]

Did Will Smith have free will when he made the decision to slap Chris Rock?

[@SkyJensen]

This is great

[@stanmonzon5788]

No. From the moment the Universe began it was inevitable that Rock would get slapped.

[@TYFILMPRODUCTIONS]

He didn’t… also because it was staged :P

[@OhManTFE]

Lol, fair point. Sam Harris' argument on free will is compelling but he still talks about culpability like he's forgotten his own previous arguments.

[@paints_his_shirt_red]

Maybe Will Smith has a brain tumor like Charles Whitman

[@Valelacerte]

17:24 RG: _"Don't forget that a few minutes later he'd just won an Oscar. Without that slap, this was the greatest night of his life."_ Which, for a narcissist like Jada Pinkett Smith, was a powerful motivation to fuck it up for him. Having invested years in undermining Will, she didn't need his self-esteem being boosted by professional recognition from the movie industry. No doubt, she was in a particularly pissy mood that night and something, anything, could have been the trigger for drama. People who have known women like Jada know exactly how they operate.

[@DefneDance]

Oh my, I hope you're wrong. That sounds like a horrible life partner

[@jaed2630]

​@@DefneDancelife partner? That cheats on you with a kid? Lmao

[@zaad5273]

Finally I hear Sam's thoughts on this topic lol

[@DeepSpaceNinja]

The standing ovation shows the elites completely detached and in their own reality. Chris Rock didn't deserve to get humiliated in front of everyone like that and Will got away with it because of his status.

[@feralearthworm3044]

In my eyes Will humiliated himself. Chris was the bigger man; he could have verbally torn Will apart in that moment. He chose to show restraint.

[@twatmunro]

He didn't really get away with it though, did he? The world thinks a lot less of Woll Smoth now. Nobody will ever see him the same way again.

[@justinoz1526]

Hollywood applauding wrongdoers is just a part of their culture. It's a cesspit, a fancy cesspit, perhaps _the most fancy cesspit_, but a cesspit nonetheless.

[@profd65]

He shouldn't have insulted another man's wife on national TV. Chris Rock is a coward, and so are most of the people in this comment section. That's as low as it gets for a man.

[@DeepSpaceNinja]

@@profd65 I bet you admire Will for “standing up” to a short skinny comedian who was just doing his job. I’d like to see him slap Dwayne Johnson like that.

[@thedondeluxe6941]

As a sufferer from a similar disease that can cause hair loss, I feel like Will Smith was so far out of line here I lack the words to describe it. The joke and the reaction was so far from each other, they're not even on the same planet. This is a rare instance of something being completely black and white to me.

[@enbonj5842]

Crazy to see how he tried to manipulatively justify his actions in his speech and recieved a standing ovation for it. The lowest night I have ever from any movie awards

[@thedondeluxe6941]

@@enbonj5842 Yes, that was frightening.

[@SweetChestnut07]

7:25 Chris Rock discussion starts here

[@MariposaRedimida]

You don't wanna know how Ricky is doing??? Come on - lol. He's aging but also wants to play tennis. Sam is aging too but likes to drink red wine. All caught up now!

[@RedziRekuEdze]

The joke was actually a compliment

[@jongriffin2608]

I’d like to hear you discuss the level of narcissism and sociopathology it takes to retake your seat, waiting for your award. Any normal person conflicted would have left the venue voluntarily. Ideally, I’d have liked to have seen Will Smith removed by two Oscar policemen, painted gold from head to foot. A night when for once an Oscar lifted a Willy.

[@Blonde111]

And yet, they were allowed to go to the SAG Awards…🤨 People behave badly because they get away with it. What a world we live in.

[@redelfshotthefood8213]

Hidden comedy gold.

[@ConsciousExpression]

Yeah, that was unbelievable. The level of entitlement on display was just insane. Will acted as though Chris was just a minor clown there for his personal amusement, whom he could abuse as he liked. Then, even after sober reflection, his apology was self serving and disingenuous. I loved Will Smith before this. I've now lost so much respect for him. It's sad.

[@profd65]

The pathology is in this comment section: you morons are sick. This is the only time in human history that a "man" (so called) can insult another man's wife in public, then be justly slapped by the husband, then be too cowardly to respond to the slap, and then everybody defends the coward who attacked the woman. You people are truly disgusting.

[@pleaserewind295]

The last five minutes of this are fantastic.

[@neilbrucker5985]

Hope did i just find out about these two mind giants working together. Absolutely amazing stuff I've listened to like 5 or 6 over the last 24 hours. Thank you sir for all your hard work.

[@JakeWitmer]

Nice to see Gervais and Harris get this correct. Good to see that civilization isn't completely dead.

[@morbidmanmusic]

No, the fact that this is a topic proves were dead

[@potterj09]

Hahaha "And this the way i do science .. I perform this test 99 times and doubt it!" I love Sam's edge, always have.

[@jacopodeldeo4308]

Please i have to see this video harris and gervais together is a dream to me

[@kadourimdou43]

Have you listened to their podcast, Absolutely Mental.

[@kenthazara5477]

KZbin - Absolutely Mental

[@ZachGood]

01:07 Sam: "Dear Apple: You are obfuscating my ability to post my new podcast in an attempt to defenestrate me." Apple: "This isn't Sam, this is a bot. Lock the podcast."

[@josephcampisi5401]

It’s a great example of just how thin our veneer of civility really is and how quickly the primal primate we are at our core can assert itself.

[@aristotle736]

Theyre HOLLYWOOD people..What are you expecting ? Marcus Arellious and Seneca ?

[@randallanderson1632]

As a guy who is "older" and still works-out and exercises, I can tell that there is a point up ahead somewhere where even a modest work-out will trigger slight injury and enough subsequent pain to interfere with mobility and sleep. Sadly, at that point working-out will consist of hobbling down the sidewalk for 20 minutes and an evening or two of playing bridge

[@jacksfavorite4808]

I sometimes work-out with my father who is 56. He tries to maintain the same level of exercise and fitness but he admits it isn't getting any easier.

[@desmondberry528]

An uncomfortable truth for anyone. As my late mother used to say, " getting old is not for sissies!"

[@swaggitypigfig8413]

@@desmondberry528 lol

[@toby9999]

@@jacksfavorite4808 I'm 62 and yes, it's getting harder but I still speed skate and I'm adding cycling to help with aerobic fitness.

[@radscorpion8]

@@desmondberry528 time to sign up for experimental gene therapy!

[@lightningrod1063]

I hope you guys will eventually say a few things about Jada. The fact that she didn't attempt to stop him from walking up on the stage; the fact that she wasn't concealing her baldness at all, so she's not even allowed to be offended(because she's not ashamed), the possibility that Jada is the ultimate manipulator in this whole scenario. Obviously it wasn't all part of her evil plan, but she certainly seems to be coming out of it smelling like roses. And Yes, Will didn't even apologize to Chris at ALL!?!? He owes no one but Chris Rock an apology, and that apology is not for his sudden violent outburst, but for his insane and unjustifiable arrogance. I predict Will Smith won't do another movie for a very long time because no one will want to work with him. I also predict that we will all learn about how Jada has been mentally abusing him for many years and he finally just snapped. Johnny Depp needs to give Will a call.

[@tcritt]

So Will Smith slaps some guy and it's his wife's fault because she didn't stop him? What is he? A dog? A child?

[@AlanDantes76]

Smith did make an apology to Rock, albeit on Instagram. Lame as fuck, but technically it did happen.

[@imagebboy]

Will isn’t a victim here. Sure Jada can manipulate. But Will is showing everyone the guy I have seen since probably 1996. Rapping and Fresh Prince was fine, but when he became an adult, he let his ego get out of control. My entire life, I was told I was adept at reading subtle intentions. As an grown actor I found him overrated and he believed his own hype. I always told people his hubris was overwhelming and he was so self deserving, but very crafty at hiding it. My wife thought he was the best, just like everyone else. The night of the Oscar’s, he showed everyone what I’ve seen for decades. Really, what’s sad is what happened to Chris, who is a stand up guy (no pun intended).

[@AlanDantes76]

@@imagebboy You win the oscar for patting yourself on the back.

[@imagebboy]

​@@AlanDantes76 And you with the Oscar for enabling people, blaming actions on 3rd parties instead of actual self control, sassy internet comments, and divisiveness. Congratulations! lol

[@mjm5081]

2012: Words are Freedom. Facts are Objective. Definitions are Defining. 2022: Words are Violence. Facts are Offensive. Definitions are Debatable. 2032:

[@justinoz1526]

The weird thing is that words are violence but apparently silence is violence, too. People who set you up to fail regardless of which choice you make scare me.

[@mjm5081]

@@justinoz1526 The key is to not play by their rules. I prefer to follow the rule of Logic, Reason, and Common Sense. ✌

[@justinoz1526]

@@mjm5081 I fear we might find ourselves rapidly in the minority on those points. Assuming we aren't already.

[@mjm5081]

@@justinoz1526 I believe we are the majority. But to their credit, they are louder. What's worse, is that they have infiltrated education, entertainment, sports, tech, media, journalism, news, and all manner of business and corporations. So their influence is in fact, far far greater than their numbers. Which is indeed terrifying.

[@ratandmonkey2982]

Chris appeared to be hit quite hard from my viewpoint. He himself said so publicly right afterward, and later privately said "I just took a punch from Muhammad Ali." This thing was vicious. Probably could have knocked him out.

[@trillianmcmillian2660]

that might be because will smith played Muhammad Ali, but i agree it is a disservice to say it wasn’t a hard hit

[@Anderzander]

You’re right. I have some experience of hitting people and being hit by people. For a couple of reasons slaps can be incredibly hard, how relaxed your arm is, how much follow through you have etc etc. But in addition to that - there is a phrase in boxing that goes ‘it’s the ones you don’t see that knock you out’ - coming out of the blue and with no chance to brace yourself or even just mentally prepare for the impact Chris will have took 100% of that.

[@eriklobo7622]

Ricky: look in to running backwards for shin splints. No study on my end but it has helped me and other family members. And, and I'm not going to look this up, I think it was employed by the Greeks for track at one point. Be well. Stay alive you guys. And thank you for doing these. Other than that have a nice day.

[@brycep2346]

A physical trainer by the name of KneesOverToesGuy on youtube has many insightful videos on the benefits of backwards running and walking especially with added weight resistance, and various other exercises for knee, joint health, etc. I'd highly recommend his protocols based on my experience.

[@bdub1348]

Running backwards at the age of 60 sounds incredibly dangerous

[@shak535]

Chris Rocks joke after the slap was quite brilliant I think .

[@nishantintouch]

Sam , please do video podcasts/interviews as regularly as you do these audio ones. Pls. A big fan from India 🙏🙏

[@jerrysmith5782]

15:10 I couldn't disagree more with Sam's initial assessment of the slap as tenuous. The only holding back that Will Smith did was using an open hand instead of a fist.

[@ThatOneScienceGuy]

I know, right? Will Smith didn’t seem restrained at all.

[@noahway13]

I thought it was fake, if you know anything about real life, you would also. Will did not walk up like he was mad, and that was the most fake, Hollywood slap I have ever seen. I can tell you have not seen anybody get slapped in real life. Then Will sauntered back to his chair like it was a big joke. Then Will seemed to get angry after he sat down.

[@siriusfun]

Agreed. He definitely connected. Rock was put off-balance. He took a corrective step.

[@siriusfun]

@@noahway13 Your comment makes no sense.

[@jacquelineprince9273]

There's a close up photo of Rock while Smith was swearing at him from the audience. One side of Rock's bottom lip was bleeding. I don't know if Rock bit his lip when Smith connected or what happened, but this wasn't a "graze" as Sam called it. There's another photo of Rock immediately after he was hit with his hand over that same area of his lip. He felt some pain.

[@trillianmcmillian2660]

like the beginning of every criminal act…. people feel entitled. we as a society need to start addressing this. just because your God or your ego or your “origin story” blah blah blah… it doesn’t give you the entitlement to hurt someone physically.

[@allthingsconsideredaa]

There's so many comments that seem to be implying Will's actions are somehow Jada's fault, that Jada is to blame, that Jada is the narcissist. I didn't see the part where Jada told will to go up there and hit him, she rolled her eyes. Will is to blame and he deserves all the credit.

[@slindilengcobo3235]

Completely agreed as if he has no agency. Similar to the Harry/Megan story.

[@crispyrobot77]

Humor/Comedy has no limits. ANYONE who feels that there are situations, genders, genres, that SHOULDN'T be joked about, ARE the PROBLEM. If we, Humankind, must walk on eggshells because being "offensive" to a specific "human classification" is off limits comedically,, then ALL HUMOR would be off limits. Humor is an ART form. It's NOT real but it IS INTELLECTUAL as fuck. Smarter people GET IT. Idiots COMPLAIN about it (mostly "Freedom of Speech" spouting right wing advocates). If we limit comedy to comedy that isn't offensive to people, then we SUCCUMB to IDIOTS and, as such, DEVOLVE as an intelligent species. I'm betting Dolphins found the Chris Rock joke, directed to a woman with issues far beyond hair issues (ie, in a relationship where their marital relationship was less important than honor, honesty and integrity) funny as hell.

[@ShellysAshes]

It isn’t predominantly the right these days who are trying to censor comedy. It’s the radical left.

[@matthewclarke1926]

Are you suggesting that woke liberal idiots are not complaining about offensive comedy?

[@jasongravely7217]

It’s funny I agree with all of that except the right wing addition. I’m sure it’s my biases from growing more conservative as I’ve aged into 36. I feel like that used to be true, and now it’s flipped. I’m not allowing the BS people call mainstream media into my head so I’m probably missing something, but just thought I’d comment - not with the intention to start an argument just throwing my perspective in here. I don’t understand how an advocate for free speech would oppose humor, unless they were also an idiot, which is probably the case with most people right and left.

[@MariposaRedimida]

How can we make a meaningful contribution to the conversation without calling people idiots? I very much agree with most of what you wrote, only I didn't get the part where you said "it's not real". I've recently found myself jumping to judgement and feeling superior to others when they clearly don't "get it" or don't see what I see. How can we overcome that, overcome ourselves? When people are hurting in a way we cannot relate to or make sense of, can we have an honest interaction without insulting them? I'd like to learn. I guess the difference is between comedy/humor and making fun of people at their expense. Where is the line between bullying (pointing, laughing, humiliating) and making jokes? Can we ever define that line for others or will it always be a subjective line? Meaning there will always be an overstepping of that line because it really is invisible. We would have to know someone really well on a personal level to understand where their line is drawn. For a comedian, that is not possible. Someone may be brilliant intellectually, but emotionally hurting from trauma we have no idea about. They are not an idiot for being hurt, they are just hurting. I'm not advocating for walking on eggshells at all by the way. Just bringing a more compassionate perspective to the conversation.

[@ryed8118]

@@MariposaRedimida Jeff Booth says "if we notice something in everyone else and wonder why they don't see it in themselves, it's present in us too". I have often wondered the same thing when watching people on social media put down other points of view to sound superior. and then i catch myself doing the very same thing. although i try my best to stay respectful in any comment section, i do it internally.

[@richardlegrand4697]

The patterns in the background of "the smack" thumbnail represent Chris's disorientation from the impact. Art!

[@rjboge]

Lol like an old batman cartoon 🤣

[@morbidmanmusic]

Good catch!

[@DavidBrown-ts2us]

'He's having a mental health crisis', more of a relationship crisis, Will felt he had to do something because she would have given him hell when they got home if he didn't. He's probably deeply unhappy and needs to get out.

[@LAZARUSL0NG]

For those wondering if the full length version spends even a single second exploring the psychological impact of cuckoldry, and the part it may have played in this incident, the answer, inexplicably, is no.

[@Jackomantaco]

Are you a subscriber mate

[@LAZARUSL0NG]

@@Jackomantaco Yes (Making Sense, not Absolutely Mental)

[@Jackomantaco]

@@LAZARUSL0NG always cuts out on the best bits

[@gunboatsandhos]

i think the cuckoldry is the most understated aspect of this entire thing, and yet it is the single most important reason for will smiths actions. and we miss a great teachable moment for our young men. 🤷

[@someguy3186]

I mean, Sam isn't exactly a celebrity gossip guy. There are enough other people out there who go into the details of the mess of the Smiths' very public "private" lives.

[@Xsuprio]

Jada could have reacted with positivity. Like... hell yeah, I'm ready to star in G.I. Jane II. Throw in a little Rosie the Riveter... That would have shown confidence, maturity, acceptance (of her condition) and she would have been an example to people looking to her on how to handle it. But no. A porcelain character. The LAST person who should star in G.I. Jane.

[@mogznwaz]

My thoughts exactly. GI Jane is a badass female marine who shaves her head as a sign of empowerment. Jada isn't in the same league.

[@lisad2701]

Jada had a brow lift (plastic surgery) which caused a horizontal line of baldness (scar) along the top of her head. Instead of admitting the cause, she claims to have alopecia which she does not. Her stubble is thick and uniform except for the scar. So, she turned herself into a "victim" of a condition that she doesn't possess and Will destroyed his reputation for a lie and her vanity.

[@radscorpion8]

And also Jada sleeps with other men and didn't want the marriage, so twitter is FILLED with hilarious but also really savage memes on Will Smith walking in to his wife in bed with someone else, in mid-sentence about how he beat up someone else to defend her. ITS SO SAD (but also, a little funny)

[@LD-qj2te]

Fully agree ! Her head has the most evenly distributed and thick “stubble” and for sure she has great full hair. She is just another egomaniacal fading C talent

[@cesarrodriguez8893]

This just might be true

[@Richie_Godsil]

That's nuts!

[@RobertWrightOneManCovers]

Dumbest fucking comment in all of KZbin history. Amazing.

[@Bat_Boy]

Will Smith and Amber Heard…should star in a movie together. 🤣

[@kufudokungfu]

Ha apple thought you were impersonateing your self 😂

[@WunnSEN]

Can we PLEASE just get Karl and Steven on this with Ricky? Just one last podcast! It would make mine and many peoples life

[@ZambeziKid]

One of the best recent episodes.

[@BenState]

Will Smith is how mediocrity became America. A case in point.

[@kylehardy2235]

He had to be tough Gandhi😂

[@piproductions7395]

Why does this not play? Anyone else?

[@vidform]

I think you should do a video solely on Chris Rock. Whenever a violent crime is committed, the victim always gets ignored while the victimizer gets all the attention - and in WS's case, applause.

[@alexanhagopian1446]

Doesn’t work. This video available anywhere else ?

[@itbeWOLFLINGS]

Love you and Ricky chatting

[@dustinpatsios554]

The phone dialing noise at the begining makes it sound like sam's about to do a jerky boys style prank call

[@mehdibaghbadran3182]

One slapped in front of the media, is important, or thausands of people will dies in silence, where there’s no camera, the question is why something like this should be bold , in our society!

[@MLPotts22]

Aww man I was hoping to hear you two analyze Denzel's delusional response to the slap. Good listen either way...

[@MLPotts22]

@@user-qp4ij4yl8y “Well, there’s a saying, ‘When the Devil ignores you, then you know you’re doing something wrong,'” . “The Devil goes, ‘Oh, no, leave him alone - he’s my favorite.’” “Conversely, when the Devil comes at you, maybe it’s because he’s trying to do something right,” he continued. “And for whatever reason, the Devil got ahold of that circumstance that night.”

[@MLPotts22]

@@user-qp4ij4yl8y Correct. There were plenty of "celebs" who attempted to justify Will's actions that night.

[@kenthazara5477]

I am in dismay - that we haven’t heard Chris go off on a tirade of: That niggah just went Niggah Nuts! NIGGAHHH!!

[@Pwwh0711]

@@MLPotts22 Did someone point out to Denzel that - removing the religious indoctrination aspect, of course - our best guess, given all available empirical evidence = No God & by implication, no Devil.

[@holysecret2]

@@MLPotts22 If that's what he said that's rather ominous, I don't like it

[@stevenlee1448]

so nice to hear Sam laugh

[@jackbarry7155]

So Good. F*ckin’ love you guys.

[@petesjostedt6300]

Odd that the most enjoyable ricky/sam collab was aside from the intentional channel.

[@FrozenOxy101]

Hey Sam, we need the video of these, I am speaking on the behalf of most of your subscribers even though I don't hold an official title, yet.

[@jpgarcia90]

well, just came back here after the attack on Chapelle last night... you guys saw it coming miles aways

[@13shadowwolf]

Really, Will Smith would have had a much bigger impact by walking up on stage, staring Rock down, and then walking out of the awards without saying anything.

[@damarenster]

I think this is the first time i heard sam harris laughing

[@AaronBowley]

i’m only 10 minutes in but, can we agree that there are people that don’t agree with what will smith did but understand why he did, which does not excuse the action, btw. i feel like those people get lumped in with “approving” of his actions which is very different. i think far less people overall APPROVE and more simply understand or can comprehend how a person in his situation could act like that, again, for the slow, not that is it approved or ideal or recommended or encouraged

[@LittleTed1000]

Poor people? Are we talking about poor people? I feel like we're talking about people from a different class.

[@JakeWitmer]

0:02 Sounds like the riff from the "Lazy Sunday" hip-hop track

[@rer9287]

from what i understand the sulfur in red wine commonly causes headaches. they sell things that factually counter the effect.

[@toddharvey7089]

Wine and headaches are not an uncommon thing Sam. Consensus seems to be the sulfates and histamines are the culprit, but I don't know if that has been experimentally confirmed.

[@rolandemiltoledo1283]

Haha what a treat!

[@blurtling]

If I subscribe, are there videos of full interviews available?

[@pbaklamov]

They sat there drinking. Wondering why. Glass after glass. Subconscious is subconscious. Now, drink. 🍻 And, so. Drink after drink.

[@Juancarlos2016]

Ricky Gervais' laugh is like a kick in the balls... painful and obnoxious !! love the guy,

[@johnimusic12]

We are the product of our environment.

[@JohnBender1313]

We live in a society

[@pocket83squared]

All your base are belong to us.

[@jacobmar2797]

Content starts at 2:45

[@B88-h6n]

New rules at comedy clubs, wearing a helmet is mandatory now

[@diamondpoppa]

Video still won't play🤬

[@ASM881]

Why can’t I watch this?

[@UncleBuZ]

was buffering for me too, working now.

[@dustaone8521]

same, tried to load it tons of times in the past 30mins, won't start

[@FakingANerve]

Sorry, mate... It was either blindness or hairy palms. 🤷‍♂️

[@dustaone8521]

@@FakingANerve Maybe shave your own palms? It's not working for lots of people, check other comments.

[@ZombieDFTBA]

I wish I could listen to this in full on android

[@Dseated]

At what point do we need to acknowledge that censoring people's behavior doesn't limit their thought and only let's the masses let their guards down until an unexpected behavior rises and the required safety measures are not in place.

[@morbidmanmusic]

Well, they want to censor will smith.....

[@jaik195701]

Will should have to do community service teaching politeness to a Supermax prison crowd

[@MrCozzie28]

WHY is the App not called "APPsolutely Mental" ???

[@Paradox-dy3ve]

Somebody needs to hire you

[@chrispengelly22]

You need to listen to an episode of Absolutely Mental where Sam and Ricky express their distaste for puns! 😜

[@DanielDiazDDD]

Issues with video playing again

[@squidgy6930]

People with a child like naivety about the vicious powerful dangerous and relentless nature of actual violence from a capable man are normally the types to frivolously endorse it

[@26michaeluk]

That's actually a damn good point.

[@1shpendi]

I wish Sam puts the whole episode on youtube. Im simply lazy to go to other sites, i dont even go to Spotify and no longer follow joe rogan there. I pay for KZbin premium and i wish sam will work out a deal with KZbin because im not going to the app.

[@MachineCode0]

Just clicked, working for me here

[@trainerdisability]

Yay it’s working

[@selfademus]

anyone who argues this slap as justified would be able to be slapped justifiably.

[@jackbenson8228]

if you drink PRESERVATIVE FREE wine... trust me, you won't hurt the next day. maybe dehydrated a bit, but no pounding headaches. increase the peace

[@dustaone8521]

Video wont load, been trying for over an hour now :(

[@vaughnprecision]

I keep trying to, can’t get it to play either.

[@dustaone8521]

5 hours later, still doesn't work. tried removing adblock, still nothing.

[@volta2aire]

"Is it a bit?" exactly...

[@angelotuteao6758]

Spoke volumes that a room full of the world’s most privileged people watched an artist get assaulted and did nothing- just smiled and applauded for Smith’s oscar

[@winterbird4447]

Will Smith as «Tough Ghandi» in a theatre near you!

[@comets4sale]

On the contrary, words are potent (and arguably violent) insomuch as we have developed slander and defamation laws that can lead civil and criminal judgments against perpetrators. Whether or not you think the slap incident rises to this level is a separate issue.

[@shanepye7078]

If you drink water between beers or whatever you are drinking, it will GREATLY reduce hangovers later.

[@tcritt]

Or just don't sober up.

[@VimDoozy]

And GREATLY increase the number of trips to the toilet.

[@amandacollyer645]

The strike didn't 'barely make contact,' nor was it tenuous. He hit a much smaller dude in the face with considerable force.

[@jdsartre9520]

Next up...Comedy Central Roast of Jada Pinkett, and Will will be there on stage: The most-viewed television in history.

[@timwhite5562]

I have say that I'm surprised at the amount of equivocating here, especially from Gervais. I think to say he was overly charitable regarding the behavior of that room afterwards would be an understatement. "You need to remember that those people were all still in shock over what happened." Yeah I have no doubt that was true, but I don't think that was the overall reason for the obsequious standing ovation we were presented with. While at first glance it seemed the entire crowd was doing it, with even a second cursory viewing you can clearly see that not everybody was doing it, and most of them I imagine had a look on their face similar to Denzel Washington when Smith mentioned his name; he l that look like a father would give you if you were misbehaving in church or somewhere in public like that, so he couldn't do anything just then, but wanted you to know there was hell to be paid when you get home. I think a lot of people in Hollywood are empty vessels that have crammed so many things in there that they needed to make room by tossing out anything they may have had of themselves originally. You see it with their virtue signaling displays when that anyone with a shred of intelligence would clearly see that they don't really have an idea of what they're bloviating about. It's in those cringe inducing tic-toc posts during the George Floyd demonstrations. I watched it and thought "I don't think a single one of these people has really put any thought into WHAT they think, let alone post their contrived and patronizing BS mia culpas. The idea that it was shock that caused it is possible, but I truly believe that the pavlovian response of the crowd would have been very different if the audience had been the average crowd you'd get at a concert or sporting event, I just can't see most of the average being as oblivious the crowd was that night. I'm sure that it's hard to know what to do when your grasp of reality is already tenuous at best.

[@Texas_Pariah]

In no way can her hair be described as balding. It's simply short. Her hair is the same length over her entire head

[@abstractdaddy1384]

Yeah but she is balding. It's like people who get chemo therapy. Their hair falls out but they end up cutting it all off before that happens.

[@Texas_Pariah]

@@abstractdaddy1384 Her hair has been the same thickness her entire life. Its not even thinning, so again in no way is it balding.

[@vanessaspeaks]

@@abstractdaddy1384 that’s not how alopecia works

[@abstractdaddy1384]

@@vanessaspeaks You're probably misunderstanding something about what I said.

[@jeffersonianideal]

25:21 - 26:24 The recent assault on comedian Dave Chappell at the Hollywood Bowl, by an armed assailant, prompted me to revisit this podcast.

[@hoeraufist]

Sam's getting in on this hot juicy goss? Count me in!

[@kay9528]

🤣

[@andyl8055]

I always enjoy listening to you two, but I can’t help but grind my teeth that this is even a point of discussion when the Ukrainians are fighting for their lives. It isn’t a walk and chew bubblegum thing; community discourse tends to focus on things, and this is a distraction. Yes Will slapped him. He didn’t punch him, kick him or head butt him, and he also didn’t shoot him, drop cluster munitions on his house or fire artillery at him while waiting for a train. Still, thanks for the listen, Sam.

[@pocket83squared]

And for how long should we preoccupy our thoughts with _this_ war? Yes, the popular discourse in the West tends to be selfish and superficial, but consider the context of our culture: most of us have been immersed in a constant background of war since birth. It's not that we've become desensitized to it, it's that any war which we have no control over and that lacks an immediate threat of violence will become an abstraction, which we learn to internalize in a much different way. How much do you grind your teeth over history's abundant cases of atrocity, for example? From my house, which sits in a quiet and distant Appalachian meadow, I'm just as removed from the _space_ of Russian War as I am from the _time_ of the Civil War that once threatened the very area I now write from. The best I can do is to offer my political/financial support and civility, but I owe no guilt. In fact, as this all relates to shame and virtue-signalling, you've just made a nice tie in, because it's the same politics of irrational intolerance that're slapping at free speech which also seek to shame a population into, or against, action. Really, I do share your sentiment on an empathetic level. I also see the juxtaposition of frivolity and urgency. But in terms of rationality, there comes a time where life just has to continue floating on, as before. Some places on the ocean are calm, and others are stormy. In good weather, all there _is_ is our distraction.

[@sparshparimoo]

Wow. Moral outrage. So unique. What else would you like us to talk about over cultural issues? Inflation in Argentina? Riots in Peru? Famine in Sri Lanka? Just so we’re clear on your lofty expectations for society.

[@pocket83squared]

@@sparshparimoo Give *Andy L* a break. There is some room to complain. The fact that we even _have_ celebrities is reason enough to roll one's eyes. Our "cultural issues" really are petty concerns.

[@sparshparimoo]

@@pocket83squared Lol they aren’t petty at all. How we interact with each other defines our day to day life. Much more than our ability to influence outcomes in Ukraine. We can hand wring about international crises all we want, but the only area of influence we really have is our culture. It matters if men are being told that the society they live in is patriarchical tyranny, and that they must atone by putting women on a pedestal. See Will Smith’s face as he sits across the Red Table, and it’s pretty symbolic of what men have been brainwashed to believe. If he gets a divorce, he’s likely to lose his kids and his wealth. You think this is a Will Smith only issue? No it impacts society across the board. The daily genuflecting in front of the god of wokeness has its consequences on our lives. Nobody’s out there celebrating the carnage in Ukraine. But to think that our own internal problems don’t matter is just virtue signalling to look cool. I don’t much care for that.

[@pocket83squared]

​@@sparshparimoo Though I'm pretty sympathetic to the crux of your message, there's a giant flaw in your reasoning: a person affects their culture much less than a culture affects the person. You can hand wring over your culture all you want, but at the end of the day, you didn't get to choose the culture you've been born into, and further, you won't ever change it much. Culture is like an emergent property. To the meat and potatoes: I'm _not_ sympathetic to misogynistic 'men going their own way' weirdos. The slap we witnessed was the act of one selfish and entitled man, coerced by one domineering and narcissistic woman. It was neither characteristic of the culture at large nor suggestive of a new norm; I'm not convinced that any such alignment to the 'woke' paradigm is anything more than coincidental. The "internal problems" bubbling up here relate to the fact that any of us even care about (petty) Fresh Prince drama at all. Also, arguments following a "lol" are pretty tough to take seriously. Informal dismissals placed at the end of a piece of writing tend to sting worse. pwned.

[@thesocialexchangepodcast3022]

Best I’ve ever heard :D

[@wonderwoman5528]

Does anyone remember will slapping a French interviewer who kissed him? He’s always had a slap in him. I think Will was wrong but I saw him sobbing uncontrollably and I thought, this man, for reasons we don’t know, is in a lot of mental pain.