Irish Examiner view: Act of aggression tarnishes Will Smith's well-deserved Oscar

Star will be remembered for hitting someone on TV, getting away with it, and receiving the approbation of many of his peers

The moment where Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage.

The poker-faced stand-up comedian Arthur Smith once commented that “laughter is a tiny escape into happiness”. It’s not likely that he can cite too many Oscar ceremonies as evidence of that belief.

The obsession of showbiz for having any award event accompanied by a narrative from an allegedly “edgy” comic is beyond tiresome. Rebel Wilson’s off-colour jokes at the Baftas were followed in quick time by Chris Rock at Sunday night’s 94th Academy Awards in Los Angeles.