South Asian 'Summer of Soul' producer slams Will Smith even after Chris Rock called him 'some white guy' TWICE!
It seems that the talks around the infamous slap incident that happened at the 94th Academy awards is not going to die anytime soon as now ‘Summer of Soul’ producer Joseph Patel has blasted Will Smith for “robbing” the moment. The documentary directed by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and produced by David Dinerstein; Robert Fyvolent; and Patel won Oscar for Best Original Documentary on Sunday night, March 20, but just before the award was given Will walked to the stage and smacked comedian Chris Rock for apparently making fun of Jada Pinkett Smith.
Patel took to social media to share his thoughts on the whole drama as he started, “Ok, here we go with some thoughts and feelings on what happened Sunday night, ‘the Slap,’ if you will. [thread]. First, I’ve been drunk with joy the last few days for me and my team and our Oscar win. So many of you - IRL friends, internet friends, acquaintances, colleagues, old homies and new - have shown love and support and genuine excitement for our achievement.”
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Ok, here we go with some thoughts and feelings on what happened Sunday night, “the Slap,” if you will. [thread]
— joseph monish patel (@jazzbeezy) March 31, 2022
First, I’ve been drunk with joy the last few days for me and my team and our Oscar win. So many of you - IRL friends, internet friends, acquaintances, colleagues, old homies and new - have shown love and support and genuine excitement for our achievement.
— joseph monish patel (@jazzbeezy) March 31, 2022
It’s taken me a few days to process everything. Still sort of processing it. Once we realized the Chris Rock/Will Smith interaction wasn’t a bit, everything got turned upside down. Everyone was still trying to make sense of it when Chris persevered & started to read the nominees.
— joseph monish patel (@jazzbeezy) March 31, 2022
He then continued, “I feel that love, and I thank you. It’s taken me a few days to process everything. Still sort of processing it. Once we realized the Chris Rock/Will Smith interaction wasn’t a bit, everything got turned upside down. Everyone was still trying to make sense of it when Chris persevered & started to read the nominees,” before he pointed out: “I think what Will did was selfish. It robbed the category of its moment. It robbed the other excellent and amazing films of their moment to be acknowledged in what was a STRONG year for docs. And it robbed Summer of Soul and our team of our moment. Of a loud, enthusiastic cheer for a celebrated film.”
I think what Will did was selfish. It robbed the category of its moment. It robbed the other excellent and amazing films of their moment to be acknowledged in what was a STRONG year for docs.
— joseph monish patel (@jazzbeezy) March 31, 2022
And it robbed Summer of Soul and our team of our moment. Of a loud, enthusiastic cheer for a celebrated film.
— joseph monish patel (@jazzbeezy) March 31, 2022
I feel bad for Ahmir. I feel bad for my fellow producers. I feel bad for our whole team. I feel bad for all the people watching and rooting for us. We were in shock walking to the stage -not because of winning but because we, too, were still trying to make sense of what happened.
— joseph monish patel (@jazzbeezy) March 31, 2022
The South Asian producer mentioned that he felt “bad for Ahmir. I feel bad for my fellow producers. I feel bad for our whole team. I feel bad for all the people watching and rooting for us. We were in shock walking to the stage -not because of winning but because we, too, were still trying to make sense of what happened. Then Will hugs Ahmir and daps me up. I didn’t even know it was happening in the moment. Still in shock. (Ahmir handled the moment with grace, giving a speech from the heart. It was beautiful to see. I’m so deeply moved by how much he has grown in the last few years.).”
Then Will hugs Ahmir and daps me up. I didn’t even know it was happening in the moment. Still in shock.
— joseph monish patel (@jazzbeezy) March 31, 2022
(Ahmir handled the moment with grace, giving a speech from the heart. It was beautiful to see. I’m so deeply moved by how much he has grown in the last few years.)
What I didn’t hear in that moment walking to stage but was told of afterwards is what Chris Rock said when reading our name from the winner’s card - The winner is “Summer of Soul…Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and…4 white guys.” WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK?????
— joseph monish patel (@jazzbeezy) March 31, 2022
The reason that makes me SO SO VERY ANGRY is because I was so proud to be one of a handful of South Asians to have ever won an Oscar in the history of the award.
— joseph monish patel (@jazzbeezy) March 31, 2022
I was ecstatic that I was the 3RD South Asian to win that night - after Riz and Aneil Karia won earlier in the night for The Long Goodbye. 3 South Asians winning on the same night - that’s never happened before! And it’s meaningful! It’s history!
— joseph monish patel (@jazzbeezy) March 31, 2022
So with my family and friends watching, Chris Rock lumped me in as 1 of “4 white guys.” (Nevermind the disrespect to @d2films and @fyvo for not even saying their names, and the inaccuracy of us being 3 producers not 4).
— joseph monish patel (@jazzbeezy) March 31, 2022
'Thank you, Chris - You absolute f**king d**k'
In the series of his tweets, Patel also took a dig at Rock as he stated, “What I didn’t hear in that moment walking to stage but was told of afterwards is what Chris Rock said when reading our name from the winner’s card - The winner is ‘Summer of Soul…Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and…4 white guys.’ WHAT IN THE ACTUAL F**K?????” He then went on to justify his anger as he noted, “The reason that makes me SO SO VERY ANGRY is because I was so proud to be one of a handful of South Asians to have ever won an Oscar in the history of the award. I was ecstatic that I was the 3RD South Asian to win that night - after Riz and Aneil Karia won earlier in the night for The Long Goodbye. 3 South Asians winning on the same night - that’s never happened before! And it’s meaningful! It’s history! So with my family and friends watching, Chris Rock lumped me in as 1 of ‘4 white guys.’ (Nevermind the disrespect to @d2films and @fyvo for not even saying their names, and the inaccuracy of us being 3 producers not 4).”
I’m a big boy - I can take a joke. Comedians make jokes. But not in that moment. What a shitty, disrespectful thing to do. AND HERE’S THE THING…It wasn’t that Chris Rock was under stress. He made the same joke the night before on stage at the Roots Jam!
— joseph monish patel (@jazzbeezy) March 31, 2022
So I’m angry. Angry at Will Smith. Angry at Chris Rock. Angry for me. Angry for Ahmir. Angry for my fellow filmmakers.
— joseph monish patel (@jazzbeezy) March 31, 2022
I got back home to New York last night and saw the ceremony on my DVR and didn’t have the stomach to watch it. I probably never will. Thank you, Chris - You absolute fucking dick.
— joseph monish patel (@jazzbeezy) March 31, 2022
Also it goes without saying I speak for me and me alone. Not Ahmir and not our coproducers.
— joseph monish patel (@jazzbeezy) March 31, 2022
Ok, so this blew up. Couple of things I’ll clarify: don’t feel sorry for me! These are all 1st world problems. I’m still high off winning an Oscar! The ceremony itself feels tarnished to me but not the award, the achievement, the film, the story of the Harlem Cultural Festival.
— joseph monish patel (@jazzbeezy) March 31, 2022
I also don’t think for a second that Joseph, or the 3 other filmmakers, would have even considered slapping Chris Rock’s face.
— Make Texas Blue (@paulrjeffrey) March 31, 2022
Keeping in mind that Chris Rock’s joke about them was incredibly more disrespectful than the GI Jane dud.
This was their moment, stolen from them.
That's the POINT. Chris Rock's behaviour is using people as tools for his jokes. Dragging out insecurities. It's classroom bullying on a global stage, and as someone who went through that a LOT, I remember praying someone would have the courage or even compassion to defend me.
— Shane357 (@Shane3574) March 31, 2022
Patel also clarified in the tweets that he understands comedians make jokes but “not in that moment. What a shitty, disrespectful thing to do. AND HERE’S THE THING…It wasn’t that Chris Rock was under stress. He made the same joke the night before on stage at the Roots Jam! So I’m angry. Angry at Will Smith. Angry at Chris Rock. Angry for me. Angry for Ahmir. Angry for my fellow filmmakers. I got back home to New York last night and saw the ceremony on my DVR and didn’t have the stomach to watch it. I probably never will. Thank you, Chris - You absolute f**king d**k.”
Concluding his tweets, he added: “Also it goes without saying I speak for me and me alone. Not Ahmir and not our coproducers. The ceremony itself feels tarnished to me but not the award, the achievement, the film, the story of the Harlem Cultural Festival.”