Amy Schumer says Will Smith's Oscars slap was the result of toxic masculinity

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By Carina Murphy

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Amy Schumer has given her take on Will Smith's Oscar scandal - again.

Last weekend, Smith shocked the world when, midway through the 94th Academy Awards ceremony, he stormed on stage and slapped Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife.

The moment was broadcast live around the globe. Unsurprisingly, it wasn't long before it became the most talked about event of the Oscars, with all manner of celebs weighing in on the debate and announcing whether they were 'Team Smith' or 'Team Rock'.

Comedian and writer Schumer already gave an initial reaction to the slap in a since-deleted Instagram post. In the caption, she expressed her support for her "friend" Rock, adding that she was "triggered and traumatized" by Smith's violent outburst.

In a sold-out stand-up show at Las Vegas' Mirage Theatre this Saturday (April 2), Schumer returned to the controversy, calling it a "f***ing bummer" and adding that for her it "says so much about toxic masculinity".

According to The Hollywood Reporter, she began by explaining that she was still processing the event, saying: "I don’t even know what to say about the Oscars, like I really don’t know what to say, I have no jokes about it."

She went on to refer to Smith's 2001 role as Muhammed Ali, saying: "I was kind of feeling myself...and then all of a sudden Ali was making his way up.

"And it was just a f***ing bummer. All I can say is that it was really sad, and I think it says so much about toxic masculinity," Schumer added.

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Credit: REUTERS / Alamy

The comedian then reeled off some of the gags she wasn't allowed to say at the Oscars as a way to "comfort ourselves". In one joke, she riffed on the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was killed on set when a prop gun was accidentally discharged by Alec Baldwin.

"Don’t Look Up is the name of a movie, more like don’t look down the barrel of Alec Baldwin’s shotgun," Schumer joked, adding: "I wasn’t allowed to say any of that but you can just come up and [clock] someone."

In the wake of his controversial outburst, Smith has resigned from the Academy and publically apologized for his actions which he called "shocking, painful, and inexcusable," per Deadline.

Featured Image Credit: lev radin / Alamy