---
title: "TrendSegments: What Does the Hand Say to the Face?"
description: Three-fourths of Americans believe Will Smith was wrong to slap Chris Rock after Rock told a joke about Smith's wife at the 2022 Oscars.
image: https://gradientmetrics.createsend1.com/ei/t/80/C92/79F/csimport/2022-04_slap_plot_newsletter.080333.png
---

![](https://gradientmetrics.createsend1.com/ei/t/80/C92/79F/csimport/2022-04_slap_plot_newsletter.080333.png)

[Jordan Boeder](https://www.gradientmetrics.com/trendlines/author/jordan-boeder)2022/04/06< 1 min read

# TrendSegments: What Does the Hand Say to the Face?

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There are three things we do not talk about at Gradient: Bruno, Fight Club, and above all else, Jada Pinkett Smith. In this special edition of ***Trendlines***, we break our silence on Will Smith’s wife.

 

The most important question about “The Slap” is whether Chris Rock deserved it for his *G.I. Jane* joke directed at Jada Pinkett Smith, who suffers ([unless you ask Bill Maher](https://email.gradientmetrics.com/t/t-i-qjjjhe-l-b/)) from alopecia. Unlike the Academy, we asked Americans their opinion. **Three-fourths of Americans believe Will Smith was wrong to slap Chris Rock**.

 

Although 61% of Americans feel Chris Rock’s joke went too far, 63% believe that Will Smith should face consequences from the Academy for his actions. And while we did not measure it directly, it’s safe to assume that 100% of Americans would not mind a *G.I. Jane* sequel.

 

![](https://gradientmetrics.createsend1.com/ei/t/80/C92/79F/csimport/2022-04_slap_plot_newsletter.080333.png)

![avatar](https://www.gradientmetrics.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Landing%20Page/team_photos/jordan_grey.png?width=290&name=jordan_grey.png)

[Jordan Boeder

](https://www.gradientmetrics.com/trendlines/author/jordan-boeder)Jordan received his master’s degree and Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Claremont Graduate University. After receiving his Ph.D., he worked as a Post-Doctoral researcher at the University of Zurich where he honed his skills in Bayesian data analysis. Jordan uses his years of teaching experience to help distill complex research findings into simple insights.

[mailto:jordan@gradientmetrics.com](mailto:jordan@gradientmetrics.com)

## RELATED ARTICLES

<https://www.gradientmetrics.com/trendlines/what-does-the-hand-say-to-the-face#>

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