THE onstage incident between American comedian Chris Rock and eventual best actor winner Will Smith at Sunday’s Academy Awards continues to dominate headlines and discussions.

For some persons, the Chris Rock joke regarding Smith’s wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith, was inappropriate given that her shaved head is as a result of the medical condition, alopecia, which results in hair loss, while others argue that the comedian is known for making jokes of that nature at the events and, therefore, it was nothing personal but all in the name of comedy.

Local actor and comedian Owen “Blakka” Ellis has weighed in on the discussions and while he declined to say whether or not Chris Rock’s joke was appropriate, he said directing jokes at his audience is a “no-no” for him.

“I’m not here to make any pronouncement on the appropriateness of anyone’s content — to each his own. It is, however, not something that I do personally. Instead, I make fun of me. I utilise that form of self-depreciating humour so I don’t offend my audience. The last thing I want to do as a stand-up comedian is make my audience, who have paid to enjoy themselves, cringe. Yes, I am a comedian, but I am also human, a man, a father and a Christian, so the personal must at some time affect the professional,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Ellis also noted that, as a writer, he has had a number of disagreements with his fellow thespians and actors regarding the appropriateness of some of the material he has been asked to produce.

“Some things are simply not funny so I refuse to find humour in certain topics. Topics such as rape and slavery are never funny, but to each his own. My aim is to make people laugh and the truth is, not all the time people are laughing because they are happy. Sometimes they laugh because they are embarrassed, or shocked. I fully understand and accept the ability that comedy has to break the ice and be that great vehicle for change and lighten the load, but it also has the ability to ostracise, which I doubt any performer wants,” said Ellis.

“I encourage students and young actors to always consider context, subtext and pretext in preparing and presenting material — not because it is comedy. It is still powerful and damaging so it is best you stay away from it. Just look at the material by our own Chris ‘Johnny ‘ Daley. It’s all about growing up on TV and his life in general. I am usually talking about growing up with my auntie and the stutter and the lisp,” he continued.

Chris Rock was on stage to present the award for Best Documentary when, in his usual fashion, he began taking shots at the audience. The comedian noted that Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, would be great in GI Jane 2, hinting at a sequel to the 1997 film starring Demi Moore in which she shaved her head when she became a member of an elite army regiment.

This clearly angered Smith who stormed onto the stage at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles and slapped Chris Rock in the face. It is being speculated that the Smiths saw the joke as being inappropriate considering that Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia. Smith would go on to win the Oscar for Best Actor in a Lead Role for his portrayal of Richard Williams, the father of tennis greats Venus and Serena Williams in the film King Richard.

“If there is one thing I’d like to applaud Chris Rock for [it would be] carrying on and being professional after being hit. It is clear that he was shocked but carried on,” Ellis noted.