10 Truths about Will Smith's Resignation

Everyone loses as The Slapper lands a sharp blow to a dithering Academy

LIKE ROYALTY: Slapper Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith greeted with fanfare at the Vanity Fair Oscar party. (Stefanie Keenan/VF22/WireImage for Vanity Fair)

1. Will Smith is a goddamn genius

Or his publicist is.

All the while the Academy dithers and takes three weeks to "investigate," and consider appropropriate response, check with lawyers no doubt, comb the by-laws to see what guidance it gives for an act of violence by one member against another during the ceremony, consider precedents, take the temperature of the membership, etc. etc. Perhaps even appoint a blue-ribbon panel whydoncha!

While they are busy doing all that important investigatory work, Will Smith steps up and says — investigate me?! I'm outta here!

The Academy had one chance to redeem itself — by acting clearly and decisively in response to this. Making up for what they failed to do on the night with some fuzzy repercussions later.

Of course they were never going to do that.

And now that rug has been pulled out from under them. Will Smith has slapped the Academy's face once again.

2. But of course, this completely misses the point