Our name is about honesty. The Monitor is owned by The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and we鈥檝e always been transparent about that.
The church publishes the Monitor because it sees good journalism as vital to progress in the world. Since 1908, we鈥檝e aimed 鈥渢o injure no man, but to bless all mankind,鈥� as our founder, Mary Baker Eddy, put it.
Here, you鈥檒l find award-winning journalism not driven by commercial influences 鈥� a news organization that takes seriously its mission to uplift the world by seeking solutions and finding reasons for credible hope.
Explore values journalism About us
Stephen Humphries
Last night鈥檚 Academy Awards were, as we say in the news business, 鈥渁 talker.鈥� It should have been an evening centered on the academy鈥檚 efforts to represent minorities after previous ceremonies were labeled #OscarsSoWhite. Notable winners included the first deaf best supporting actor, best picture 鈥淐ODA,鈥� a breakout Latina star, and Will Smith, finally winning best actor.
But before he claimed his statue, Mr. Smith leaped on stage and assaulted presenter Chris Rock. 鈥淭he slap heard around the world鈥� was over a joke made at the expense of Mr. Smith鈥檚 wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who has been diagnosed with alopecia. On Monday, the academy condemned Mr. Smith鈥檚 actions and launched an investigation.
During the Monitor鈥檚 daily editorial meeting, we tried to make sense of it all. Was this another example of how pandemic isolation has eroded civility in public venues such as restaurants, aircraft cabins, and even legislative chambers?
One editor remarked on the tenor of the humor, which didn鈥檛 even spare Dame Judi Dench. Even before Mr. Rock took to the stage, another host had joked about the Smiths鈥� marriage.聽
鈥淚n this business, you鈥檝e got to be able to have people disrespecting you, and you鈥檝e got to smile and pretend like that鈥檚 OK,鈥� a tearful Mr. Smith said during his acceptance speech, which vacillated between self-righteousness and apology 鈥� but not to Mr. Rock.
One staff member wondered whether Mr. Smith鈥檚 actions were rooted in a so-called culture of honor. Or was it just plain old toxic masculinity?聽Others thought Ms. Pinkett Smith should have been given the opportunity to speak on her own behalf. (Still another commented that he was surprised by Mr. Rock picking on a woman of color over hair loss, because he produced a moving .)
Perhaps it鈥檚 unwise to try to extrapolate greater meaning from one incident. What鈥檚 not in dispute: Mr. Smith鈥檚 uncontrolled anger tainted a celebratory ceremony.聽
Thankfully, Jessica Chastain uplifted the shaken audience. After winning best actress for 鈥淭he Eyes of Tammy Faye,鈥� her speech embraced the LGBTQ community and innocent victims of war. Her words about a model of personal conduct also seemed suited to the immediate circumstances.
鈥淚 think of Tammy and I鈥檓 inspired by her radical acts of love,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 see it as a guiding principle that leads us forward, and it connects us all in the desire that we want to be accepted for who we are, accepted for who we love, and to live a life without the fear of violence.鈥�
