Shock jock Howard Stern decided that he would continue to make his money by attempting to punch out the shine of Will Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. In a recent segment of his radio show, Stern went out of his way to throw some pretty nasty jokes at the Smith family, focusing primarily on their recent interview with Oprah Winfrey. Apparently, the Smith family financial success is too much for Howard, as he worked hard to make the family into a joke.
Stern focused on Jada's admission that she and Will have a "marriage business plan" and seemed to argue that the Smiths pretend to have a perfect marriage and family. He even accused Oprah of "kissing their asses," and agreeing with everything they say.
The most interesting attack on the Smith family by Stern was issued when Will described his relationship with Jada by saying, "I do what she say." Stern accused Smith of trying to sound ignorant in order to relate to a hip-hop audience. Of course, Stern's sidekick, Robin, co-signed on everything he said. That seems to be her only job, and she does it quite well.
With regard to Howard Stern's attack on Jada Pinkett Smith and her husband, I am not sure if it was called for. The Smith family is one of the most beloved families in the African American community, serving as symbols of hope and prosperity for a community that is dying to see a healthy black family in action. Our airwaves are riddled with stories of women like Keyshia Cole, who have family members fighting drug addictions, or Chili from TLC, the beautiful single black woman who swears she can't even find a good boyfriend.
Most African Americans, in my opinion, are fully aware of the fact that the Smiths are likely not as perfect as they appear to be. Rumors of infidelity fly across the Internet, and I can only imagine that neither Will nor Jada is always the perfect spouse. But they are the second tier of Barack and Michelle Obama, which is why people love them so much.
Stern is correct to remind us that Oprah Winfrey, a woman who has never raised children of her own, might not be the best person to approve another couple's child-rearing. But for some reason, the world listens to Oprah and admires her more than nearly any other celebrity on the planet. Also, unlike Stern, Winfrey succeeds with positive energy instead of negative; you don't see her attacking others on her show, and she doesn't even respond to critics.
It may be our fault for putting Winfrey and the Smiths on pedestals, but the truth is that they are our great American heroes, and Howard Stern won't get brownie points from anyone by attacking such a cherished couple -- especially for being prosperous and handling their business.
Yes, Howard, we know much of the Smiths' Hollywood image isn't real; thanks for pointing out the obvious.
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