Will Smith got in a spot of trouble for some stuff he said about Hitler the other day. Here is the exact quote:
Even Hitler didn't wake up going, "Let me do the most evil thing I can do today." I think he woke up in the morning and using a twisted, backwards logic, he set out to do what he thought was "good."
Various groups attacked Smith for, in their eyes, praising Hitler. The actor then issued a clarification, which read in part:
Adolf Hitler was a vile, heinous, vicious killer responsible for one of the greatest acts of evil committed on this planet.
Glad you cleared that up for us Will. Cause we were all starting to think maybe Hitler was just misunderstood.
Okay, I'll be serious for a minute - I don't think what Smith originally said was worthy of the headlines it got. It was just another case of a celebrity not thinking before speaking. The problem for Smith is, even if you think you have a point - which he may or may not have - you sort of need to stop and ask yourself if what you want to say is worth the backlash that could come. It's fine to think you're right, or semi-right, or have a point that's worth bringing into the discussion - but will saying the thing give certain people ammo to use against you, and do you really need the aggravation?
What did Smith think he had to gain by saying what he said in the first place? Did he think people were going to go, "Wow, that Will Smith is quite a philosopher. And here I thought he was just another Hollywood doofus. Goes to show, you never can tell..." If it was Will's intention to prove his smarts, then it backfired on him, cause all he proved was that he's not smart enough to smell trouble.
The good thing for Will is that his image is mostly a positive one and people will give him a pass. Such is not the case for Maggie Gyllenhaal, who did about the same thing as Will when she made her infamous comments about America deserving 9/11. People think she's a bitch anyway, so they'll continue bludgeoning her with that one for the rest of her natural life. And frankly she deserves it, the butt-ugly cow.
