Now, whether Rock was even aware of her medical condition, I honestly don't know. If he was, then shame on him for that boorish and tasteless remark. But if he wasn't, then it was a fast quip from a quit wit about a woman's buzzcut which he otherwise thought benign and didn't realize would be taken as offensive by his quarry.

Many of the great stand-up comedians have made their way by pushing boundaries and living on the edge. And quite frankly, we like our comedians to be edgy, so long as someone else is their primary target. But when we find ourselves sited in their crosshairs, I imagine that it's probably not uncommon for many of us to suddenly see that comic become Laurence Olivier in "The Marathon Man." When Chris Rock cracked wise about looking forward to seeing Jada Pinkett Smith in "G.I. Jane 2," the only thing the Smiths heard was "Is it safe?"

If Ms. Pinkett Smith had a problem with the "G.I. Jane 2" quip, which she clearly did, then she and her husband could have spoken with Chris Rock afterward and resolved it like adults. Or, Will Smith could have called out the comedian publicly during his then-prospective acceptance speech, since he was widely presumed to be the front-runner and heavy betting favorite for Best Actor.

My point is this: The Smiths clearly had several socially acceptable options regarding how to proceed in their handling of the perceived offense. Instead, he intemperately (and rather foolishly) chose to resort to violence, while she did nothing to dissuade her husband from channeling his angry inner 10-year-old who impetuously decides to punch the kid with the big mouth during school recess.

Chris Rock made a (perhaps insensitive) joke at Jada Pinkett Smith's expense. Comedians roast other celebrities all the time at these events. It was nothing out of the ordinary, and sometimes the jokes really fall flat. But when performers are onstage doing their shtick, that's rightly presumed to be a safe zone physically.

I would note here that earlier in the evening, Will Smith said and did nothing when one of the co-hosts (who were all comedians) offered a passing reference about the couple's often well-publicized marital issues. Unfair, perhaps, but that's life under the public microscope in Hollywood's petri dish, where they've chosen to reside.

But when Chris Rock did the same to his wife, Will Smith clicked on bar fight mode, a decision rooted in his own toxic masculinity. There will likely be significant consequences for it, which may include his suspension or even expulsion from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and maybe even the loss of future projects should others now (understandably) refuse to work with him.