Alopecia awareness was created

But what I’m actually thrilled about is that the two-minute slap episode brought the focus, this awards night, on more pertinent issues than who acted better than whom and in which film. 

One is the tasteless jokes in the name of ‘stand-up comedy’! How far can they go and how many lines can be crossed for a few laughs? I do not, however plan to dwell much on this since it is a debatable topic – just as one man’s food can be another’s poison, one man’s laughter can be his wife’s trauma. Oh yes, we all saw the man laugh with everyone else before he walked on stage and deliver the face smack. It’s on record. I mean, that video is, like, everywhere!

And while I, like any other good citizen, completely condemn resorting to violence to prove a point, it’s a fact that this time it has. If Will Smith had not given that upper cut, or was it the right hook, across Chris Rock’s surprised cheek, if he had registered his disapproval in more peaceful means like a mention in his speech or a tweet later, I doubt it would have garnered as much attention. Not the slap, but the reason for it. 

Because, let’s face it guys, before this, how many of you even knew that the condition under the radar is a disease, let alone its name? 

I’m betting, after the Oscar night, Alopecia – extreme to complete hair loss, without a cure, is the most googled and discussed term. And the condition is not even rare. 

Several women before Ms Smith have been suffering in silence. And it’s not just loss of hair, you see, it’s the accompanying loss of confidence and self esteem too. Most of the women hide this condition by donning wigs.

And if you thought only the women-folk go through it, take a look around you. 

How many men with receding hair lines and clean-shaven heads do you see? And how many have been the butt of seemingly innocuous jokes from all of us? 

You think they went the bald way for time pass or a change of scene? For the rest of us it’s just plain ‘bald’, but the men are suffering from a disease too and it’s called androgenic alopecia. And they go through the same stages of despair, insecurity, embarrassment and withdrawal, as the women. 

At least in recent times, the men and women have had feature films to take up their cause - “Wig’d out” , “Emma” , “I could be great” etc all presented in a sensitive and humorous way. 

And that’s why I say, whether Will Smith’s ‘slap on the face’ was intentional or unintentional, whether it was instinctive or a piece of acting (he did win an Oscar for Best actor later) whether he did it for the love of his wife or for her anger (remember initially, he laughed too) whether he ought not to have done it, etc, etc …, the one thing that is beyond doubt is that he brought Alopecia out from beneath its covers and created an awareness. That’s a start, at least! 

Phillip Kimumwe, [email protected]