Two experts speaking exclusively to Nicki Swift have differing views on Jada Pinkett Smith’s post-Oscars slap statement. Marketing maestro Austin iuliano believes the response gave Pinkett Smith a platform to “[put] the blame on Will and Chris,” and was an attempt to shift focus away from the controversies surrounding her marriage. “In my experience as a marketer, this feels like a spin.” However, body language expert and author of “A.W.E.S.O.M.E.” Jess Ponce III sees things differently. “She was serious, but not emotional. She was clear, but not judgmental.” Ponce was quick to point out that there was no denying the scripted statement was “on her terms.” However, per an analysis of Pinkett Smith’s body language cues, the expert believes that was genuine. “Her words and her body were in alignment.”
One thing both Ponce and iuliano can agree on, though, is that the real intrigue lies in what the actor didn’t say. “What is most interesting about this segment isn’t what is said but what is not said,” shared iuliano. Ponce echoed that, noting, “She did not comment on the act itself, the intent, nor its aftermath.”
While iuliano muses that this was a way to distance herself from the scandal, Ponce is of the mind that it might’ve been a way for the “Red Table Talk” host to set the stage for a future episode. “Is she setting up a future conversation? … The missing conversation is what most people are trying to read.” Hopefully, at some point, we’ll gain some real clarity.
Nicki
