15 Iconic Slap Memes Predating Will Smith's Exchange With Chris Rock

In case you've been able to dodge what's all over the news and television today, at The Academy Awards, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock. He did so because of a bad joke from Chris Rock about Jada Pinkett Smith's alopecia, but even this isn't a good explanation to warrant slapping someone, let alone doing it on live TV at the biggest awards ceremony of the year. And now that Will Smith has essentially destroyed his reputation in a single moment, we have a bunch of memes about it circulating online, and they keep getting better, especially as a bunch of nonsensical debates have started up over who was really in the wrong here (the answer should be obvious, though: both of them, but mostly Will Smith). But slapping memes have always been a big part of online humor, and they're rarely referencing actual violence. Take a look at some of our favorite slapping memes, trends and formats from over the years that are now competing with the slapping legacy of Will Smith.

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