Trevor Noah Opens Grammys With Cheeky Nod to the Slap: ‘Gonna Be Keeping People’s Names Out of Our Mouths’
Then, presenter Questlove joked that he hoped the crowd would stay “500 feet away from me” as he doled out the statuette.
Rich Fury/Getty
On Sunday night, the 64th annual Grammy Awards were broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. During the pre-show portion, national treasure LeVar Burton cautioned attendees to “remain in your seats and keep your hands to yourselves”—a clear nod to Will Smith’s slap of Chris Rock seen ’round the world. Then, proving once again that so-called “cancel culture” is nothing more than an accountability myth, admitted (and seemingly unrepentant) serial sexual harasser Louis C.K. took home the Grammy for Best Comedy Album.
One day after Saturday Night Live aired a number of bits taking on the slap, from a Chris Redd-as-Will Smith sketch recreating the surreal episode to “Weekend Update” co-anchor Michael Che’s barbs aimed at Jada Pinkett Smith, those watching were curious how Grammys host Trevor Noah would address the incident.
Well, he did—sort of.
“It is gonna be such a beautiful evening,” Noah enthusiastically announced to the crowd. “Don’t even think of it as an awards show. This is a concert where we’re giving out awards, all right?”
He continued: “We’re gonna be listening to some music, we’re gonna be dancing, we’re gonna be singing, we’re gonna be keeping people’s names out of our mouths, and we’re gonna be giving out awards all throughout the night.”
Shortly thereafter, Questlove—whose Best Documentary Oscar Chris Rock was presenting when he absorbed the aforementioned slap—took the stage to present the Grammy for Song of the Year, cracking, “All right, I’m gonna present this award and I trust that you people will stay 500 feet away from me… just playin’.”
The award, meanwhile, went to Silk Sonic for “Leave the Door Open.”
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