NEWS: Seriously, Why Do You Like Will Smith?

CELEB: Seriously, Why Do You Like Will Smith?

I'm really asking. And I'd love nothing more than for you to reply with a detailed list of reasons that shows me exactly what I've been missing.

Obviously, I'm not a fan. But, I'd be happy to put all that aside, for some hard answers. I'll put away my feelings toward his manufactured street-vibe, the bland on-screen energy, the piss poor rap for nine-year-olds. I'm happy to forget all of that, for some answers, some closure and dare I say it, some understanding...

The idea that this humongous gulf separates me (and a few others) and the rest of the planet, has become far too unsettling to manage. How can we be so different? Are we not both flesh and bone? Do we not bleed when stuck and laugh when 30 Rocked? I understand hatred, selfishness, murder, even... but not this.

I've got to know. Why do you welcome his middle-of-the-roadness with open arms? Why do you line his pockets for the chance to witness his "fast-talking" hilarity? Am I asking too much? Being too picky? I mean, we've seen examples of funny people. People who can act, and act well. It can be done, there's countless movies that prove it. Why isn't he also expected to do these things?

Logistically, the idea that he has something to blackmail every single person on Earth with, sounds ridiculous. I'm begining to wonder if I'm wrong. Did Will discover that we were all descended from slugs? Is that the secret he swore to keep, in exchange for a career saying, "Oh, hell no."

This isn't me being a sarcastic dick. I mean, sure, that's part of it. But beyond that, I'd like this to be different than the usual "me mocking something, some of you agreeing and some of you attacking back" thing. At the end of this, I'd either like you to see the error of your ways, or, I'd like to be convinced.

I'll even do my best to get you started. I can't think of more than a few half-baked reasons, not even enough for a proper list, but here's what I got.

- He's tall and good looking. Is that it? I'll concede those two points, but, doesn't it take more? I mean nobody's lining up to see any Ted McGinley movies. (Yeah, I know. Apparently I'm also in need of examples of tall, good looking people.)

- People enjoy the slick, wise-cracking black guy character. That's true, but, aren't there plenty of actual black guys available? It's not like they haven't invented Chris Tucker yet. Or Method Man. Or, the self-described "cocky black chaeffuer from Die Hard. That guy was awesome, and I'd lay down at least fifty bucks that says anything Smith can do, that guy could do just as well. And that includes his Ali impression.

- People have a misguided, nostalgia-based fondness for his crappy sitcom. This group is a few hundred people at best, not enough to account for his worldwide dominance.

- Most people are dumb and ask very little of their entertainment. And they like people who smile at them. Hmmm. That's impossible, right?

That's all I could come up with. Tell me I'm wrong. Show me I'm wrong. I'm begging you. Explain this sadistic hold he has over you... or send him away.

Soon he will have ruined one of my favorite books, I Am Legend. It's a matter of days now, and there's nothing we can do to stop it, this time... I'm asking you now, where does it end? When do we say enough?




TheCoolerKing is also wondering why they seem to have taken all the vampires out of "I Am Legend" and replaced them with the monsters from "28 Days Later."

Heh. I read the synopsis for I Am Legend and was very intrigued. Then I read he was in it. Ugh. I kind of like Men in Black, but I'm sure it'd have been more enjoyable without him. I'm only mentioning this because I can't think of anything else I've seen him in that I liked (well, Independance Day is fun to watch and laugh at). I don't find the person he plays very interesting, and he always plays that same person.

he's the 2nd best rapper of all time...a distant, DISTANT 2nd place to Ski-lo!

I'm with you CoolerKing, I don't get it at all. :/

Because I was born and raised in Philadelphia!

Everyone from Philly loves Will Smith. Duh.

Was the playground where you spent most of your days?

i love him. he lives here now

I don't ever feel the need to over-analyze why someone is or isn't a celebrity.

I gave up trying to figure that out when Paris Hilton rose to the........well....whatever the fuck celeb status she got to.

Society are strange.

It's Skee-Lo, get it straight, money.

Wow, I guess that I was just so happy that he was both a mainstream comedic black actor, and not completely annoying with his stage presence that I was blind to the fact that he was mediocre... Really I mean, he falls somewhere between Denzel Washington and Chris Tucker which is a hard niche to fill, if not completely unnecessary now that I think about it.

Ok, no, seriously here we go...
1. In "Jersey Girl" he plagues Ben Affleck's character's existance through the whole movie...
2. I too have an over whelming distaste for robots who don't save children...
3.

I stopped, I'm sorry, it's just that I realized that all the things I like about him are actually his characters.... not him... and probably could have been portrayed by someone else just as well... better really.

Ok, you win... I have no idea why I like Will Smith.

"...chilling out maxin, relaxing all cool..."

I dunno, maybe I'm the minority, but I actually like him a lot. His rap was never all that great, but he did help bring rap into mainsream acceptance. Now whether that was good or bad, taht's up to you.

I dothink he has had some great acting moves though too. Hitch and The Legend of Bagger Vance were both well played by him. Bad Boys was good as well. I can't say he's irreplaceable, but he certainly held his own.

I like him cause he's pretty down to earth too. I've met him a few times, when he was much more in the spotlight, and he was absolutely as far from "typical celebrity" as you can get. And that goes a long way to me.

Lastly, well, I think he's funny. Do I think he's the only funny black actor/rapper we have? Oh, hell no. Ludacris instantly comes to mind as being vastly more talented, as does Ice Cube.

Anyway, I think he has a lot more reason to be as popular as he is then David Hasselhoff. How the heck did he get so huge? It boggles my mind, and I own the Knight Rider DVD's.

*Running to lurk in the darkness after revealing that last bit. But hey, at least I don't own the Baywatch DVD's)

Summertime is still one of the best kick back songs of all time man. He forever has cred in my book for such a relaxed nostalgia inducing song. plus nobody can kill aliens and make a choreographed dance to it quite like him.

eh i spell my birth name wrong all the time

I like him because he's Sidney Poitier's son.

i love him too since the fresh prince, he was funny and a rebel and he can rap
on the first men in black i loved the song and how he danced, really loved it...i just remember parts of the video
and since persuit of happines i love his son as well

a friend of mine has a serious crush on him

Whenever I was chillin out, or relaxing... or shooting b-ball....

I never met him, but I always found him to be a very charismatic, all-around genuinely good guy. He doesn't seem to have a big head about any of his success.

His rap sucks. Big time. But I always liked Fresh Prince. I think Will Smith is funny. Sure, he's not the only funny black comedian. I know this is going to make me sound totally prude, but there is something about comedians like Chris Tucker that I find extremely vulgar and it's nice to hear comedy without the work "fuck" interjecting every other word.

my argument ties into this one...i've always thought will smith was a tremendous actor who just got trapped in "Hollywood". I site Six Degrees of Seperation as my case. He was amazing in that role and deserved many more alcolades then he received. For a young black actor to take on a role where he plays a homosexual was such a risk in the early 90's that it could have wreaked havoc on the rest of his career. But then Hollywood found out that he could make them a buck or two and he was thrust into the machine. I wish you would have asked this question about Ben Affleck, because man, as much as i love Kevin Smith, i don't get the appeal to that guy at all...


:post script: i however, in no way endorse the path his "musical" careet took in the late 90's

Ok albeit it was recent and not an explanation for his fame but come on; the Pursuit of Happyness. If you haven't seen it you should,a more than decent film and based on a true story. Smith shows his talent both in acting and breeding decent child actors,

I'm sorry, have you listened to "Summertime"?

i haven't liked his music since "Parents Just Don't Understand", but i really love Will Smith. I love his personality in interviews, i think he's 1/2 of one of Hollywood's most beautiful couples, and i think his family is stunning. I also happen to think that he's a great actor even though he doesn't always choose the best roles. He just seems like a guy with a good heart. There's no way I couldn't like that.

He's one of those people that is just easy to watch. He's got loads of charisma and I honestly find him funny.

I also own season one of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and know all the words to Boom! Shake the Room.

He seems like a nice guy. He's kinda like George Clooney in that regard (minus, you know, the ability to play in good movies.)

i have to say this is one of the best things i've read here. i sometimes wonder myself why people are so drawn in by him. i have to say that i'm one of the 100 or so people that hold a certain fondness to the fresh prince, and his performance in indenpendance day was pretty good (helped a lot by jeff goldblum).....but the real reason i still tolerate him, and don't think too much about why is this right here.....



i think it's ability to laugh at himself, and his crazy wild success. i don't know....but that song always makes me smile. so if that lines his pockets with cash.....it's partly my fault

He was sort of cute in Hitch...I guess...It made me smile at least, but I have a soft spot for stupid romantic comedies.