The controversial slap that Will Smith landed on the face of Chris Rock during the 2022 Oscars has taken the internet by the storm.
Although the US actor already apologized for his unprofessional behavior during the ceremony, many people managed to find a new angle on this scandal.
Recently, an 8K image that shows a close-up view of Rock's face has left some questions for some people. The controversy could stir a conspiracy theory wherein the comedian preemptively wore a cheek pad before the incident took place.
Did Chris Rock Really Wear a Cheek Pad When He Was Slapped?
US actor Will Smith (R) slaps US actor Chris Rock onstage during the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 27, 2022.
In front of the camera, many individuals could not distinguish the real drama from the fake ones. For instance, when Rock joked about Jada Pinkett Smith, Will's wife, some were not convinced that it was just a piece of a show.
According to some people, it was only scripted and there was a "theory" to back this allegation. A viral photo of Rock donning a cushioned pad on his cheek has caught a lot of attention among the netizens.
As Slash Gear discovered through a tweet from @viralclipsss, the comedian was allegedly seen to be wearing a visible pad that you might not notice at first look.
To closely see it, the original poster uploaded an image of Rock "8K quality." Before Smith slaps Chris, the latter was already prepared for the worst to come on the stage.
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Is This a Work of Photoshop or AI?
Although it's pretty convincing at first glance, you should always first weigh the opinion of other people, especially those who are professionals in the field of photography.
Some photographers who have captured the shots that night shared their own photos captured during this issue. In a report from Gizmodo, AFP's Robyn Beck snapped the famous altercation between Smith and Rock. In the photo, the comedian was seen to have no protective pad on his cheek.
In another example like in the case of Associated Press, the photo of a smiling Rock was cropped so you can properly see the details. However, there's no cheek pad or any cushioned stuff on his face.
Perhaps, the conspiracy theorists are already laughing in the corner while the critics are confused about Rock's photo. Somehow, it's believable especially if the user has no idea how Photoshop or AI works.
For sure, there's a possibility that artificial intelligence is used to enhance the photo to make it more realistic. It's easy to alter or add some details on the face because some AI-based apps are already accessible on a smartphone.
For instance, you can now use Remini on your iPhone so you can "scale up" a photo that you want to develop. However, for the trained eyes, it's too easy to detect if this is fake or not.
Although AI can completely give you a different look at the subject, some changes might be imperfect and inaccurate.
On the other hand, there might be someone who could have "photoshopped" the image so it could go viral like any other fake photo. This creative editing software can give a subject a new make-up for a huge change and overall aesthetics.
Not Everything You See On the Internet is True
However, some people want to produce fake results in hopes of deceiving many people. The danger of this enhancing software lies here: believing that everything you see on the internet is true.
Whether Chris Rock's photo is altered by AI or photoshopped, it's always important to check other sites which posted the image. You might be surprised that you're a victim of misinformation and you should avoid falling into this trap at all costs.
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This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Joseph Henry
