The 2022 Oscars saw Will Smith slapping Chris Rock in front of millions of live viewers. After the incident, social media was abuzz with theories that the event was staged.

Many argued about the specifics of the altercation and the participants, with some stunned by the possibility that it wasn’t staged, while others were critical of the situation.

This reaction is reflective of the current state of America, where people are constantly skeptical of what is real and what is not, especially in a world where special effects are advanced, reality TV is popular, and misinformation is widespread.

This skepticism is not surprising, given that we live in a world where even the most mundane things, like the distress in clothing, are fabricated to appear authentic.

As cultural critic Neal Gabler writes in his book “Life: The Movie,” “Life has become art, so that the two are now indistinguishable from each other.”

This blurring of the line between reality and fiction has been happening for decades and is evident in the popularity of mockumentary-style shows like “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation.”

The upcoming Nicolas Cage movie “Nicolas Cage” further emphasizes this blur.

This blurring of the line between reality and performance raises questions about where an actor’s performance ends and their real life begins.

This is what caused confusion during the Oscars, with people unsure if Will Smith and Chris Rock’s altercation was scripted or a genuine display of anger and violence.

There were those who frame-grabbed in an attempt to prove that the incident was staged, while others provided counterarguments using the same evidence.

According to Marty Kaplan, Director of the Norman Lear Center, we have become so used to things being scripted that we are not always able to distinguish reality from fiction.

However, the Oscars incident was different, and as Kaplan says, “It was like a rent in the fabric of reality.”

Awards shows have always been a unique beast in the entertainment world, where stars appear under their own names but still perform for the cameras.

Awards shows are not entirely documentary, nor are they completely mockumentary.

Instead, they are a blend of their own myths and realities, a high-end variety show that follows a certain organization and protocol.

However, this changed during the 2022 Oscars, breaking away from the usual script and creating a sense of unpredictability.