Holy cow, what is the world coming to?

That’s my question nearly every week, but recently there have been events and comments that continue to amaze me – such as the slap heard around the world.

Here are my two cents: For many years the Oscar ceremony has been hosted by comics who frequently make fun of people in the audience. It has been a staple.

Look at the Golden Globes as well. Insult comedy, often pointed, has been the hallmark.

The good-natured jabs at the rich and famous is a great device to imply the film industry is one big club where everyone knows and likes everyone else. We only roast the ones we love, right?

What Chris Rock said was in line with the content standards of past Oscar ceremonies.

Was it a good joke? No, it was lame; referencing a Demi Moore film of many years ago and somehow linking it to Jada Pinkett Smith because of her hair style. That’s just stupid.

There are now reports that Rock has been targeting her in his stand up for years, which adds unfortunate nuance to the incident.

The bottom line is the kind of comedy Rock employed is nothing new for the Oscars.

The ceremony struggles between being entertaining and being a solemn celebration of art. Some years a balance is maintained. Some years it is not. I didn’t watch the whole spectacle. I left at about 9:30 p.m. It wasn’t compelling enough to me to waste any sleep.

Was Will Smith right in getting up and slapping Rock and then dropping the f-bomb from his seat? Nope. He should have just let the moment pass and confront Rock after the show. Smith was as stupid as Rock.

Smith’s remarks when he won were also ill-advised. Just apologize and then move on to thanking everyone involved with his film and performance.

Now there is talk about the Academy revoking the Oscar from Smith. That too, in my book, is stupid. Such an action simply prolongs this unfortunate narrative.

Let these two guys work it out off-stage. The Academy should go along with its business and leave Smith’s award alone.

This whole incident points to the weakness of the idea of giving awards in an artistic/commercial field such as motion pictures. At a time when the Academy is trying to find a place in the 21st century, this latest edition shows its struggles.

Who would have thought there would be an assault in the middle of the Oscar broadcast seen by millions of people around the world?

There were other oddities this past week. In response to a story we ran about a Westfield church assembling needed items for Ukrainian evacuees, one reader wrote in response, “What a nice article about the school helping Ukraine ... I hope someone is explaining to the children that this war is America’s fault for trying to jam NATO down Russia’s throat ... Or is this just America propaganda scheme?”

So, the war in Ukraine is our fault? Putin’s insane need to exercise power and try to rebuild a Russian empire isn’t a factor? Seriously? NATO has been around since the end of World War II. It’s nothing new.

A reader who identified himself as “Kyle from Holyoke” left a phone message in which he strenuously and profanely objected to my shock and disgust seeing the Confederate flag in the halls of the Capitol. He noted, “Dat flag is about one thing — SOUTHERN ROCK! SWEET HOME ALABAMA!” He needed me to know I didn’t understand a thing.

Why yes, Kyle, when the Confederates flew that battle flag over a century ago that’s exactly what they were thinking. When the Ku Klux Klan adopted and resurrected that flag in the 1920s that’s what they were thinking – “After setting fire to this cross and terrorizing black people, I’m going to chill to some sweet Lynyrd Skynyrd.”

Of course, to make the news cycle complete several of my conservative friends on Facebook are now repeating a meme that claims Chris Rock was wearing padding on his face and the slap was all staged.

Was there a full moon recently?