Keep my wife's name out yo mouth!

That could very well have been staged. If someone is about to hit you, even though he mightn't have been expecting it, you'd put your hands up to protect yourself, but Chris Rock keeps his hands behind his back and doesn't even move his feet off the spot.

The things those actors will do to increase flagging ratings...
(I haven't watched the Oscars in a loooong time...)
They could also get Jerry Springer to host the awards next year. They could throw some chairs around, too. That would work,,,

Me neither, that minute is the most I've seen in decades. It was an open handed slap, and it's dubious if that even connected.

Oh, I read a news report that Sean Penn said that he'd melt down his Oscars in public if they didn't have Zelenskyy on the Oscars (I guess via video feed). Anyone who watched it, did they have Zelenskyy on?
These actors are getting desperate for attention, lol.

Maybe Will will get an Oscar next year for his acting last night!
(I guess Chris would get the supporting actor award...)

Yeah, exactly.
2 more points : If you get slapped that hard, the least you'd do is put your hand up to your face, to see if it was ok or drew blood or something - but Rock didn't even do that.
And when Rock is on stage speaking and Smith is in the audience speaking, it's all close up shots - but when the confrontation occurs, it's shown from a distance - that could be because the people in charge of the televising, knew it was going to happen, and they don't want you to see that the slap never connected.

It sounded as if he slapped him, but Rock just carried on laughing and joking as if nothing happened.

The only thing that would make me think that it wasn't staged is if Rock actually files charges. I don't think that's going to happen, though.
Keep my wife's name out yo mouth!!!