That's an interesting point about people tending to double down, and we all know comedians can be the absolute worst about that.

I also saw the slap as a very clear, deliberate choice. To read some of the reactions people have had to the whole thing, without knowing anything else about it, you would think Chris Rock was in the ICU fighting for his life. Will Smith knows how to make a fist. A slap, to me, is disrespect for disrespect. Like you said, it's meant to shame more than to cause physical harm.