#OscarsSoWhite “Controversy”

                  Surely everyone expected that Oscars host, Chris Rock, after six weeks of silence on the issue was going to address the #OscarsSoWhite controversy during his monologue Sunday night. However, I don’t think viewers were prepared for Chris Rock’s assault on racism in Hollywood. He explored the issue similar to how we explore issues on campus at Rhodes, head-on, not just in his opening speech but in comments and recorded segments throughout the show.

“Everyone wants to know: Is Hollywood racist? Is it burning-cross racist? No. It’s a different racist,” Chris said Sunday. "You're damn right Hollywood's racist, but not the racist that you've grown accustomed to. Hollywood is sorority racist. It's like, 'We like you, Rhonda, but you're not a Kappa.' That's how Hollywood is. "But things are changing," he added, building up to a joke. "We got a black 'Rocky' this year. Some people call it 'Creed.' I call it 'Black Rocky.'

It was anticipated that Rock would widely address the lack of ethnic and gender diversity in Hollywood after no minorities were even nominated in any of the four acting categories for another year. The continual exclusion of diversity caused an uproar and led to some prominent black celebrities like Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett Smith, to skip the show.

Rock said that he himself was urged by some to step down as host in protest.

"I thought about quitting. I thought about it real hard. But they're not going to cancel the Oscars because I quit. And the last thing I need is to lose another job to Kevin Hart."

Rock's monologue alternated between jokes and more serious statements echoing those of black leaders who have called for the movie industry to be more inclusive in hiring and casting minorities. "It's not about boycotting. We want opportunities," Rock said. "We want black actors to get the same opportunities as white actors -- that's it. Not just once." Some of Rock's more pointed jokes drew gasps or stunned silence from the mostly white audience inside Hollywood's Dolby Theatre.

"This is the 88th Academy Awards. So this whole 'no black nominees' thing has happened at least 71 other times." Rock said black Americans didn't make a fuss about it back then because they had more important things to worry about. "We were too busy being raped and lynched to care about who won best cinematographer," he said. "When your grandmother's swinging from a tree, it's really hard to care about best documentary foreign short."

It’s apparent that Chris Rock was sending a message to everyone listening, his message was simple: African Americans want equal opportunity as white Americans. It’s a similar message we have explored in class. Consequently, it’s the same message that African Americans have voiced displeasure for, for centuries. Not only is the issue still relevant in 2016, it is prevalent. In retrospect, Chris Rock addressed the issue of #OscarsSoWhite, but the word “controversy” should not follow the trending hashtag. There is no controversy behind slavery in America and the lingering racism that is so clearly practiced in Hollywood. It is my hope that every American understands that we have an issue with the lack of diversity and ethnicity represented in Hollywood. We need the younger generations especially, to understand the depths of the issue so that we can be more mindful that America is not just white, and that movies should depict the reality of life, not just the reality that is associated with wealthy, white privilege.