|
 In an opening monologue peppered with biting commentary about what
he described as "sorority"-style discrimination pervading the film
industry, Rock set the stage for a night of running gags that
repeatedly returned to themes of racial politics.
In doing so, he transformed a glittering awards show long known for
self-reverential pomp into a 3 1/2-hour live ABC telecast punctuated
by withering satire riffing on issues of inclusion and diversity
raised by the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite social media campaign and the
Black Lives Matter movement.
But the issue of race was just one element that made the 88th
edition of the Academy Awards likely to go down as one of the most
socially conscious shows in Oscar history. Messages ranged from Vice
President Joe Biden's special appearance urging a stand against
sexual violence on college campuses to best actor winner Leonardo
DiCaprio's impassioned appeal to take care of the planet.
The difference in tone was evident from the start. Strolling on
stage in a white dinner jacket and bow tie, Rock welcomed the
audience to a show "otherwise known as the white People's Choice
awards," adding, "You realize if they nominated hosts, I wouldn't
even get this job."
 From that moment on, it was clear Rock would be pulling no punches,
and that his no-holds-barred message could help the film Academy
come to grips with its diversity problem.
Wondering with mock bemusement why blacks' anger over a lack of
Oscar diversity never boiled over in the 1950s or '60s like it did
this year, he answered his own question, "Because we had real things
to protest at the time. We were too busy being raped and lynched
then to care about who won best cinematographer."
'FIGHT THE POWER'
Rock did not confine his barbs to Hollywood alone. He drew one of
his biggest laughs joking that the Oscars' annual "in-memorium"
montage tribute to deceased film luminaries would instead be devoted
to "black people who were shot by the cops on their way to the
movies."
It was a motif that stretched beyond Rock's monologue into bits of
comedy in between award presentations through the night.
In one pre-taped parody of a scene from "The Martian," the
Oscar-nominated sci-fi drama about an astronaut marooned on the Red
Planet, Rock was substituted for the stranded star of that film,
Matt Damon, as NASA officials argued whether it was worth the
expense to try to bring a black astronaut back to Earth.
[to top of second column] |
In another, Rock ventured in a tuxedo to the predominantly black Los
Angeles suburb of Compton to ask several African-American
movie-goers outside a cinema whether they had seen various films
nominated this year for best picture. None had.
However, all said they had seen the critically acclaimed hip-hop
drama "Straight Outta Compton," whose failure to earn a place in the
best picture contest helped stoke the #OscarsSoWhite uproar.
One of Rock's most pointed comments on the subject was not a joke at
all but a straightforward summation of the issue: "We want
opportunity. We want the black actors to get the same opportunities
as white actors. That's it."
In a more light-hearted comic moment, Rock, 51, invited members of
his daughters' Girl Scout troop into the Dolby Theater at mid-show
to sell boxes of cookies to the seated stars. They ended up selling
over $65,000 worth of cookies.
Rock was named as host of the 88th Oscars in October, months before
the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced its roster
of nominees lacking a single person of color in any of the acting
categories for a second straight year.
In the ensuing backlash, he was widely seen as a presciently
inspired choice for diffusing tensions looming over the awards
following only other turn as Oscar emcee in 2005, when he drew mixed
reviews for a performance many saw as too provocative at the time.
Rock capped Sunday's show by declaring "black lives matter" before
credits rolled the music of rap group Public Enemy's signature song
"Fight the Power."
(Editing by Mary Milliken)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
