Chris Rock in fiery Oscars monologue: 'You're damn right Hollywood is racist'
In an impassioned opening monologue to the 88th Academy Awards — or, as he re-christened them, "The White People's Choice Awards" — host Chris Rock tackled the #OscarsSoWhite controversy and Hollywood's general lack of diversity.
"Is Hollywood racist?" asked Rock. "Is it burning cross racist? No. Is it 'Fetch me some lemonade' racist? No. It's a different type of racist. [...] You're damn right Hollywood is racist. Hollywood is sorority racist. It's like, 'We like you, Rhonda. But you're not a Kappa.'"
"It's not about boycotting anything. We want opportunity. We want the black actors to get the same opportunities. That's it! And not just once. Leo gets a great part every year. What about Jamie Foxx?"
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Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.
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