A frontrunner for the oddest, most poorly received joke of the Oscars came early when Chris Rock brought out Stacey Dash — best known for her supporting role in 1995's Clueless — for a surprise cameo. "I cannot wait to help my people out," said the giggling Dash. "Happy Black History Month!"
The crowd was baffled. You might be baffled too. So here's the backstory. In addition to the occasional acting role, Dash regularly appears as a conservative commentator on Fox News. Last month, she drew controversy for a blog in which she called for the abolishment of Black History Month.
"Our accomplishments cannot be limited to 28 days," she wrote. "Do not listen to liberals who try to limit you, to put you into a box, to tell you that you MUST believe one way or another, that you cannot think for yourselves, and that the government can 'give' you a 'special month.' No. I am sick of settling for breadcrumbs."
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Was Dash's Oscar cameo a retraction of her original statement, or just a weird gag that fell flat? Either way, the crowd wasn't into it.
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