Confused by Stacey Dash's weird Oscars cameo? This is the backstory.

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."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

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.