Critics of Oscars show say diversity talk was too narrow

“Like I nearly changed the channel on Chris Rock worse”.

Tyrese continued to chastise Rock in the caption of his post, writing, “I didn’t watch – I didn’t – but online people are talking and someone posted the tasteless joke that Chris Rock did in his opening”.

Many called Rock a hypocrite for making a joke about Asian stereotypes when he spent his entire monologue taking Hollywood to task for its systemic racism towards black actors. Ask anyone who grew up black in the ’90s and they’ll remember when Jada slid on a mask to “set it off” with her compatriots Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise. I was tuned in to a livestream of #JusticeForFlint instead, the protest benefit concert organized by black filmmakers Ava DuVernay (Selma) and Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station and Creed). Last night, however, a room full of Jada Pinkett Smith’s peers laughed together at a joke about how she “wasn’t invited” to the Oscars, as though she wasn’t worthy of being there. I was like, ‘isn’t she on a TV show?’ Jada’s gonna boycott the Oscars?

“Well, I’m here at the Academy Awards, otherwise known as the White People’s Choice Awards”, he added. This after, as The LA Times’s black Twitter correspondent Dex Thomas noted, the 2016 Oscars had featured more Minions than Asians onstage. “We were too busy being raped and lynched to worry about best cinematographer”, Rock said in regards to Oscar ceremonies of the 1950s and ’60s.

Before closing the monologue, Rock said that in order for more actors of color to be nominated, more opportunities should be given to them. “We want opportunity”, Rock said. “That’s it! Not just once”.

But it wasn’t all about social commentary for Rock. Jada went mad. Will (Smith) went mad.

Rock’s publicist Leslie Sloane said on Monday that the star was unavailable for comment.