With the Oscars fast approaching, host Chris Rock gave us a teaser of what to expect this Sunday night.
“See you Sundays..x #blackout #oscars,” he tweeted, possibly alluding to the recent #OscarsSoWhite controversy.
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Rock has remained quiet over the controversy, but did not step down as host when members of Black Hollywood asked the comedian to back out as part of a boycott when no people of color were nominated for any of the major categories.
Recently, in an interview with Complex News, Gabrielle Union shared that the host may not remain silent regarding the controversy, “he is a truth seeker and a truth speaker,” she stated. According to Entertainment Weekly, producers expect Chris to “poke fun.”
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“[The Academy] is excited about him doing that,” producer Reginald Hudlin tells EW. “They know that’s what we need. The know that what the public wants, and we deliver what the people want.”
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Delivering what the people wants includes diversifying nominees. In an effort to to address #OscarsSoWhite, the Academy has vowed to alter membership practices, recruit new members and establish new governor seats to increase members of different genders and backgrounds.