Chris Rock brings diversity issue front and center at Oscars

“I’m sure there was no black nominees some of those years, say ’62, ’63, and black people did not protest. Why?” But the famed stage actor who co-starred in Steven Spielberg’s “Bridge of Spies” won instead. “And unlike some of the leaders we’re being presented with these days, he leads with such love”. “I thought about it really hard [but] they’re going to have the Oscars anyway”, later adding: “Everyone wants to know, is Hollywood racist?”

Although Rock had remained quiet on the #OscarsSoWhite furor in the weeks leading up to the show, Oscars producer Reginald Hudlin said last month that the host was rewriting his opening monologue to call out the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which votes on the Oscars.

How the controversy will affect ratings for ABC is also one of the night’s big questions.

While Adam McKay, “The Big Short” director and co-writer, used his victory in the adapted screenplay category to urge viewers, “don’t vote for candidates that take money from big banks, oil, or weirdo billionaires”.

But then with a great mix of comedy and sobering reality that defines his best stand-up, Rock touched on that fact that this is not the first year the Oscars had a lack of diversity. “We were too busy being raped and lynched to care about who won best cinematographer”, he said … “We must and we can change the culture so that no abused woman or man…ever feel they have to ask themselves, ‘what did I do?'”

Sam Smith’s “Writing on the Wall”, from the James Bond film “Spectre”, won best song.

And Sylvester Stallone may finally win an Oscar for playing Rocky Balboa – 39 years after he first did the role. Asif Kapadia’s Amy Winehouse portrait, “Amy”, took best documentary. “The Revenant” made history nabbing a third consecutive cinematography Oscar for Emmanuel Lubezki, whose swirling camera, and lengthy tracking shots were previously honored with “Birdman” and “Gravity”.

Inarritu, whose win meant three straight years of Mexican filmmakers winning best director, was one of the few winners to remark passionately on diversity in his acceptance speech.

“The Revenant” leads all films with 12 nominations and is considered the front-runner for best picture.

While smaller, independent films have in recent years dominated the Oscars (the last two years were topped by Fox Searchlight releases “Birdman” and “12 Years a Slave”), five of this year’s eight best picture nominees come from major studios.

“Us Mad Maxes are doing OK tonight”, said editor Margaret Sixel, who’s married to Miller.

Brie Larson is on her way to becoming America’s new sweetheart in earning Best Actress for “The Room”, while Alicia Vikander grabbed Best Supporting Actress for her standout performance in “The Danish Girl”. “This will be the last night of an all-white Oscars”, Sharpton vowed. “Jada’s gonna boycott the Oscars?” A chorus of academy members challenged the reforms.