Will Oscar Host, Chris Rock, Skip the Show?

Never to mince his words, the outspoken Ricky Gervais, host of this year’s Golden Globes chimed in saying on Twitter, “If I were @chrisrock, I wouldn’t be considering boycotting The Oscars”. But last week he poked fun at the lack of diversity among nominations.

On Monday, honorary Oscar victor Spike and actor Jada have both announced they were boycotting the awards next month. Among the lowlights: the acclaimed “Straight Outta Compton” was all but ignored – though its white screenwriters got a nod.

What do U think about the #OscarsSoWhite controversy – should Rock give up hosting the show?? I’d be thinking “this shit is live”.

If you think back 10 years ago, the Academy was doing a better job.

That N.W.A. biopic, a hit with both critics and movie-goers, received a best original screenplay nomination – for its all-white writing team.

After the 2016 Academy Award nominations were announced on Thursday (local time), the final line-up revealed only white performers nominated across the acting categories. “Think about how many more African Americans were nominated”. “Chris Rock hosting an all white Oscar’s would be insulting and demeaning”.

Everyone from Jada Pinkett Smith, Spike Lee, Snoop Dogg, and 50 cent are urging the star to not go forward.

What a year she’s had.

Comedian Chris Rock has had perhaps the most outspoken voice in Hollywood when it comes to the industry’s lack of diversity. “If he decides to host, there’s all that anticipation and everything he says on that stage gets played over and over again and he can make a real difference”. “The Academy is taking dramatic steps to alter the makeup of our membership”.

The lack of recognition for performances and stories not involving white people – usually the straight, male kind – has been a recurring theme over the past few years.

‘In the coming days and weeks we will conduct a review of our membership recruitment in order to bring about much-needed diversity in our 2016 class and beyond’.

But Boone, who worked on that had been onboard on those 84th Academy Awards, says there was enough time left to rally behind successor Billy Crystal.