Comedian Chris Rock, hosting the 88th Academy Awards 11 years after his first Oscars gig, is being urged to boycott the Feb. 28 show amid criticism of its all-white slate of actor nominees.
“There is no joke that he can crack. There is no way for him to seize the moment and come into this thing and say, ‘I’m going to say this and say that I’m going to address the issue but then I’m still going to keep my gig as the host.’ The statement that you make is that you step down.”
Rock, 50, hasn’t been reticent in expressing his own outrage, however.
I think I’m gonna start doing this before I get on stage from now on. #Oscars
https://t.co/3Y8agMC7AE
— Chris Rock (@chrisrock) January 12, 2016
The #Oscars. The White BET Awards.
https://t.co/8qjLR0uysI
— Chris Rock (@chrisrock) January 15, 2016
Others are just exploiting comedic potential.
Chris Rock shouldn’t boycott the #Oscars — he should just BBQ them over and over, go off script & drop the microphone and walk out.
— jason (@Jason) January 20, 2016
Ricky Gervais has encouraged Oscars host Chris Rock to ‘do some serious damage’ https://t.co/Yua7r9o9KY
— Metro (@MetroUK) January 19, 2016
I can’t wait to watch Chris Rock’s opening monologue, and then, turning OFF The EXCLUSION Awards, I mean The OSCARS! pic.twitter.com/dk1VesAqXH
— Arsenio Hall (@ArsenioHall) January 15, 2016
Tyrese really telling chris rock to boycott the oscars that he’s not invited to, i have no idea why i’m howling but i am.
— Ahmed/Kanye’s Laptop (@big_business_) January 20, 2016
People need to stop telling Chris Rock to not host the Oscars. Just let Larry the Cable Guy host the BETs and call it even
— Paul Lander (@paul_lander) January 20, 2016
I know Chris Rock will make a meal of the Oscars controversy, but it’d be great and meaningful to have the show address it forthrightly too.
— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) January 20, 2016