Chris Rock Won’t Quit The Oscars: Rock’s Brother Hosts ‘Black Oscars’
Chris Rock gives the world more reasons to watch this year’s Academy Awards ceremony, which has already been named one of the most controversial Oscars ceremonies due to the lack of diversity in nominees for major categories.
Chris Rock, the host of this year’s Academy Awards that will take place on February 28, appeared in several promo ads for the Oscars ceremony, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
In one of the promos, Chris Rock encourages people to watch the Oscars because that’s the only show on ABC that veteran TV producer Shonda Rhimes doesn’t own (yet.) Rhimes currently produces three ABC shows: Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy, and How To Get Away With Murder.
In another hilarious promo ad, Chris Rock is holding a wine glass filled with popcorn in one hand and a popcorn bowl of red wine in the other.
Chris Rock has been working hard with his writers as they are preparing to rock the Oscars night with their jokes and quips, according to Entertainment Weekly, citing its interview with Academy Awards producer Reginald Hudlin. Hudlin also confirmed that Rock is not going to quit the Oscars over the controversy over diversity.
The Oscars producer also noted that Chris Rock and his writing staff locked themselves in a room to re-write the Oscars’ monologue.
But this year’s Academy Awards doesn’t need to release promo ads to give people more reasons to watch the ceremony at the end of the month, as simply seeing what Chris Rock has to say about the diversity controversy, which has been hashtagged #OscarsSoWhite, is a huge reason to turn on the TV on February 28.
Seeing Leonardo DiCaprio perhaps receive his first ever Oscars statue is reason enough, too, of course.
This year’s Oscars is Chris Rock’s second time hosting the ceremony, as he filled the ceremony with his jokes back in 2005, when Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby dominated the Oscars.
Chris Rock has been urged to quit hosting this year’s ceremony by actors, producers, and even politicians after the diversity controversy, but the 51-year-old comedian (who most would agree doesn’t look his age at all) didn’t listen.
Meanwhile, previous Oscars host Whoopi Goldberg and Golden Globes 2016 host Ricky Gervais urged Chris Rock to stay. The comedian has referenced the diversity issue only once publicly, calling this year’s Academy Awards “the white BET Awards” on Twitter.
The #Oscars. The White BET Awards.https://t.co/8qjLR0uysI
— Chris Rock (@chrisrock) January 15, 2016
Meanwhile, Chris Rock’s brother – Tony Rock – has been selected as the host of Los Angeles’s All Def Comedy Live, a comedy show that takes place in Hollywood’s Chinese Theater, according to Vanity Fair. The show will be held on February 24, the Wednesday before the Oscars ceremony.
Chris Rock’s brother, Tony, says comedian should host Oscars… https://t.co/tE9JTDtF2h pic.twitter.com/XPTAqY9NWP
— chris!!! (@ThechrisrockHub) January 24, 2016
Already called the “Black Oscars,” the show will reference the diversity issues of this year’s Oscars ceremony hosted by Chris Rock. His brother Tony will be presenting such nominations as Best Black Survivor, Most Helpful White Person, and the usual ones such as Best Picture.
The show is called the “Black Oscars” because the nominees for best picture include movies that were snubbed from the Oscars: Beasts of No Nation, Straight Outta Compton, Chi-Raq, Concussion, Creed and Dope.
Explaining what the show will be about, Tony Rock said in an interview that they will honor the entire movie-making process.
“If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. We’ll honor the entire movie-making process. Great acting, mediocre acting as well as horrible acting. Soundtracks. Wardrobes. Maybe even craft services — the best part of the set. This is the award show Hollywood has been waiting for.”
[Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images]
