Oscar's 2016: 'Blackout' - Chris Rock's Tweet That Has Everyone Worried

Publish date
Monday, 29 Feb 2016, 12:00PM

After a second straight year of all-white acting nominees prompted industry-wide scrutiny, viewers and stars alike are hanging on the opening words of host Chris Rock.

The Dolby Theatre ceremony, heavily guarded by security, stands at the centre of a swirling storm over diversity in the movies and at the Oscars, with protests planned near the red carpet and some viewers organising a boycott of the broadcast.

The all-white slate of acting nominees restored the hashtag "OscarsSoWhite" to prominence and led Spike Lee (an honorary Oscar winner this year) and Jada Pinkett Smith to announce that they would not attend the show. Several top African American directors - Ryan Coogler (whose Creed is expected to land Sylvester Stallone a best supporting actor) and Ava DuVernay (Selma) - won't be at the Oscars, but will instead host a live benefit in Flint, Michigan, for the water-contaminated city.

Chris Rock, who first hosted the Oscars in 2005, mysteriously tweeted a video of television static that he tagged "blackout". ''See you Sunday," he wrote.

 

But what does it mean... inevitably we'll find out today!

Read more at nzherald.co.nz

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