Oscars Host Chris Rock Comments on Lack of Diversity in Award Show's Nominees
This year's host tweeted his thoughts Friday.
— -- The host of the Oscars this year, Chris Rock, is weighing in on the award show's lack of diversity in nominations.
While tweeting his latest promo for the 88th Academy Awards, which will be broadcast on ABC on Feb. 28, he wrote as a caption, "The #Oscars. The White BET Awards."
And he's not the only celebrity chiming in on the issue over the weekend.
Actress Jada Pinkett Smith, whose husband Will Smith was an Oscar nominee contender for his role in NFL football drama "Concussion," hinted at boycotting the awards show.
"At the Oscars ... people of color are always welcomed to give out awards ... even entertain," Pinkett Smith, 44, tweeted Saturday, before adding, "But we are rarely recognized for our artistic accomplishments. Should people of color refrain from participating all together?"
"People can only treat us in the way in which we allow. With much respect in the midst of deep disappointment," she concluded.
Perhaps the actress is taking a page from her husband's playbook. Will Smith, 47, along with DJ Jazzy Jeff led a boycott of the Grammy Awards back in 1989 when it refused to televise the rap category in which they won.
This is the second year that critics and social media commentators have blasted the Academy Award nods for lack of diversity. This year, not one person of color was nominated for the coveted gold trophy in top categories such as Best Actor or Actress and Best Supporting Actor or Actress.
The criticism has gotten so loud, it's even reached Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs, who is African-American.
Although Isaacs was not available for an interview with ABC News, she told ABC station KABC-TV in Los Angeles, "We are being louder and louder and we are going to continue this conversation and we're going to do more than just talk."
