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Chris Rock Dragged the Entire Film Industry in His Oscars Opening Monologue

Shade king.
By Christopher Rosa
February 28, 2016 / 9:06 PM

Chris Rock did not play during his 2016 Oscars opening monologue. And we're so here for it.

Well, Rock did play; the lengthy speech was hilarious as hell, but he faced the #OscarsSoWhite controversy head on. At times, the audience laughed. At times, they gasped. Either way, Rock got his necessary point across: The film industry is white AF.

"I counted at least 15 Black people on that [opening] montage," Rock said at the top of the speech. He also called the Oscars the "White People's Choice Awards." Drag it, C!

"I thought about quitting," Rock said. "I thought about it real hard... [but] The last thing I need is to lose another job to Kevin Hart." Hart was in the audience, and he cracked up.

Here a few more biting soundbites from Rock's opening monologue:

  • "If they nominated host, I wouldn't even get this job...Y'all would be watching Neil Patrick Harris right now."

  • "[Black people were] too busy being raped and lynched to worry about who wins Best Cinematographer."--in reference to why #OscarsSoWhite didn't happen sooner.

  • "Jada Pinkett Smith boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna's panties. I wasn't invited."

  • "It's also not fair that Will Smith was paid $20 million for Wild Wild West."

  • "Hollywood is sorority racist. 'We like you, Ronda, but you're not a Kappa.'"

  • Rocky takes place in a world where white athletes are as good as Black athletes. So, Rocky is a science fiction movie."

  • "Jamie Foxx was so good in Ray, they went to the hospital and unplugged the real Ray Charles."

  • "You want diversity. We got diversity. Please welcome Emily Blunt and someone way whiter, Charlize Theron."

    • Let us know what you thought of the speech in the comments below.

    Watch a history of #BlackGirlMagic at the Academy Awards below.