Chris Rock Opens Oscars With Monologue On Racism

Oscar host Chris Rock delivered a stinging yet hilarious monologue Sunday night that spared no one as he tackled the awards’ bias controversy — labeling Hollywood “racist’’ but also taking on boycotters such as Will and Jada Pinkett Smith.

The equal-opportunity ribber coolly strolled onstage at the 88th Academy Awards in a white jacket and black bow tie, quipping, “I’m here at the Academy Awards — otherwise known as the White People’s Choice Awards.

“You realize if they nominated hosts, I wouldn’t even get this job,’’ joked Rock, 51. “Y’all be watching Neil Patrick Harris right now.”

Rock spent nearly his entire monologue delivering rip-roaring jabs at the academy’s infamous dearth of minority nominees this year and last.

“Is Hollywood racist? You’re damn right Hollywood’s racist,” the comic said. “But it isn’t the racism you’ve grown accustomed to. It’s sorority racism.

“‘We like you, Rhonda, but you’re not a Kappa.’”

The comedian noted several big-name black stars who boycotted the ceremony, including Will Smith and wife Jada. Talking about the Oscar-snubbed Smith’s widely hailed performance in the film “Concussion,” Rock said, “It’s not fair that Will was this good and didn’t get nominated. You’re right.

“It’s also not fair that Will was paid 20 million for ‘Wild Wild West,’ OK?”

Rock noted that Smith’s wife is on TV, so “Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties. I wasn’t invited.

“That’s not an invitation I would turn down,’’ Rock added to a roar.

Rock, noting the pressure he was under to back out of the gig, said, “People are like, ‘Chris, you should boycott, Chris, you should quit.’

“How come it’s only unemployed people that tell you to quit something? No one with a job ever tells you to quit.”

During the show, Rock showed fake film clips that inserted Whoopi Goldberg into “Joy,” Tracy Morgan into “The Danish Girl,” Leslie Jones into “The Revenant” and Rock himself in “The Martian.”

As for the presenters, Rock said, “You want diversity, we have diversity. Please welcome Emily Blunt — and somebody even whiter, Charlize Theron.”

Later, Rock played a clip in which he went to a theater in Compton, Calif. — setting of the hip-hop movie “Straight Outta Compton” — and asked black moviegoers if they had heard of Oscar-

nominated films such as “Brooklyn” and “Bridge of Spies.” None had.

He ended the broadcast on a serious note by saying into the camera, “Black lives matter.’’

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