“I’m here at the Academy Awards, otherwise known as the White People’s Choice Awards.” -Chris Rock, 2016

It’s no doubt that racism has a been a large and controversial topic, especially with the recent protests stemming from police brutality and the murders of young black men and women and the way have been portrayed in the news. In the start of the 88th Academy Awards, host Chris Rock sheds some light on racism, joking, “I’m here at the Academy Awards, otherwise known as the White People’s Choice Awards,” and gains a roar of laughter from the crowd before firing back with, “You realize if they nominated hosts, I wouldn’t even get this job.” The hashtag “#OscarsSoWhite” was also a trending topic on Twitter around the time the award show took place, drawing attention to the lack of black nominees.

Rock is known for his comedy and outlandish jokes, but what did viewers think about the comedian’s monologue? When asking a few SVC students about their take, freshman Kay Myer, psychology major, stated, “I think he’s right with what he’s saying, but I feel he may have taken it a little too far.”

It may be fair enough to say that Rock took some of his jokes a little ‘too far’, even once earning an occasional ‘boo’ from the crowd after touching on those who have lost their lives after being ‘shot by the cops on the way to the movies,’ but how far is too far when it comes to confronting racism, especially in Hollywood? Student Rebecca Mahoney, freshman, states, “I think Chris Rock took the opportunity to say what needed to be said about racism in Hollywood. There is misrepresentation in entertainment of not just black people, but other minorities as well. By distinguishing the fact that there are very limited roles for black people, he acknowledges that there really can’t be equality in the awards ceremony if there are not even equal roles.”

The Oscars are just another example of people speaking out against racism, along with the many protests that have taken place as a result of police brutality. In Baltimore, young protesters stood together against police, resulting in the deaths of many black men and women. One bystander in the riots, Antwion Robinson, 26, tells the Baltimore Sun, “They are killing us. They are actually killing us, and then they make this seem like we’re out of control. But they’re killing our neighbors and brothers. We’re just supposed to sit back and take that?”

The news media over-representing them as criminals is just another issue black men and women face today.  According to ThinkProgress.org, black criminals in New York City make up approximately 75% of people discussed on news channels, but are actually only 51% of the arrest rate. Additionally, the suspected criminals or murder victims of police ‘self defense’ are also victims of racial bias by news outlets. Mike Brown, an unarmed teenager gunned down by police officer Darren Wilson in 2014, was shown on the news with a picture of him holding up a peace sign–something viewers took as a ‘gang sign’. He was often described as “an average happy teen” by his family, but the way he was portrayed on the news made viewers think otherwise. One Twitter, user @CJLawrenceEsq, created hashtag “#IfTheyGunnedMeDown” in response to news stations using certain pictures to depict the victims as ‘thugs’ instead of the lawyers, college graduates, or soldiers that they actually are.

When confronting racism, Rock’s opening monologue and jokes were used as a way to grab the audience’s attention and reach a mass amount of people watching from home, all while keeping it ‘lighthearted’, but we still have to ask ourselves: what will it take to change racism in Hollywood and the way black men and women are portrayed in the news? Mahoney says, “We need to simply start hiring more men and women of color. Diversify character roles and give more significant roles to actors besides being the “black best friend” or “Mexican maid” or “wise old black man””. As for the

misrepresentation of black men and women in the media, Kay Myer also says, “The media needs to realize what they are writing about and how it is affecting everyone.”