Host Chris Rock Teases Oscars 'Blackout' Ahead of Sunday's Show
— -- Chris Rock has tweeted a few times in recent weeks about Sunday night’s Academy Awards, but he hasn’t addressed the #OscarsSoWhite controversy that’s largely dominated the pre-Oscar conversation.
That changed this morning, though.
The Oscar host tweeted a 15-second black-and-white video that shows nothing but static on a video screen. The accompanying text message is just as intriguing: “See you Sunday... #blackout #oscars,” followed by an Oscar statue emoji.
While #OscarsSoWhite has been a hot hashtag since the all-white roster of acting nominees was first announced weeks ago, the #blackout hashtag in connection with the Oscars appears to be new. What Rock may mean by tweeting it is anyone’s guess -- at least, at this point. What exactly Rock will do or say during the ceremony to address the issue has been a favorite topic of speculation leading up to the event.
The 88th annual Academy Awards will be broadcast Sunday night on ABC, live from coast to coast beginning at 8:30 p.m. EST. Red carpet coverage gets underway at 7 p.m.
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