There are three types of responses that I have heard regarding Chris Rock's opening words at the Oscars: that his jokes went too far, that he was courageous and is making a difference, or "I don't really care – did you see what Heidi Klum was wearing?" I have listened to many different varieties of these overall responses and still do not agree with any of them. The one thing I got from his speech was not effective social resistance or controversy, but deception. Think about his speech: Aside from the comedy, political correctness, and brutally truthful history references, what was his overall message?
The truth is his message was muddled. His resistance was in no way radical, which he alluded to by saying he did not want to boycott the Oscars. His so-called resistance was this affirmative, passive way to make change, which does not really ever place change in action but swipes it back under the rug after a week or so.
There were patterns in his rhetoric that strung you in this continuous loop of confusion. For example, he provided a brutal image about black people protesting "real things" and being preoccupied by their grandmothers "swinging from a tree." Then, he would reference a sorority and say, "Hollywood is sorority racist," which went from a violent example to a passive one.
Why do you think the Oscars picked Chris Rock, as the NFL picked Beyonce? They both are not radical or threatening enough to cause an actual movement or spark change. They both got the job done by taking some heat off the organizations that were paying them at the end of the day. They were able to appease the people who noticed that there was a problem, but their presence there shows that they support the organization, and the problem is not real.
Chris Rock did bring up inequality issues in the workplace, police unjustly shooting black people, stereotypical black non-leading roles, unconscious racism, but he presented them in a comedic way never addressing the issues head-on or offering a stance or solution. Instead, he got a predominantly white audience to laugh at these truths, maybe out of discomfort or pure ignorance -- either way, this comedic address adds to the non-threatening aspect of Chris Rock and his monologue.
The one point that he did expand and provide insight in is how this is not a real issue, and a real issue was in the '50s and '60s, and how this is only "sorority" racism, which is not as big a deal. He tried to make this his concrete message towards the end: "What I’m trying to say is, you know, it’s not about boycotting anything. It’s just, we want opportunity. We want black actors to get the same opportunities as white actors." But none of that was supported by his rhetoric in a way that effectually made a clear message that induces change.
He even tried to appease the objections to the whole sexism in Hollywood and at the Oscars, and addressed the male and female categories, and then talked about the opposite by saying it is not sexist to ask a woman about her dress as topic of conversation; as Rachel Moore tweeted, "Bradley Cooper gets asked about the community of actors, Lupita gets asked about her dress." However, earlier he talked about getting in Rihanna's panties and how "that's not an invitation [he] would turn down." He sexualized Rihanna and then talked about the segregation of acting categories, then went back to how asking about a dress isn't sexism? It's like he was playing ping-pong with his ideas all while dripping in comedy and hypocrisy.
Do I think the Oscars are racist and Chris Rock's monologue was awesome and induced change?
No.
Do I think we are all subconsciously a little racist and sexist, and that it is reflected in our American system, whether it be unconscious?
Yes.
Do not be fooled by rhetoric whether it be Chris Rock, the idea of America being this welcoming melting pot, equal opportunity in the workforce, or education. Let's recognize these things, not just for a week, and actually do something to create change.
