#OscarsSoWhite Gets the Treatment by Chris Rock at the Dolby Theatre

The Oscars will be held this evening, February 28, 2016, from downtown Los Angeles and broadcasted on ABC at 7 p.m. EST. They will be presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). The awards will honor the best films of 2015 and is scheduled to air and stream live tonight on ABC.

Chris Rock will be hosting the award ceremony. His comedic edge will fit perfectly with the buzz that has been building around the Oscars this year for excluding African American actors from the nominees in 2015 & 2016. Rock’s ability to dive deep into racial topics, and keep things light hearted has been at the core of his standup for years.

Red Carpet Start Time: 7pm Eastern Time|4pm Pacific Time

Ceremony Start Time: 8:30pm Eastern Time|5:30pm Pacific Time

Despite the Academy’s inability to showcase artists of all races overall throughout the years, we find that the setback this year, has opened up a national discussion on supporting different races at award ceremonies.

In my view,  award ceremonies, in general can be seen as a side effect from capitalism.

Think about undeveloped countries for a moment. They would be lucky to all gather to perform handmade instruments together, or to conduct and perform a play. Over time, venues went from being outdoor, open amphitheaters, to being multi-million dollar buildings in large cities.

As capitalism grew, so did the importance to control the film and music industry. Corporations began to realize that if they create and produce award shows to showcase their hand-selected artists, in return, it would help increase the sales and profits for themselves.

The trend of overlooking and manipulating minorities in the entertainment industry has been going on for years. The Internet has given the people the ability to share independent voices with originality. It has broken the glass ceiling for many creative minds.

A new trend that has been showing in the past few years is a resurgence for equal treatment across race, sex, class and orientation.  

Our media outlet, gives fair treatment across all race, sex, class and orientation. When we spotlight an artist, it is to showcase their work. The work speaks for the artist. If an artist’s work is underdeveloped, it will speak for itself.

Chris Rock’s material speaks for itself. His career speaks for itself. His work ethic and drive is displayed within each joke and jab from Rock, speaks for itself. His wit is inspirational, and will be a highlight of the evening at The Oscars.