Back when Chris Rock first hosted the Academy Awards in 2005, his performance was met with, ahem, mixed reaction. USA Today television critic Robert Bianco described Rock as "loud, snide and dismissive" and said "he wasn't just a disappointment; he ranks up there with the worst hosts ever." Roger Ebert, on the other hand, praised Rock's opening monologue, calling it "surprisingly pointed, topical, and not shy of controversy." Clearly, Rock's first go-around drew out critics to both ends up the spectrum. As a result, the announcement that he'd be shepherding this year's shindig was met with, at best, guarded optimism and, at worst, loud disapproval.
Yet something funny happened during last night's broadcast, and I'm not necessarily talking about Rock's jokes. To paraphrase the Rolling Stones, Rock didn't always give audiences exactly what they wanted, but he did give them what they needed. No one knew quite how far Rock would wade into the diversity issues facing the Academy (again), but instead of gently picking at it before moving on, Rock made it the centerpiece of the night.
His opening monologue may not have been overflowing with legitimate LOL moments, but it was buoyed by strong ideas. Some punchlines may have been greeted with only muted laughter, but the thoughts behind them were significant. It's fair to say that Rock's opening stretch was awkward - "grandma hanging from a lynching tree" is hard to swallow regardless of race - but it sure was compelling. This was the rare time when a comedian should not be gauged by the laughs he elicited but for the point of view he provided.
Some may argue that the Oscars, an event where millionaire celebrities give themselves awards, should not be taken so seriously. But I disagree. Any public platform that draws attention can be used to advance a deserving message. And Rock's message was deserved: there's a big problem in Hollywood, and we need to fix it. One step in the right direction is skewering the elephant in the room, which he did. This was less stand-up comedy and more social commentary. What I loved most is that he got to the root of the issue; it's not that the Academy has some secret racist agenda against African Americans, it's that black actors simply don't have as many opportunities in Hollywood as their white counterparts.
Rock reminded movie studios that they shouldn't be afraid of films with leads of color. Michael B. Jordan revitalized the "Rocky" franchise with "Creed," Idris Elba continued to build his case as the Next Big Thing with "Beasts of No Nation," and newcomer John Boyega instantly won us over in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." Rock also reminded us that change is a collaborative process and we need to work on it together instead of decrying it from a far - "Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna's panties. I wasn't invited," he said to perhaps his biggest laugh of the night.
The jokes were hit and miss. Angela Bassett and Leslie Jones shined in their pre-taped segments, while the Girl Scout bit fell flat after the novelty factor wore off. But the true takeaway of Rock's performance is that in Hollywood, a place that draws warranted criticism for being fake, he was unafraid to be earnest and genuine and systematically point out the biggest flaw.
He may not have been the host we wanted, but he sure was the host we needed.
