What is typically a great night celebrating the greatest films and actors became encircled with controversy. For two consecutive years now, the Oscars snubbed all people of color for any awards.

This oversight prompted certain black movie stars like the couple of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith and Spike Lee to boycott last Sunday’s award show all together. Will Smith said, “At this current time, were uncomfortable to stand there and say this is OK.” Longtime academy member Quincy Jones also recognized the diversity problem saying “Boycott or fix it. It’s been going on too long.”

As a shock to some, Chris Rock still hosted the Oscars despite the controversy. Some stars like famous rapper 50 Cent advised him not to do so amid the dilemma. As expected, Chris Rock mentioned the controversy early and often in his monologue, calling it the “White People’s Choice Awards.”

Rock’s monologue used humor to point out the obvious flaws of award shows. He gave a sarcastic solution to the problem, suggesting people of color people should have their own categories. Since there are separate awards for men and women, perhaps the Academy should consider categories for white and non-white actors. His remark seems an obvious allusion to the racist “separate but equal” society in America before the Civil Right’s Movement.

Following Rock’s monologue was a mocking skit in which Whoopie Goldberg and host Chris Rock were inserted into scenes of the nominated films, superimposing the black actors into the whites’ roles; the effective result was a parody of the fact that white actors are often cast in what are originally roles written for black actors.

Before the Academy Awards Show, actor Kevin Hart shed positive light on the conflict. He gave credit to all the black actors and actresses not nominated, giving them the attention he felt they deserved.