Oscars 2016: Chris Rock opens Academy Awards with #OscarsSoWhite joke

Chris Rock tackled the elephant in the room head-on during his opening monologue at today's 88th Annual Academy Awards.

The 2016 Oscars host flagged from the get-go he wasn't going to shy away from the controversy, welcoming Hollywood’s top stars to the "White People's Choice Awards".

The 51-year-old made a pointed joke at Jada Pinkett Smith and her husband Will Smith, who boycotted the awards due to the lack of African-American acting nominees, even dragging pop star Rihanna into the fray.

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