15 chapters across the catalog
Producer Will Packer discusses the 94th Academy Awards with Tiffany Cross, highlighting the first-ever all-Black production team. The conversation touches on Amy Schumer's suggestion to have Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appear during the broadcast. Packer expresses his desire for the show to serve as an uplifting escape during tumultuous times.
Will Packer describes feeling devastated by the slap because of what it represented for the first Black-produced Oscars. Mo Facts notes that the "Black Oscars" branding wasn't widely publicized in mainstream media but was a significant internal theme. The hosts compare the chaotic energy of the night to the historically violent Source Awards.
The hosts revisit the 2016 "Oscars So White" controversy, where Jada Pinkett Smith called for a boycott while Chris Rock was hosting. They argue this created long-standing tension, as the boycott put Rock in a position where he would look like a "sellout" if he joined or a target if he didn't.
In a 2016 video, Jada Pinkett Smith questions whether people of color should stop asking for invitations to mainstream institutions like the Oscars. She advocates for the Black community to build its own programs and resources rather than begging for acknowledgment, while specifically addressing Chris Rock as the host.
The hosts analyze the "shade" in Jada's 2016 message to Chris Rock, suggesting her boycott was motivated by Will Smith not being nominated for his role in the film "Concussion." They discuss Rock's subsequent comedic retaliation, where he pointed out that Jada wasn't invited to the Oscars in the first place.
The hosts argue that the 94th Academy Awards were the culmination of years of diversity pressure. They criticize the inclusion of non-Black political elements, such as the focus on Ukraine, during what was supposed to be a milestone for Black production in Hollywood.
April Rainn explains how she created the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag in 2015 after no people of color were nominated in major acting categories. She details the transition of the movement from a snarky Twitter comment to a substantive push for institutional change within the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
In a past interview, Will Smith claims he was unaware Jada was going to post her 2016 boycott video but supported her "call to action." He expresses that his family felt a responsibility to be part of the solution to Hollywood's diversity problem, though the hosts remain skeptical of his genuine involvement.
Chris Rock's 2016 Monologue and the "White People's Choice Awards"
Chris Rock's 2016 Oscar monologue is highlighted, where he famously referred to the event as the "White People's Choice Awards." He joked about Jada Pinkett Smith's boycott and Will Smith's $20 million salary for "Wild Wild West," receiving praise from figures like Oprah and Amy Schumer.
The hosts reflect on the viral moment when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Academy Awards. Mo describes how his live YouTube reaction to the event went "micro-viral," garnering 25,000 views and a significant increase in subscribers. Adam suggests the incident may have involved deeper psychological triggers or "MK Ultra" elements related to Jada Pinkett Smith, while Mo hints at a future "rabbit hole" discussion regarding the couple's history with the "Oscar So White" movement.
April Reign, a member of the "She Will Rise" collective, is identified as the creator of the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag in 2015. This movement led to significant changes in the Academy's diversity requirements but also created a rift with Chris Rock, who hosted the Oscars during the 2016 boycott. Mo links this historical tension to the recent Will Smith slap, suggesting the conflict between the Smiths and Rock has roots in this diversity advocacy.
President Joe Biden's comments following the Chauvin verdict, where he called systemic racism a "stain on the nation's soul," are analyzed. The hosts question the lack of a precise definition for "systemic racism" and criticize Biden for weighing in on the verdict while the jury was still deliberating. Actress Regina King's comments at the Oscars are also cited as evidence of manufactured outrage.
A producer's note links the character "Medea" (Tyler Perry) to the Greek goddess Medeia, the goddess of illusion and sorcery. The hosts expand on this, suggesting that "media" is a linguistic derivative of Medea, functioning as a tool for public sorcery. They reference the "transformative" nature of the recent Oscars as an example of this illusion in practice.
Tyler Perry is honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Oscars, which the hosts suggest is a reward for his vaccine promotion efforts. During an interview, Perry is prompted to perform as "Madea" to endorse the vaccine, a move the hosts find demeaning for a billionaire mogul. They discuss the "Black man in a dress" trope in Hollywood as a recurring ritual of humiliation.
During the Oscars where Kobe Bryant won for his animated short "Dear Basketball," TMZ reporters were reportedly instructed to ask attendees about Bryant's past rape allegations. Most celebrities avoided the questions, having been coached to remain positive and celebrate the event. This effort to stir controversy failed to gain traction with the "Me Too" movement at the time, as Bryant was viewed as a valuable corporate asset for entities like Nike.
