Another Academy Award winner was not happy with a joke comedian and award presenter Chris Rock made on Sunday.
Shortly after the slap seen around the world, Rock continued doing what he was initially on stage for - announcing the winner for Best Documentary Feature.
Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),
a documentary that covers the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival and musician Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson's directorial debut, won the award.
Rock went on to announce Thompson's name, but glossed over the other producers and winners by calling them, "four White guys." There were actually three other producers and only two are White.
Joseph Patel, one of the four winners, is actually the first South Asian to win in the category, and did not appreciate Rock's comment.
Furthermore, the win was overshadowed by Oscar winning actor Will Smith slapping the Everybody Hates Chris star moments before the winners were announced.
As reported by Variety, Patel took to Twitter to voice his disappointment in a series of now deleted tweets:
“The reason that makes me SO SO VERY ANGRY is because I was so proud to be one of a handful of South Asians to have ever won an Oscar in the history of the award."
“I was ecstatic that I was the 3RD South Asian to win that night – after Riz [Ahmed] and Aneil Karia won earlier in the night for [best live action short winner] ‘The Long Goodbye.’"
"Three South Asians winning on the same night – that’s never happened before! And it’s meaningful! It’s history!”
Patel said Rock's joke soured the historic moment:
“I got back home to New York last night and saw the ceremony on my DVR and didn’t have the stomach to watch it.
“I probably never will."
"Thank you, Chris – You absolute f**king d**k.”
Patel also called out Smith for his attention stealing behavior during the ceremony, calling the Oscar winner "selfish":
“I think what Will [Smith] did was selfish."
"It robbed the category of its moment. It robbed the other excellent and amazing films of their moment to be acknowledged in what was a STRONG year for docs. "
"And it robbed Summer of Soul and our team of our moment. Of a loud, enthusiastic cheer for a celebrated film.”
He then gave Rock the benefit of the doubt, suggesting Rock was just stressed after the altercation, as Rock actually told the same exact joke the previous night at a different event, before knowing who the winners were.
Regardless, Patel was still disappointed on how his and his peers' Oscar moment went.
“I never need a statue to tell me how nice I am – but it sure helps."
"And what both Will AND Chris did really stained what should have been a beautiful moment for us."
“Also it goes without saying I speak for me and me alone. Not Ahmir and not our coproducers.”
Unfortunately, it appears Patel got hate for voicing his opinion and has since limited viewers of his Twitter page.
It hasn't stopped fans from offering their congratulations and understanding.
While some Twitter users suggested Patel was being sensitive, many more agreed that Rock's joke was thoughtless - regardless of the stress he may have been under:
Smith has since issued an public apology to Rock, and the comedian vaguely referenced the incident in a recent stand up, but has made no further comments.
Meanwhile, Patel's fellow winner Questlove has since explained that he was meditating before his win, and missed the chaos preceding it.
@elektrotimmy/X
