February 22, 2015 10:54 PM EST
A cademy Awards host Neil Patrick Harris gave former Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer a dumb job and had two white dudes oversee her doing it—and people on Twitter are not happy about it.
Harris asked Spencer to be in charge of watching his own Oscar predictions, which were sealed in a briefcase in a clear locked box. He then asked Robert Duvall and Eddie Redmayne, to make sure she got it right.
The bit was supposed to be a joke, but many on Twitter found it humorless, tone-deaf and even racist, considering how few people of color are nominated at this year’s Oscars.
Read next: Here’s What Twitter Talked About Most During the Oscars
Oscars 2015: Celebrities on the Red Carpet Emma Stone attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Scarlett Johansson attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Chris Pratt and Anna Faris attend the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images Jessica Chastain attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter attend the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Chris Pine attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Reese Witherspoon attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. 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