--- title: Academy Apologizes For 'Tone-Deaf' Asian Joke at Oscars description: Read their full statement canonical: https://time.com/4260055/oscars-asian-joke-regrets/ author: Entertainment Weekly article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-03-15T20:37:54.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:56:03.546Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Academy Apologizes for 'Tone-Deaf' Asian Joke at Oscars og:description: The Oscars were criticized for "tasteless and offensive" skits og:url: https://time.com/4260055/oscars-asian-joke-regrets/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt02b4f3c0052928e4/69888b200a4a224ae39c8d34/oscars-statue-asian-joke.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3456 og:image:height: 1944 og:image:alt: 88th Annual Academy Awards - Arrivals og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Academy Apologizes for 'Tone-Deaf' Asian Joke at Oscars twitter:description: The Oscars were criticized for "tasteless and offensive" skits twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt02b4f3c0052928e4/69888b200a4a224ae39c8d34/oscars-statue-asian-joke.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Academy Apologizes For 'Tone-Deaf' Asian Joke at Oscars > Sponsored content. 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The Oscar statuette is displayed on the red carpet during the 88th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 28, 2016 in Hollywood, California. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images by [Devan Coggan / Entertainment Weekly](https://time.com/author/entertainment-weekly/) ## Devan Coggan / Entertainment Weekly Mar 15, 2016 8:37 PM UTC **UPDATE:** The Academy has a released a statement in response to a letter calling out the show’s “tone-deaf approach to its portrayal of Asians.” “The Academy appreciates the concerns stated, and regrets that any aspect of the Oscar telecast was offensive,” an Academy spokesperson said. “We are committed to doing our best to ensure that material in future shows be more culturally sensitive.” The letter, signed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Ang Lee and Star Trek actor George Takei among others, was sent in protest of the Oscars’ “tasteless and offensive skits.” **EARLIER:** More than two dozen members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences signed a letter asking the Academy to address the “tone-deaf” portrayal of Asians at this year’s Oscar ceremony. Two-time Oscar winner Ang Lee was among the 25 AMPAS members of Asian descent who sent the letter to the Academy, protesting the ceremony’s “tasteless and offensive skits” and calling for “concrete steps to ensure that people are portrayed with dignity and respect.” “In light of criticism over #OscarsSoWhite, we were hopeful that the telecast would provide the Academy a way forward and the chance to present a spectacular example of inclusion and diversity,” the letter reads. “Instead, the Oscars show was marred by a tone-deaf approach to its portrayal of Asians. We’d like to know how such tasteless and offensive skits could have happened and what process you have in place to preclude such unconscious or outright bias and racism toward any group in future Oscars telecasts.” The letter was addressed to Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs, CEO Dawn Hudson, Oscars producers Reginald Hudlin and David Hill, and the Academy’s Board of Governors, and it was delivered just before the Academy’s Board of Governors meeting on Tuesday, the first such gathering since the ceremony. Three former members of the Academy’s Board of Governors signed the letter: sound branch member Don Hall, documentary branch member Freida Lee Mock, and documentary branch member Arthur Dong. “We are proud that the Oscars reach several hundred million people around the world, of whom 60 percent are Asians and potential moviegoers,” the letter concluded. The Chris Rock-hosted ceremony came under fire for its multiple jokes about Asians, including one by Rock that portrayed three young Asian children as the accountants who count Oscar ballots. In another bit, Sacha Baron Cohen made a joke about Minions that got laughs because of crude Asian-American stereotypes. See the full text of the letter below. Dear Cheryl, Dawn, Members of the Board of Governors, Reginald and David: We are writing as Academy members of Asian descent to express our complete surprise and disappointment with the targeting of Asians at the 88th Oscars telecast and its perpetuation of racist stereotypes. In light of criticism over #OscarsSoWhite, we were hopeful that the telecast would provide the Academy a way forward and the chance to present a spectacular example of inclusion and diversity. Instead, the Oscars show was marred by a tone-deaf approach to its portrayal of Asians. We’d like to know how such tasteless and offensive skits could have happened and what process you have in place to preclude such unconscious or outright bias and racism toward any group in future Oscars telecasts. We look forward to hearing from you about this matter and about the concrete steps to ensure that all people are portrayed with dignity and respect. We are proud that the Oscars reach several hundred million people around the world of whom 60% are Asians and potential moviegoers. Sincerely, Don Hall, Sound Branch, John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation, Academy Governor, 18 years Freida Lee Mock, Documentary Branch, Academy Award winner, Academy Governor, 6 years Arthur Dong, Documentary Branch, Academy Award nominee, Academy Governor, 4 years Ang Lee, Directors Branch, Two-time Academy Award winner Chris Tashima, Shorts and Feature Animation Branch, Academy Award winner Christine Choy, Documentary Branch, Academy Award nominee David Magdael, Public Relations Branch France Nuyen, Actors Branch George Takei, Actors Branch Janet Yang, Producers Branch Jessica Yu, Documentary Branch, Academy Award winner Jodi Long, Actors Branch Laura Kim, Public Relations Branch Marcus Hu, Executives Branch Maysie Hoy, Film Editors Branch Nancy Kwan, Actors Branch Peter Kwong, Actors Branch Renee Tajima-Pena, Documentary Branch, Academy Award nominee Rithy Panh, Documentary Branch, Academy Award nominee Ruby Yang, Documentary Branch, Academy Award winner Sandra Oh, Actors Branch Steven Okazaki, Documentary Branch, Academy Award winner Teddy Zee, Executives Branch William Hoy, Film Editors Branch Yung Chang, Documentary Branch _This_ [_article_](http://www.ew.com/article/2016/03/15/oscars-ang-lee-george-takei-protest-letter?xid=entertainment-weekly%5Fsocialflow%5Ftwitter) _originally appeared on_ [_EW.com_](http://EW.com) ## Transcript This is the wildest, craziest Oscars to ever host because we got all this controversy. And people are like Chris, you should boycott. Chris, you should quit. You should quit. And you know, how come it's only unemployed people that tell you to quit something, you know? [ LAUGH ] Positive overall beats negative. With that being said, I wanna take a moment to applaud All of my actors and actresses of color that didn't get nominated tonight. [ SOUND ] I forgot the ticket? How dare you? The tickets was your job nitwit. [ SOUND ] Please, don't encourage him BB- 8. [ SOUND ] Actually, I do not look like him. He happens to look rather like me. [ MUSIC ] Heart breaks to you. Heart breaks to you. Heart breaks to you. How could you know? [ APPLAUSE ] And the award goes to Leonardo DiCaprio. [ APPLAUSE ] [ APPLAUSE ] Thank you to the Academy, thank you to all of you in this room, I have to congratulate the other incredible nominees this year for their unbelievable performances. The Revenant was a product of the tireless efforts of a unbelievable cast and crew I got to work along side. And the Oscar goes to [ BLANK_AUDIO ] Spotlight. [ APPLAUSE ] This film gave a voice to survivors, and this Oscar amplifies that voice Which we hope will become a choir that will resonate all the way to the Vatican. 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