Oscars 2020: Chris Rock, Steve Martin Mention the Lack of Female Nominees in Their Opening Act

Actors Chris Rock and Steve Martin used their comic skills to point out the lack of female nominees in the directing category at this year's Oscars. Rock said: "There's something missing this year." And they both filled in the blank with: "Vaginas", reports Hollywoodreporter.com. While Greta Gerwig's "Little Women" was up for best picture, no women were included this year in the category of best director. Oscars 2020: Brad Pitt Wins Best Supporting Actor, Takes a Political Dig With John Bolton Comment in Acceptance Speech (Watch Video)

During Janelle Monae's musical introduction to the show at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, she also commented on the topic. "We celebrate all the women who directed phenomenal films," she said. She also added, "Happy Black History Month!" Oscars 2020: Priyanka Chopra Says She Won’t Be Attending the 92nd Academy Awards, Asks Fans to Vote for Her Throwback Red Carpet Looks. 

On the red carpet, Natalie Portman wore a Dior Haute Couture dress that paid tribute to the snubbed female directors by listing their surnames in gold embroidery down the lapel. In the Academy's 92-year history, only five women have been nominated for best director. Meanwhile, Martin and Rock also joked about Oscars not having a host anymore. During the introduction, Martin asked why the Oscars don't have a host anymore and Rock quipped: "Twitter".

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 10, 2020 07:52 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).