Oscar host Chris Rock issues cryptic 'blackout' tweet

Comedian Chris Rock had Twitter buzzing with confusion and expectation on Friday, with a mysterious tweet ahead of his appearance as host of the Academy Awards

Rock tweeted a 15-second video clip of a silent, static-filled television screen, along with the message "See you Sunday" and the hashtag "blackout".

Speculation ran rampant after the tweet went out, with many opining that the tweet is referring to the #OscarsSoWhite campaign.

Several celebrities have agreed to boycott the Academy Awards due to a lack of diversity among the acting nominees this year. The Academy has not nominated a single actor of colour in the past two years, and the move has been met with a lot of resistance this year round.

Rock has been tweeting several mysterious messages in recent days, ahead of his hosting duties on Sunday. One photo shows him in an astronaut’s uniform, while another shows him alongside actress Kristen Wiig and director JJ Abrams.

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