Two-time best director Ang Lee at the 88th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California, Feb. 28, 2016.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences expressed its regret on Tuesday after some Academy members protested the Oscars' Asian jokes, saying it will work to ensure the show is "cultural sensitive."
Twenty-five members of the Academy -- among them two-time best director Ang Lee and "Star Trek" actor George Takei -- have sent a letter to the Academy's Board of Governors in which they criticized the "tone-deaf approach to (the show's) portray of Asians."
Some Asians have been critical of a skit of the Feb. 28 Oscars telecast, in which host Chris Rock brought three Asian children on stage and introduced them as the accountants who tabulated Oscar votes. Actor Sacha Baron Cohen also made some derogatory off-the-cuff remarks while presenting at the ceremony.
"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 Oscar telecasts," the letter said.
Before the telecast, the Oscars had already raised ire from its black members due to the "OscarSoWhite" controversy, in which no black people were nominated in this year's awards.
In light of the criticism, the letter said, "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."
In response to the letter, the Academy released a statement in which it said "The Academy appreciates the concerns stated, and regrets that any aspect of the Oscar telecast was offensive. We are committed to doing our best to ensure that material in future shows be more culturally sensitive."
