Stacey Dash at the Oscars was the most painfully awkward moment of the night

Only Chris Rock can thrive on intense awkwardness.

And that's exactly what he did during the 2016 Academy Awards, when he brought out controversial Fox News pundit Stacey Dash -whose entrance received literally zero applause- as part of his act.

I cannot wait to help my people out. Happy Black History Month.

If you don’t recognise the name Stacey Dash, this insightful analysis of America's racism problem should refresh your memory:

Which is a bit odd, considering the whole point of Black History Month is to draw attention to achievements and culture that gets drowned out by mainstream white-washed history.

She also said this in her blog about the fact that the Oscars have no diversity:

I think the #OscarsSoWhite controversy is lame, because black people should not demand that every segment of society who watches movies be reflected in the number of Oscars given to actors and actresses.

The Oscars So White campaign, headed by actor Jada Pinkett-Smith, was created to highlight how the Academy had drawn up an all-white shortlist for the second year in a row, and opened up a wider debate about the lack of diversity in Hollywood.

Since the Oscars began in 1926, only 86 people of colour have ever been nominated.

Several audience members - and Twitter - were left nonplussed by Dash's sudden (and out of character appearance):

Dash wrote about why she made the cameo on her blog. But we're still just as confused.

When they added ME to increase the diversity, I’m sure many black people rolled their eyes. I’m not ‘black enough’, they say. But guess what? I’ve heard that all my life. I would rather be a free-thinking black than a cookie-cutter black who thinks – and votes – just like all my friends.

Yes, I’m the actress from the South Bronx who has always dreamed of winning an Oscar. But God has a great sense of humour and this is my first encounter with one of my dreams of destiny. Bringing diversity to Hollywood … not merely because of colour, but politics as well.

More: The Oscars' problem with diversity, summed up in one damning gif