With less than a fortnight to go for showbiz' glitziest event, the annual rounds of Oscar-bashing have begun in earnest.

This week's Entertainment Weekly features a comedian being wonderfully derisive about the Academy Awards, and that in itself isn't a rare thing at all. It's just that, in this case, the man is Chris Rock, and, come February 27, he happens to be the man hosting the Oscars!

In the interview, Rock says that Oscar ceremonies never hold his concentration for the long duration, before deriding the annual event as 'idiotic' and a pointless fashion parade! 'I never watched the Oscars, except the Halle Berry [Images]/Denzel Washington year. But even then, I went back and forth to other channels,' he said.

'Come on,' the comedian added, 'it's a fashion show. No one performs, it's not like a music show. Nothing against people who aren't straight, but what straight guy that you know really cares? Who gives a ****? They're clothes. What straight black man sits there and watches the Oscars? Show me one. And they don't recognise comedy, and you don't see a lot of black people nominated, so why should I watch it?'

Oscar bosses, of course, are predictably playing down the comments, and backing Rock as their choice to host the ceremony. IMDb.com quoted Oscar producer Gil Cates as saying, 'The Academy is excited about Chris Rock hosting this year's Oscar telecast and looking forward to a very funny evening with him. Chris's comments over the past few weeks are meant to be humorous digs at the show that some people, obviously including Chris himself, think may be a bit too stuffy.'

Photograph: Getty Images