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Stacey Dash appearance confuses Oscars audiences

The "Clueless" actress wished America a happy Black History Month — a bit of satire playing off her call on Fox News for an end to Black History Month.
Actress Stacey Dash speaks onstage during the 88th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty)
Actress Stacey Dash speaks onstage during the 88th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.

The audience at the 88th Academy Awards seemed confused by actress Stacey Dash's appearance on the telecast Sunday.

Dash, an actress who is also a Fox News host, wished America a happy Black History Month — a bit of satire playing off her widely commented-upon call for an end to Black History Month

The reaction — both in the live audience, where rapper The Weeknd was shown on-camera looking stunned, and on social media — was swift.

Shonda Rhimes, the influential producer of "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal," tweeted that Dash's appearance ruined a potential dress choice for her.

For Rhimes, Dash's appearance was remedied by a subsequent presentation by Kerry Washington, whom she thanked for "raising the elegance/class/grace levels in the room by a billion."

Dash published a blog post not long after her Oscars appearance. "When they added ME to increase the diversity, I'm sure many black people rolled their eyes," she wrote. "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."

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com.