It has been interesting and to me gratifying if unexpected to see the negative reactions in the media to a little—really a very little—typical Hollywood politicking at the Oscar ceremony this year. The producer of the show, Gil Cates, said that he would not have Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins, who appealed on behalf of Haitian AIDS victims, or Richard Gere, whose concern was for Tibetans, on his show or in his home again. Well done, Gil! (Though can we believe that anyone in Hollywood could be really that “judgmental”?) Almost as remarkable were cartoons by the likes of Doug Marlette, who draws for New York Newsday, and Jeff Darcy of The Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Marlette’s showed two toothy presenters at a future ceremony saying: “For silliest appeal on behalf of an obscure political cause in a futile attempt to prove actors are not frivolous, self-absorbed, pea-brains, but actually serious, substantive human beings the nominees are . . .” Darcy’s cartoon depicted a typical working man in overalls saying: “The cotton ear plug on my lapel represents millions of suffering Americans who don’t want to hear actor types airing their political views during the Oscars.”

It is the latter cartoon, actually, which gives me greater hope.

It is the latter cartoon, actually, which gives me greater hope. Maybe even the ridiculous AIDS ribbons that have been all but de rigueurfor a couple of years now at gatherings like the Oscar ceremonies are beginning