Lassoed
Toheeb Jimoh (from left), Brett Goldstein, Karine Jean-Pierre, Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, and Brendan Hunt in a White House briefing last week. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images After weeks of starts and stops, I finally abandoned efforts to write about the Oscars. A buddy had reminded me that it used to be part of my job description to Monday-morning quarterback the wins and losses of Hollywood's Big Night … but then I remembered, hey, I'm retired now. No more skin in the game, besides this blog that some of you tell me you enjoy when awards season rolls around. Amidst the glitz and the gossip, the adoration and the snubs, the gowns and the snarky jokes from the emcee, the Academy Awards are a reminder that the movie industry is, and always has been, in the business of creating illusions. Virtue signaling is a big one. The ceremony is always a balancing act between glittery excess and proclamations on behalf of the less fortunate. Still, it was a little disconcerting to