Every year, when the Oscar nominations are announced, they’re immediately followed by articles about which actor/director/writer got snubbed. But that’s not how balloting for these awards work. No one actively votes against anyone. As in any election, if you get the votes, you become a nominee. If not, you go on with your life. That said, I was very surprised yesterday when Delroy Lindo’s name did not appear among the five finalists for Best Supporting Actor. That’s not a commentary on those who were nominated, all of whom gave terrific performances. I just thought Lindo’s performance was the best of his career, and it would have been nice to see it recognized. Then again, Spike Lee didn’t get a nod, either. But it was great to see that Emerald Fennell (“Promising Young Woman”) and Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”) did, marking the first time two women have been nominated for the Oscar Best Director in the same year.
It may be okay to return to the Venetian next time I’m in Las Vegas (which won’t be anytime soon) now that its corporate owner, Las Vegas Sands, has been sold to a private equity firm and real estate investment trust. The reason I’ve stayed away for so long is that the place (and its sister casino, Palazzo) fell under the ownership of Sheldon Adelson, who was one of the biggest supporters of Trump and other right-wing politicians for a long time. If his fingerprints have been scrubbed from the place, it might be worth a visit again.
I spent my professional life in radio, plus some TV. My wife spent many years working behind the scenes in TV. With our combined knowledge of the businesses, we felt an obligation to the next generation. That’s why, when our daughter was an infant, as we put her in the crib each evening at bedtime, we’d sing her a lullaby and add, “When you grow up, don’t go into the media!” It seems to have worked. She’s now a full-grown adult who doesn’t even own a radio or television!