At least since 1973, when Marlon Brando declined his Oscar — he couldn’t remember which picture it was supposed to be for — and sent up Sacheen Littlefeather to pitch the case for Indian rights instead, the giving of Oscars has been as iconic as medieval architecture, attempting with barely hidden symbolism to territorialize the political culture. Hollywood has changed and possibly invented America. Especially California. It has been said, by Fox Mulder, in an episode of “The X Files,” that this was the way of the “military, industrial, entertainment complex.” Several cultural shifts can be intuited from last nights’ awards: The Clinton age is over, and President Obama will bomb Iran.

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