Hollywood, the Oscars and Soft Power

For all the talk about America's declining global influence, it's worth mentioning that the Oscar awards were front-page news in just about every English-language foreign daily that I scan each morning, as well as in both French-language dailies I read. Compare that to the French equivalent, the Césars, which, in case you missed it -- and unless you're a film buff, you probably did -- took place earlier this week. As for the Césars, among the highlights were the honorary award given to Quentin Tarantino as well as the ceremony's host, Jodie Foster.

To be clear, this isn't a value judgment of French or global cinema, but just a reminder that as much as the world often hates America, it also still loves America, and often -- as the Oscars illustrate -- for the very same reasons.

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