The Oscars and the Election: Is There a Lesson Here?

http://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/27/opinion/the-oscars-and-the-election-is-there-a-lesson-here.html

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To the Editor:

Re “A Real Surprise Ending: ‘Moonlight’ Wins Best Picture” (Arts pages, Feb. 27):

Contrary to the feelings of confusion, chaos and even horror expressed on the internet over the error during the best picture award at the Oscars on Sunday night, we wondered if Hollywood was teaching us an important life lesson: that while it is human to err, it is how we admit our errors and rectify them with grace, humility and speed that makes us rise above our humanness.

We were delighted that “Moonlight” won, but even more thrilled at how genuinely gracious and humble Jordan Horowitz, one of the producers of “La La Land,” was as he corrected the error the moment he was told about it. It is a lesson that we as a nation need to relearn frequently.

Unfortunately we are not able to benefit from such lessons on a national level given the current administration’s inability to admit mistakes.

TESS DESHEFY-LONGHI

JOHN LONGHI

Niantic, Conn.

To the Editor:

When “La La Land” was named best picture at the Academy Awards and then it was corrected to reveal that “Moonlight” was the actual winner, I couldn’t help thinking why couldn’t this have been the case with the presidential election.

Many of us went to bed that night stunned by the results. We hoped that when we awoke the next morning that it would all have been a dream (nightmare) or a mistake, and that Hillary Clinton was the actual winner and would be the next president. Maybe these endings just happen at the movies!

JENNIFER DORN

New York