Oscars at War: A Somber Party, A Gentler Glitz
The 2003 Vanity Fair Oscar party unfolded in a surreal haze—Hollywood’s elite clinking glasses, whispering gossip, and feigning normalcy while, halfway across the world, war raged in Iraq. Ryan O’Neal danced with Dr. Ruth, Farrah Fawcett watched from the sidelines, and Steve Martin salvaged the Oscars with biting wit. But even in a city built on escapism, the war’s shadow was inescapable, infiltrating hushed conversations, tense PR spin, and the industry's awkward refusal to engage.
