Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

Last night was Hollywood’s annual homage to itself. For the most part, it followed the usual routine. Jimmy Kimmel, as MC, wore various costumes and made inane jokes. As usual, one of the prime awards came early, most likely as a teaser to keep the crowd attentive.

Then, for another two and a half hours, we saw snippets of various films up for awards, and listened to presenters kibbitz with each other (Most presenters came to the mike in pairs.) before getting down to business, opening the envelope, and announcing the category’s winner. Yawn.

Then there was the recipient’s remarks that thanked everybody from producers and directors to parents and children. I did notice a lack of reference to the Almighty.

What struck me most, however, was that everything seemed blown out of proportion. The live renditions of the nominated songs didn’t just feature a singer; they included children and back-ups and dancers. The big awards of the year didn’t have one presenter; they had five. All five had won an Oscar in previous years,

In the Leading Actress category, for instance, the five former winners included Sally Fields, Jennifer Lawrence, Michelle Yeoh, Charlize Theron, and Jessica Lange. Each woman was assigned to describe one of the current nominees. It was all very treacly-like. For my taste it detracted from the eventual winner’s moment as Emma Stone rushed onstage with a wardrobe malfunction and was hugged almost to death by the other five. She finally got around to saying,”Thank you.”

But the final overkill was the section where Hollywood honors those who’ve passed away. Their names and photos are always shown on a big screen. In past years, this montage has been accompanied by appropriate music. One year, Cyndi Lauper played her “Time after Time” to the photos. This year those who had passed seemed lost in the musicians, the dancers, and the vocal rendition of “Time to Say Goodbye” that crowded the stage. ‘Lost’ is a generous description; irrelevant is more like it.

Come to think of it, irrelevant could describe the Oscars as well.