I didn’t happen to see one on Angelina Jolie. Nor on Miley Cyrus, nor on any of the most profiled attendees at the Academy Awards.

The fashion accessory I was looking for was the red ribbon, a symbol of HIV/AIDS awareness.

A few decades back, red ribbons were a fashion staple on the Red Carpet. But now, it seems, such ribbons are hard to come by.

Did AIDS disappear? Or is the Hollywood crowd simply missing in action when it comes to anti-AIDS humanitarian action?

It could be that, in pop psychology terms, Hollywood has simply moved on. For one thing, it’s been some years since the movie “Philadelphia,” which profiled a man dying from the disease, has been in theaters. The main character in “Milk,” the cinematic valentine to the gay rights movement, died long before AIDS was a household term.

This year, white ribbons hit the Oscars. For conservatives, the white ribbon has become synonymous with the campaign against pornography. But for Hollywood types, the white ribbon stands for “marriage equality,” which can be translated to mean “same sex marriage.” In fact, one Internet report said that the people behind “Milk” would be sporting the ribbons at the Academy’s night of nights. Apparently, Dave Grohl of the musical group Foo Fighters wore the white ribbon to the Grammys, while actress Ann Hathaway wore the ivory ribbon to Inaugural events. Continued...