Ratings for the 2026 Academy Awards dipped to their lowest level in four years after a preachy and politicized ceremony that focused heavily on President Donald Trump.
The 98th Oscars, hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien, garnered 17.86 million viewers across ABC and Hulu Sunday, down 9 percent from last year, Deadline reported.
In addition, the show delivered a 3.92 rating among adults ages 18-49, representing a 14 percent decline from last year, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise to Hollywood, yet they keep pitching the same old script to the public.
Millionaires, many of whom appear to have deep emotional issues, lecture America on everything from presidential politics to affordability to green energy, with no background or expertise.
If that wasn’t enough, they tend to advocate policies that raise prices for the average American family, but not for them.
They spew the same talking points year after year to receive praise, applause, and to fit in with an industry that’s drawn a line in the sand.
Mocking Republicans or conservatives is fine. Mocking liberals or breaking ranks with Democrats is unacceptable.
Given that, O’Brien predictably took shots at Trump, stars on the red carpet wore pins that said “ICE OUT,” and when actor Javier Bardem presented the award for Best International Feature Film, he said, “No to war. And free Palestine,” Politico reported.
O’Brien’s fellow late-night comedian, anti-Trump ABC host Jimmy Kimmel, illustrated this point perfectly while introducing the award for best documentary short film.
He couldn’t resist alienating half the country by going after Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and CBS while on stage.
“There are some countries whose leaders don’t support free speech. I’m not at liberty to say which,” Kimmel began. “Let’s just leave it at North Korea and CBS.”
“Fortunately for all of us, there is an international community of filmmakers dedicated to telling the truth, oftentimes at great risk, to make films that teach us, that call out injustice, that inspire us to take action. And there are also documentaries where you walk around the White House trying on shoes.”
That was a veiled shot at the documentary “Melania,” which Hollywood critics panned, but audiences adored.
The disparity is undeniable. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an 11 percent rating with critics, but a 98 percent rating with audiences.
People don’t watch award shows to hear geopolitical talking points from actors who play pretend for a living.
And the biggest irony of all is that the program might even be worth sitting through, if the films were any good.
They, too, have become platforms for angry liberal filmmakers to spout personal beliefs to show how sophisticated and enlightened they are.
Many contemporary directors and writers prefer to virtue-signal, rather than deliver a complex and compelling story aimed at reaching humanity on a deeper level.
Things like subtlety, depth, acting range, powerful scores, practical set pieces, sharp wit, and originality are becoming a thing of the past. If you bash Trump or somehow adhere to the Academy’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion standards, you’re a lock.
There are always exceptions, of course, but the quality of today’s films is nothing compared to movies from the 1980s to the 2010s.
Much of that has to do with new quotas for casting and roles behind the camera, personal politics, contempt for anyone who isn’t liberal, and a sense of entitlement where filmmakers view themselves as superheroes.
Whenever the well runs dry, however, they can always bring back characters we thought were dead and make another Marvel movie, to help recoup massive financial losses studios have endured each time they try to hit us with another PC bomb.
There’s no business like show business.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
