{"id":2581345,"date":"2026-03-18T14:12:01","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T18:12:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oscars-ratings-tumble-to-lowest-level-in-years-after-kimmels-trump-insults\/"},"modified":"2026-03-18T14:15:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T18:15:17","slug":"oscars-ratings-tumble-to-lowest-level-in-years-after-kimmels-trump-insults","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oscars-ratings-tumble-to-lowest-level-in-years-after-kimmels-trump-insults\/","title":{"rendered":"Oscars Ratings Tumble to Lowest Level in Years After Kimmel&#8217;s Trump Insults"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Foscars-ratings-tumble-to-lowest-level-in-years-after-kimmels-trump-insults%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2581345&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article critiques the 2026 Academy Awards, noting a four-year low in ratings (about 17.86 million viewers on ABC\/Hulu and a 3.92 rating among adults 18-49). It blames a preachy, politicized ceremony that centered on Donald Trump and featured political remarks from hosts like Conan O\u2019Brien and Jimmy Kimmel, as well as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bill-maher-issues-perfect-response-to-fellow-celebs-wearing-anti-ice-be-good-pins-14\/\" title=\"Bill Maher Issues Perfect Response to Fellow Celebs Wearing Anti-ICE &#039;Be Good&#039; Pins\">red-carpet activism<\/a>. The piece argues Hollywood lectures the public while audiences push back,highlighting controversies around the film Melania and a stark gap between critics\u2019 low Rotten Tomatoes scores and high audience scores.It contends that <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >contemporary films prioritize virtue signaling<\/a> and political messaging over storytelling,criticizes diversity quotas and liberal bias,and suggests studios rely on franchised spectacles (such as marvel movies) to recoup losses. The overall tone is skeptical of modern Hollywood and the academy, concluding wiht the line that \u201cthere\u2019s no business like show business.\u201d  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>The 98th Oscars, hosted by comedian Conan O&rsquo;Brien, garnered 17.86 million viewers across ABC and Hulu Sunday, down 9 percent from last year, Deadline <a href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2026\/03\/2026-oscars-tv-ratings-viewership-abc-streaming-1236758129\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/tv\/tv-news\/oscars-2026-tv-ratings-1236534637\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hollywood Reporter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This shouldn&rsquo;t come as a surprise to Hollywood, yet they keep pitching the same old script to the public.<\/p>\n<p>Millionaires, many of whom appear to have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/zootopia-2-teaches-kids-they-have-trauma-and-its-parents-fault\/\" title=\"&#039;Zootopia 2&#039; Teaches Kids They Have Trauma And It&#039;s Parents&#039; Fault\">deep emotional issues<\/a>, lecture America on everything from presidential politics to affordability to green energy, with no background or expertise.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!container) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=\"https:\/\/player.anyclip.com\/anyclip-widget\/lre-widget\/prod\/v1\/src\/lre.js\"; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"pubname\", \"westernjournalcom\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"widgetname\", \"001w000001jULVcAAO_M12924\");  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ append inside the container so player shows in correct spot \t\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadAnyclip(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #anyclipvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#anyclipvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>If that wasn&rsquo;t enough, they tend to advocate policies that raise prices for the average American family, but not for them.<\/p>\n<p>They spew the same talking points year after year to receive praise, applause, and to fit in with an industry that&rsquo;s drawn a line in the sand.<\/p>\n<p>Mocking Republicans or conservatives is fine. Mocking liberals or breaking ranks with Democrats is unacceptable.<\/p>\n<p>Given that, O&rsquo;Brien predictably took shots at Trump, stars on the red carpet wore pins that said &ldquo;ICE OUT,&rdquo; and when actor Javier Bardem presented the award for Best International Feature Film, he said, &ldquo;No to war. And free Palestine,&rdquo; Politico <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/03\/16\/obrien-kimmel-jab-at-trump-at-oscars-00829443\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>O&rsquo;Brien&rsquo;s fellow late-night comedian, anti-Trump ABC host Jimmy Kimmel, illustrated this point perfectly while introducing the award for best documentary short film.<\/p>\n<p>He couldn&rsquo;t resist alienating half the country by going after Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and CBS while on stage.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There are some countries whose <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/departing-opioid-trust-member-no-excuse-for-getting-money-out-quickly-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Departing opioid trust member: \u2018No excuse\u2019 for getting money out quickly - Washington Examiner\">leaders don&#038;rsquo<\/a>;t support free speech. I&rsquo;m not at liberty to say which,&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/watch-jimmy-kimmel-takes-cheap-shot-melania-oscars-stage-backlash-brutal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kimmel<\/a> began. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s just leave it at North Korea and CBS.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;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.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>That was a veiled shot at the documentary &ldquo;Melania,&rdquo; which Hollywood critics panned, but audiences adored.<\/p>\n<p>The disparity is undeniable. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an 11 percent rating with critics, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rottentomatoes.com\/m\/melania\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a 98 percent<\/a> rating with audiences.<\/p>\n<p>People don&rsquo;t watch award shows to hear geopolitical talking points from actors who play pretend for a living.<\/p>\n<p>And the biggest irony of all is that the program might even be worth sitting through, if the films were any good.<\/p>\n<p>They, too, have become platforms for angry liberal filmmakers to spout personal beliefs to show how sophisticated and enlightened they are.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>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&rsquo;s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion standards, you&rsquo;re a lock.<\/p>\n<p>There are always exceptions, of course, but the quality of today&rsquo;s films is nothing compared to movies from the 1980s to the 2010s.<\/p>\n<p>Much of that has to do with new quotas for casting and roles behind the camera, personal politics, contempt for anyone who isn&rsquo;t liberal, and a sense of entitlement where filmmakers view themselves as superheroes.<\/p>\n<p>Whenever the well runs dry, however, they can always bring back characters we thought were dead and make another Marvel movie, to help recoup <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/disneys-woke-snow-white-remake-suffers-historic-opening-weekend-flop\/?ff_source=webpage\/4page\/3page\/37page\/37\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">massive financial losses<\/a> studios have endured each time they try to hit us with another PC bomb.<\/p>\n<p>There&rsquo;s no business like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=DQqXAEyfdhQ&amp;list=RDDQqXAEyfdhQ&amp;start_radio=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">show business<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s a paraphrase of the main content you provided:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The ratings for the 2026 Academy Awards dropped to a four-year low, with the ceremony\u2019s preachy, politicized tone centered largely on President Trump. The 98th Oscars, hosted by Conan O\u2019Brien, drew about 17.86 million viewers across ABC and Hulu, down 9% from the previous year, and earned a 3.92 rating among 18-49-year-olds, a 14% drop.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The piece argues this isn\u2019t surprising and suggests Hollywood keeps pushing the same script: wealthy celebrities lecturing the public on politics, costs of living, and green energy, often without relevant expertise.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; It highlights how the event included geopolitical jokes and political statements-such as Bardem\u2019s \u201cNo to war. And free Palestine\u201d line and Jimmy Kimmel\u2019s jab about Trump and CBS-casting the ceremony as part of a broader trend of political signaling rather than artistic focus.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The article contrasts critics\u2019 views with audience reactions, noting that while some documentaries receive praise from audiences, they\u2019re often criticized by critics (e.g., a doc like \u201cMelania\u201d having low critical scores but high audience approval).<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; A central complaint is that viewers don\u2019t want geopolitics from actors, and even if some films could be engaging, today\u2019s movies frequently serve as platforms for personal political beliefs rather than delivering deep, nuanced storytelling.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; It contends that contemporary filmmaking sacrifices subtlety, depth, and originality in favor of signaling and meeting DEI-driven quotas. To recoup losses, studios might rely more on big franchises (e.g., Marvel) rather than producing quality, original work.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The overarching message: there\u2019s no business quite like show business.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The text also contains unrelated interface elements (form fields and a \u201cSuccess!\u201d message) that aren\u2019t relevant to the main argument and can be ignored in a paraphrase<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2581346,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Low-Oscars-Ratings-Kimmel-.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[4793,6445,4882,3634],"class_list":["post-2581345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-kimmel","tag-oscars","tag-ratings","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Low-Oscars-Ratings-Kimmel-.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581345","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2581345"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581345\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2581350,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581345\/revisions\/2581350"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2581346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2581345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2581345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2581345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}