By Jeff Crouere
March 19, 2026
The 2026 Oscars served as another reminder of what has been lost in our country. This event once celebrated the creativity of filmmakers who made movies that millions of Americans enjoyed. At its peak, Hollywood produced films that inspired and captivated audiences worldwide.
Today, Hollywood’s output focuses on content that preaches, depresses, and appeals to a narrow segment of Americans. The Oscars drew a television audience of 57 million in 1998, but recent viewership has fallen to barely over 20 million.
Hollywood’s insufferable progressivism has driven growing disdain among conservative Americans toward celebrities who advocate against President Donald Trump or promote left-wing political messaging. Despite this, industry insiders remain entrenched in their ideological bubble.
Their disconnect from reality is evident in the lavish gestures. In 2026, all Oscar nominees received swag bags valued at $350,000. Simon Kent noted that these packages now emphasize exclusive experiences and private villas designed for total seclusion away from public scrutiny. These “villas” are located in destinations as distant as Costa Rica, Ibiza, Finland, and Sri Lanka.
The Hollywood elite may claim business as usual continues, but significant problems plague the industry. A recent example: NBC canceled its long-running syndicated show, Access Hollywood, after nearly three decades on air.
For decades, Americans enjoyed “dinner and a movie” as a great date night or an escape from the world’s troubles. Today, for many, the smell of popcorn and the buzz of theaters have faded away. Millions now stream content on smart devices rather than visit cinemas. The national average movie ticket price rose 50% to $12.45 by early 2026—up from $8.43 in 2015. This shift has driven AMC to close approximately 20% of its theaters in recent years.
Box office revenue has plummeted from $16.4 billion in 2002 to just $8.87 billion in 2025, a nearly 50% decline. Production has shifted away from California to lower-cost regions, and tens of thousands have been laid off since 2018.
A contributing factor is the high tax environment in California under Governor Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., which has made the state increasingly unattractive for film production. This trend reflects a broader challenge: Hollywood’s current environment is toxic to business operations in a nation that leans center-right and voted to elect Trump as President in 2024.
Many Americans no longer want movies that promote left-wing causes or demonize traditional American values. As Grace Salvatore explains, “Hollywood delivers lectures instead of entertainment—and it’s no wonder half the country has stopped watching.”
This divide is stark: the Oscars’ audience now skews older, wealthier, and disproportionately coastal, with urban markets like Los Angeles and New York far above national averages. Younger Americans increasingly disengage.
According to a recent Rasmussen poll, 54% of Americans believe movie quality has declined over the last two decades, while only 27% report improvement.
