Hollywood isn’t taking Donald Trump’s historic election well. We’ve seen teeth gnashing on Twitter, courtesy of “Avengers” director Joss Whedon. Shock comic Sarah Silverman suggested Trump’s victory has caused her physical state to deteriorate. Actor Michael Shannon of “Man of Steel” fame essentially wished death on Trump supporters during one contentious interview.
These are just the initial reactions. What’s next? A protracted wave of dissent which may backfire on progressives as much as their pro-Hillary Clinton campaigning did this election cycle. It’s coming all the same. Here are six crazy things you can expect from Hollywood in reaction to Trump’s presidency.
1. Late-Night Comics Hit Peak Outrage
This already may be happening across the late-night landscape. Flash forward to, say, March, and Trevor Noah, Samantha Bee, and Stephen Colbert and company will still be treating every Trump move as an apocalyptic precursor. Will they have run out of nasty adjectives by then? Can Bee complete an entire show without making her censors bleep out half of her monologue? By mid-2017, even ardent fans will be burned out from all the doom and gloom punch lines. Suddenly, Jimmy Fallon’s apolitical “Tonight Show” shtick will look even better.
2. Documentarians to Work 24/7
Documentary filmmakers not named D’Souza essentially took the last eight years off. They ignored how President Obama abused executive privilege, lied through his teeth to push his “historic” health-care overhaul through and traded Taliban types for one very conflicted soldier. Now, it’s back to work.
We’ll soon see a crush of documentaries focused on Trump’s career before his ascension to the White House. Trump University will get its close-up, no doubt, as will other business deals that either looked shady or actually were over the past two decades. A small cadre of leftists will line up to see these documentaries. Box office results will be modest, at best. Film critics will declare the movies are “important,” “sobering,” and “must sees.” Yet the needle of public opinion won’t move an inch. Like the crush of anti-Iraq War movies we saw during the 2000s, the Trump-fueled docs will continue all the same, with diminishing financial returns.
3. Unreadable Celebrity Interviews
Today’s journalists know a politically charged sound bite means more clicks. So they routinely ask stars about the latest headlines, hoping for something incendiary. They won’t have to ask in the new year. Stars will start volunteering their take on Trump whenever it’s time to hit the promotional circuit. They’ll predict the very worst while inadvertently alienating some movie fans who might otherwise try out their product. Consumers eager to know the behind-the-scenes tricks behind the latest TV show or movie will read a few paragraphs and then click elsewhere after the third rant against the GOP.
4. ‘Hopeful Celebrities’ Will Take a Knee
Tom Hanks struck a remarkable note following Trump’s election-night victory. Hanks is no conservative, but he expressed hoped that Trump would prove his critics wrong. How wrong? So much so that Hanks himself will pull the lever for him in 2020. Now, Hanks is playing politics here. It’s doubtful he means it, but his comments were mature and soothing all the same.
Jeff Bridges struck a similar tone recently. Expect these voices to dry up in the new year. Celebrities still willing to give Trump a chance will fall silent, particularly those who aren’t household names. To say anything pro-Trump soon will be career-threatening. And they’ll act accordingly.
5. Award Shows Will Become Even More Unwatchable
You think last year’s Oscars’ telecast was a drag? Did you stop watching award shows after one too many stars used the podium for a political rant? Just wait.
The next Academy Awards telecast will be mere weeks after the Trump inauguration. Progressives will still be seething, and the celebrities within the Kodak Theater will be itching to vent. And vent they will. They certainly don’t care if the event’s ratings crater yet again. They don’t get paid to boost telecast numbers. Nor will the show’s producers suggest stars stick to the script. They haven’t drawn a line in the sand before. Why start now?
This hardly holds for just the Oscars. We’ve already seen the American Music Awards turn into an anti-Trump affair, led by Green Day’s boisterous set. And that’s while Trump had the “elect” suffix attached to his title.
These venues are catnip for celebrities. Why? The home audiences is sizable (for now). No one can rebut anything they claim. And the audience, filled with like-minded folk, will cheer with alacrity.
6. Hollywood News Outlets Will Promote All of the Above
This doesn’t take a crystal ball. We’ve already seen several Tinseltown sites urge Hollywood to become more aggressive against the Age of Trump. We need more diversity, they proclaim, ignoring that the #OscarsSoWhite movement happened on Obama’s watch. Rather than suggest celebrities are damaging their brand with their unbridled bile, they’ll urge them to keep fighting the power in any way they can.
