Can the stars resist political temptation at the Oscars?

They can’t help themselves.When actors see a microphone, they blurt out the industry’s cause du jour.It’s instinctive, like knowing your “good” side when the paparazzi appear.Free Palestine!Bleep Trump!ICE out!No one’s illegal on stolen land!Oscar Sunday offers the biggest, shiniest microphone Hollywood has to hand over.

And, in the past, the stars have exploited that stage to vent their political gripes.So the questions becomes: Can the assembled stars afford to insult half the country? And even if not, can they depart from their own “resistance” script?California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedInCalifornia Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, XCalifornia Post Opinion California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!California Post App: Download here!Home delivery: Sign up here!Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!Hollywood’s always skewed left, but awards shows grew overtly political during the Iraq War — before taking on an even more activist tone during Donald Trump’s ascendency. Think director Spike Lee of “BlacKkKlansman” asking the Oscars audience, along with millions at home, to consider the political moment in 2019: “The 2020 presidential election is around the corner.Let’s all mobilize.

Let’s all be on the right side of history.Make the moral choice between love versus hate.”Preachy, no?Or recall the trio of Oscar hosts, Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall, chanting, “Gay, gay gay” over a misinterpretation of Florida school rules in 2022.The subsequent ratings drop alarmed the entertainment industry.

The 2017 gala attracted 32.9 million viewers.By 2020, that number had plunged to 23.6 million.The most recent “high,” after the pandemic lockdowns? A mere 19.7 million viewers last year.  California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

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