Only 29% of Californians View Hollywood Favorably — In Its Own Backyard
A UC Berkeley poll shows even California has had enough. Oscar ratings have cratered from 46M to 20M. The culture war memo hasn't reached the studios. #California
Even California Doesn't Like Hollywood Anymore
Just in time for the Oscars, a UC Berkeley poll delivered the kind of news that should make every studio executive sweat: only 29% of California voters view Hollywood favorably.
Not nationally. Not in red states. In California — Hollywood's own backyard.
The Numbers
The UC Berkeley Citrin Center for Public Opinion Research / Politico poll surveyed 1,220 registered California voters (Feb 23 – March 3, margin of error ±2.8%). The findings:
29% view the entertainment industry favorably
48% say Hollywood has too much influence on California politics
81% of Republican-leaning voters say Hollywood is too liberal
23% of Democrat voters agree it's too far left
That last number is the one that should worry Hollywood most. Nearly a quarter of their own political base thinks they've gone too far.
The Ratings Collapse
The Oscars viewership tells the same story in a different language. In 2000, 46 million Americans watched the ceremony. Last year? 20 million — and that was considered an improvement. The audience has been in steady decline for nearly a decade.
This year's ceremony aired Sunday night with the usual parade of political lectures, activist speeches, and pointed jabs at Trump. At some point, the entertainment industry forgot that the word "entertainment" is in its name.
The Grassroots Angle
UC Berkeley professor Jack Citrin put it simply: "If I owned a studio, I would want to know if the vocal liberalism of people who are in my films — does that alienate people?"
The answer, clearly, is yes. And not just in flyover country — in Hollywood's own zip code.
Grassroots conservatives have been boycotting, tuning out, and building alternatives for years. This poll says they're not alone anymore. When 71% of California voters can't bring themselves to say something positive about the entertainment industry, the culture war isn't being lost — it's already been won. Hollywood just hasn't gotten the memo yet.