Hollywood Awards such as the Oscars and Emmy have always been a stage for political activism. With the tools of story telling and music and actors of different backgrounds, nothing ever Hollywood did was apolitical.
Activism is not new to the land of movies. It has always found its fingers in the jar of politics. However, in the last few years, the relationship has intensified. The artists and techs involved in the industry have become more vocal. Where the art once spoke for itself, now the people are speaking.
This rush came especially after Donald Trump became the president of the United States for the first time. The criticism and the voices became loud. From the red carpet to the award speeches, things became political too fast.
It started when Donald Trump called Meryl Streep “one of the most overrated actresses” and it’s still going on. The latest example of tension between the administration and Hollywood came from Emmy Award 2025 when the Hacks star Hannah Einbinder took her first Emmy home and used her platform to make headlines. She spoke about politics in the country and not about her performance.
This was Einbinder’s first win after her previous four nominations, and she used that as her opening line for her emotional acceptance speech. She called her victory “Punk Rock”.
However, the lightheartedness of her speech ended there as she shifted gears and used her moment to call out the the political injustices faced by society’s less fortunate.
At the 2025 Emmys, Hannah Einbinder won Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy and used her speech to declare: “Go Birds, F** ICE, and Free Palestine.”#Emmys #Emmys2025 pic.twitter.com/2XoC5HFWVE
— Infina Alerts (@InfinaAlerts) September 15, 2025
“F— ICE, Free Palestine,” she said. That drew some laughs and cheers from the audience; however, a few of the attendees were visibly uncomfortable. It remains to be seen if that was the case because of fear of ICE or their support of it.
Her comments were in line with her co-star Megan Stalter’s remarks on the red carpet. This reinforced that the political climate of Hollywood is on the brink and it is not a time to stay quiet.
The pressure on artists and actors to speak on world issues has been growing a lot. The pressure from social media and keyboard warriors to pick a side has become career threatening. The funniest example has been when artists of other countries like BTS from South Korea face pressure to comment on U.S. politics, but we digress.
Though the call for activism comes from a genuine place of concern and ideology, it is difficult to say if it is a right attitude to put pressure of world politics solely on the shoulders of those who are in the country on a working visa and have their own issues in their own homes.
BREAKING — Actor Sean Penn says he won’t return to film his new show unless his co-stars get vaccinated.
Are you with him? pic.twitter.com/MrGZS3iD4H
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) July 24, 2021
The truth is, in today’s world, silence is often seen as complicity. Social media has taken over the role of a watch for celebrity morality. Gone are the days when being a celeb meant having endless parties, booze and access to dr*gs. Being a celeb now means that your every political thought is on the platter for the world to see and judge.
“There is a constant expectation now,” says one entertainment publicist.
“If a celebrity doesn’t speak out, their DMs are flooded with demands to ‘say something.’ It’s no longer enough to just act or sing — you have to be an activist, too.”
The main concern, however, is the authenticity. For some stars, activism may be deeply personal and genuine. For others, it can feel forced. It could be driven by the fear of public criticism. There’s a fine line between authentic expression and performative gestures.
While Einbinder’s comments seemed spontaneous and heartfelt, there are people who argue that award stages shouldn’t be used for political grandstanding. They claim that such gestures could alienate the audience, which is tasked to escape the overwhelming effects of politics in our daily lives.
.@antoniosabatojr: “Hollywood is very much to the left and liberal.” pic.twitter.com/tuVQ1lSAhY
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 7, 2016
However, one has to remember, the birth of art is through emotions and political decisions instigate major emotional reactions from people.
If the Emmys are any indication, the merging of entertainment and politics is here to stay. Future ceremonies are likely to continue spotlighting activism. Stars will face growing pressure to weigh in on everything.
Hollywood has been and will remain one of the loudest political battlegrounds in America with both liberal and conservative artists.
