Donald Trump entered his second term vowing to dismantle this growing precedent, and movie studios across Hollywood seemingly immediately bowed to the pressure, leaving moviegoers — and those within the industry — questioning whether their solidarity was just pretense.
The Trump istration pushed the narrative that the D in DEI actually stands for discrimination and ran with it. Trump personally declared that any federal institution acknowledging the need for diversity would lose federal funding. But what flew under the radar was his directive for the Federal Communications Commission to investigate companies like Comcast for alleged discrimination through DEI. This one move seemingly forced other studios to fall in line, in an attempt to avoid unnecessary legal battles.
More than most public companies, Hollywood movie studios rely on societal goodwill. If people don’t feel spoken to or represented, they disengage. Theaters have already seen a decade-long decline in attendance, so some fans and even filmmakers expected stronger pushback against an increasingly unpopular istration.
According to Variety, Orange Is the New Black star Laverne Cox was the first to sound the alarm, saying, “Our representatives have basically told us and are showing us that they’re working to enrich themselves and corporations, and they can give an F .” Fans on X also echoed the sentiment, with one making a damning assertion that Hollywood never cared about diversity in the first place.
Hollywood never cared about diversity
— Okiro (@TheFirstOkiro) March 6, 2025
They were just very good at fooling gullible liberals who conflated virtue signaling with quality to make themselves feel better. BIPOC been saying this since the 2010s https://t.co/rDb4xfG2T6
Another pointed out the irony of Hollywood championing boundless creativity yet limiting itself to Trump’s whims.
Weak Weirdos. In an industry that’s supposed to be thought provoking and limitless. Limiting yourselves to kiss his ring. https://t.co/SwPhaF2K2p
— Nika ✨ (@xoxo_nika) March 4, 2025
Some studio representatives attempted to justify their stance. Netflix’s head of inclusion, Vernā Myers, claimed the studios were only complying due to “bullying.” Myers said, “Most smart companies are just trying to figure out how far this is going to go. They’re trying to stay out of the crosshairs.”
Comcast stood its ground. But other major studios — including Warner Bros. Discovery, Amazon Prime Video, and even Walt Disney Co. — bowed, significantly scaling back diversity programs. Honestly, considering Jeff Bezos no longer even tolerates dissenting opinions in The Washington Post, Amazon’s retreat isn’t surprising.
The idea that private companies must align with the president is alarming and hints at autocracy. But given Trump’s growing ties to Russia, that isn’t too shocking. In fact, Vladimir Putin’s own rage against diversity sounds eerily similar to Trump’s rhetoric. Trump isn’t alone, though — his allies, like Elon Musk, also the pushback against DEI. Considering Musk is currently on X championing calls for the pardon of Derek Chauvin, the man who murdered George Floyd, maybe he’s not the right person to take advice from on diversity. If a recording of a man committing the unthinkable isn’t enough for Musk to recognize the depths of racial injustice, then nothing ever will.
Something to think about https://t.co/KbZQEMpFXP
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 4, 2025
If Hollywood studios want to revive engagement with their blockbusters and thought-provoking dramas, they must stand with the people when it matters most. Because what’s next? Pandering to noted racist Mel Gibson just because Trump likes him?
If Hollywood truly wants to protect its revenue, it must which hand actually feeds it. Hint: That hand isn’t orange.
Published: Mar 7, 2025 12:43 pm