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Gascon had Hollywood in the palm of his hand when he wore “womanface,” but when it emerged that he had conservative values, he became persona non grata.One of the worst films of 2024 was Emilia Pérez, which is about a dreaded gangster from the Colombian Drug cartel who evades the law by transitioning into a woman. (The premise isn’t dissimilar to Humphrey Bogart’s Dark Passage from 1947, where a criminal evades the law by altering his appearance via plastic surgery.) Nevertheless, the film received hefty praise from critics when it premiered at Cannes last year. It’s possible, though, that the lead actor, by offending leftist rules, may not win the Best Actress award he was hoping for.
Emilia Pérez failed on every level. Neither was it an engaging thriller nor was it a poignant drama. To make matters worse, in a weird echo of the gangster’s transition, the movie incongruously transitioned into a musical.
Netflix released Emilia Pérez, helping conceal public rejection because there are no official verifiable numbers like box office returns. But the audiences weren’t fooled. The movie is rated only 5.8/10 on IMDB, scarcely the stuff of 13 Oscar nominations.
The focus on identity politics is why such a monumental failure of a film received funding from studios to get made and 74 percent approval of critics on Rotten Tomatoes (compared to only 19% from the audience).
<img alt captext="YouTube” src=”https://conservativenewsbriefing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/the-fall-of-hollywood-as-seen-through-its-turn-against-karla-sofia-gascon.jpg”>
Image of Karla Sofía Gascón without womanface. YouTube screen grab.
Some thought the film was transgender propaganda, i.e., sending the message that transitioning into a woman is the only way for a man to evolve emotionally and become empathetic. However, the trans community wasn’t thrilled about the depiction because it depicted transitioning as a means to evade the law by destroying one’s previous identity.
Another reason why the film received such attention is that the lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón who plays the gangster and so-called “transwoman,” is a “transwoman” in real life.
Gascón won the Award for Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival and a series of other similar awards for his role in Emilia Perez. He was recently nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. This made him the first man to receive such accolades.
Unsurprisingly, the same women of Hollywood who constantly complain about discrimination didn’t object to a woman being denied awards and nominations because of Gascón.
Since the film premiered at Cannes, Gascón has been the talk of Hollywood, appearing on numerous talk shows, receiving blandishment just for his so-called “trans” identity, and even meeting Harrison Ford. Gascón even criticized President Trump, which is an unwritten but essential component of any Oscar ‘campaign.’
An Oscar win seemed guaranteed for Gascón.
But then his old tweets were unearthed by digital excavators. In one tweet, Gascón refers to Islam as a “hotbed of infection for humanity” and “incompatible with Western values.”
Other posts resurfaced where Gascón refers to COVID vaccines as “the Chinese vaccine, [which] apart from the mandatory chip, comes with two spring rolls, a cat that moves its hand, 2 plastic flowers, a pop-up lantern, 3 telephone lines and one euro for your first controlled purchase.”
Gascón opined about the death of George Floyd, calling Floyd a “drug addict swindler” and said few people cared for him. He also referred to the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony, where black actor Daniel Kaluuya and Korean actor Youn Yuh-jung were among the winners, as an “Afro-Korean festival.
Gascón’s Wikipedia page refers to the posts as being racist, homophobic, Islamophobic, body shaming, and anti-vaccination.
Gascón has since apologized and deactivated his X account, but the damage is probably permanent. The very publications that once venerated him are now lambasting him. Even Gascón costars have denounced him.
All that is needed now is a video of Gascón attending a Trump rally with a MAGA hat, and LA will witness a new wave of wildfires caused by the spontaneous combustion of humans.
It is ironic how art reflects life or vice versa. Gascón’s character in his Oscar-nominated film engages in deception for personal gain, just as Gascón himself has.
However, the revolt against Gascón also reveals how Hollywood has become a totalitarian cult where no violations of the approved groupthink are permitted. Consequently, anyone who desires to remain employed or win the award must engage in deception because no one is that pure.
This explains why Kamala Harris received so many last-minute endorsements—it’s likely few had the guts to say “no” when asked. It also explains why many engage in theatrics during awards and other forums to prove their loyalty to the cause. If they hail from red states, they often make special efforts to insult their conservative roots. This fear causes an illusion of a consensus.
If the Oscars were really about the movies, Gascón’s opinions should not matter. All that would be important is his performance on screen.
Despite those 13 nominations, it now seems likely that Gascón won’t take home a “Best Actress” Oscar. However, the Oscar snub is happening for the wrong reasons. The real reason he shouldn’t win is that his performance was sub-par.
Sadly, the focus in Hollywood has shifted from artistic achievement on the screen to cult adherence off-screen, and audiences know it. Box office revenue in the U.S. and Canada in 2024 was 3% lower than in 2023 and 23% lower than in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. People hoping to be entertained by movies or TV series are repelled by the condescending attitude of the people whom they have made stars.
So, why should we care about Hollywood?
Hollywood may not be the force it once was, but it still is the foremost cultural ambassador for the US. Many people around the world know of America due to Hollywood.
Films are also an important part of literature and a reflection of the times.
The joy of watching a great film in cinemas with a participative audience is unparalleled. Where else do a group of people from various backgrounds go through an identical emotional ride?
I remember watching The Fugitive (1993) with a packed audience. They empathized with Harrison Ford’s character, who is falsely accused of killing his wife, and cheered as he has many near escapes from law enforcement. When the film concluded, the audience spontaneously rose and applauded.
This isn’t just among my favorite experiences at the cinema but among my favorite memories in general.
This was when Hollywood worked. Films had both artistic merit and mass appeal and were devoid of any politics. Hence, they were embraced by anyone from Mumbai to Montana. Great films can serve as a great unifier.
There is an urgent need for Hollywood to return to that era.
Perhaps President Trump’s new Special Ambassadors to Hollywood, Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone, and Jon Voight, can help initiate Hollywood’s journey back to greatness.
