Sorry MAGA, Turns Out People Still Like ‘Woke’ Art | WIREDSkip to main contentMenuSECURITYPOLITICSTHE BIG STORYBUSINESSSCIENCECULTUREREVIEWSMenuAccountAccountNewslettersSecurityPoliticsThe Big StoryBusinessScienceCultureReviewsChevronMoreExpandThe Big InterviewMagazineEventsWIRED InsiderWIRED ConsultingNewslettersPodcastsVideoMerchSearchSearchSign InSign InManisha KrishnanCultureJan 22, 2026 7:09 PMSorry MAGA, Turns Out People Still Like ‘Woke’ ArtFrom Black vampires gobbling up Oscar nominations to gay pro hockey players dominating the culture, diverse stories broke through in an environment that’s increasingly hostile to them.The horror smash Sinners made history Thursday with 16 Academy Award nominations.Courtesy of Warner Bros. PicturesCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyAs this year’s Oscar nominations rolled out this morning, I told my boyfriend that Sinners, with 16 noms in total, had made history. “Woke is back,” he replied.He was joking (don’t come for him!), but his quip highlights a pretty stark dichotomy. Last year, as everyone from President Donald Trump down harped on about the perils of DEI, the biggest cultural breakthroughs—Sinners, KPop Demon Hunters, Heated Rivalry, One Battle After Another—all showcased diversity in fresh ways. And it succeeded. These works weren’t just popular among leftists or critics, they were bona fide cultural phenomena.Sinners, a horror movie set in the Jim Crow South, used vampires as a metaphorical device to explore systemic racism and cultural theft—and director Ryan Coogler scored a feat in his deal with Warner Bros. that gives him the rights to the film in 25 years. KPop Demon Hunters, a story by a female Korean-Canadian director who’d been waiting over a decade for her chance to direct a feature, placed a huge emphasis on authenticity and brought the already-massive subculture around K-pop even more into the mainstream. Heated Rivalry, a small Canadian television production picked up by HBO, had an extremely subversive take on hockey by chronicling the horny-yet-poignant love story between two closeted pro players. And One Battle After Another—decried by conservative commentators who felt it lionized left-wing violence—offered complicated views on motherhood and activism while skewering ICE-like agent Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw and his desperate attempts to fit in with other racists.In a year when the White House issued multiple executive orders doing away with DEI programs in the federal government, the successes of those projects felt like a form of resistance. Corporate media followed Trump’s suit, with Warner Bros. Discovery, Amazon, Paramount Global, and Disney all reportedly scaling back on their diversity efforts. Skydance, founded by David Ellison, son of billionaire Trump supporter Larry Ellison, acquired Paramount, which briefly removed Jimmy Kimmel from the air due to his joke about Charlie Kirk supporters and gave CBS News a seemingly conservative makeover. Meanwhile, shows that offered red meat in the form of farmers, grumpy MAGA adherents, cowboys, and Christian values were greenlit and promoted.“There is a feeling from ... this administration that the only stories that matter are stories of straight white men, and that is just simply not the case,” says Jenni Werner, executive artistic director of the New Harmony Project, which develops theater, film, and TV projects and says it is committed to anti-oppressive and anti-racist values.“Audiences want to feel transformed. You want to be able to sit down and watch something, whether it's in your home or in a theater, that takes you into a new place and maybe gives you a new understanding of something.” She adds that she has faith that artists will keep making “boundary-pushing work,” even if it keeps getting harder.Even before Trump’s second term, trying to get out-of-the-box stories made in Hollywood has been a slog. According to UCLA’s Hollywood Diversity Report, released in December, nearly 80 percent of directors of theatrical movies in 2024 were white, along with about 75 percent of leading actors.The report also suggests this discrepancy is leaving money on the table, noting that BIPOC moviegoers “were overrepresented as ticket buyers for films that had casts of more than 20 percent BIPOC.” Sinners grossed $368 million at the box office, a feat that puts it in the “horror hall of fame,” per The New York Times.Less diversity also means less buzz, the UCLA report says.“If a show features some kind of underrepresented story, such as a women-centered story, the median total interactions for these shows were talked about on social media more than five times than shows without,” said Michael Tran, sociologist and coauthor of the diversity report, in a press release about the research.With media conglomeration increasingly turning the industry into one big network in a MAGA hat, it’s hard to know if Hollywood will get the message. (To that end: Paramount Skydance is currently on a quest to outbid Netflix and take over Warner Bros.)In December, I asked Wicked director Jon Chu, who had just signed a three-year deal with Paramount Skydance, whether he was worried about Ellison’s DEI crackdown. Chu’s decision to cast Cynthia Erivo, a Black woman, as Elpheba was just one of the controversial calls he has made in a career that has championed diversity. His response, essentially, was that money talks.“The thing about the box office, which I love about movie theaters, is that reviewers can say whatever they want, people in a conference room can say whatever they want, business affairs can say whatever the fuck they want,” he said. “But when you put it in a movie theater, if it makes money, if it creates a cultural phenomenon, it becomes a fact, then there's nothing you can say about it. There’s no more argument.”Update, January 22 at 7:15 pm: A previous version of this article had the two Ellisons reversed. 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As the year progressed, the successes of “Woke” art, exemplified by films like *Sinners* and television shows like *Heated Rivalry*, demonstrated a significant cultural shift. This phenomenon emerged during a period marked by a hostile environment, fueled by criticisms surrounding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, most notably spearheaded by former President Donald Trump. The narratives presented in these works—featuring diverse casts, exploring complex social issues, and offering unconventional perspectives—resonated strongly with audiences, transcending traditional ideological boundaries.

The initial breakout success of *Sinners*, a horror film utilizing vampires as a metaphorical device to examine systemic racism and cultural theft, secured 16 Academy Award nominations and cemented its place in cinematic history. Director Ryan Coogler’s creative direction, alongside Warner Bros., was a key factor in the film's expansive reach. Similarly, *KPop Demon Hunters*, driven by a Korean-Canadian director’s decade-long wait for a directorial opportunity, brought the rapidly expanding K-pop subculture to the forefront of mainstream consciousness. *Heated Rivalry*, a Canadian television production picked up by HBO, garnered attention for its subversive take on hockey, chronicling a poignant love story between two closeted professional players. And *One Battle After Another*, despite facing criticism from conservative commentators for its exploration of motherhood and activism alongside a satirical depiction of ICE-like agents, offered a complex and nuanced viewpoint.

This cultural resurgence coincided with a period of significant shifts within the entertainment industry. The White House issued multiple executive orders aimed at dismantling DEI programs within the federal government, and corporate media followed suit, with Warner Bros. Discovery, Amazon, Paramount Global, and Disney reportedly scaling back on their diversity efforts. The acquisition of Paramount by David Ellison’s Skydance further underscored this trend.

Jenni Werner, executive artistic director of the New Harmony Project, highlighted the audience’s desire for transformative experiences—emphasizing a longing to be transported to new places and gain a fresh understanding of complex issues. She expressed confidence that artists would continue to pursue “boundary-pushing work,” despite the increasing challenges.

Statistical data, as presented by UCLA’s Hollywood Diversity Report, painted a stark picture: in 2024, nearly 80 percent of theatrical movie directors were white, and approximately 75 percent of leading actors were also white. This disparity correlated with significant ticket sales for films featuring BIPOC casts—specifically, viewers overrepresented as ticket buyers for films with casts exceeding 20 percent BIPOC representation. *Sinners*’s impressive box office gross of $368 million solidified its place in the “horror hall of fame,” according to *The New York Times*.

The UCLA report further indicated that shows featuring underrepresented stories—such as women-centered narratives—generated significantly more social media interaction (over five times more) than similar shows lacking such representation. Michael Tran, sociologist and co-author of the diversity report, emphasized this point in a press release.

The increasing conglomeration of media into a single “MAGA hat,” as described by various commentators, raised questions about the industry's responsiveness to these trends.

Jon Chu, director of *Wicked* who signed a three-year deal with Paramount Skydance, offered a pragmatic perspective: “When you put it in a movie theater, if it makes money, if it creates a cultural phenomenon, it becomes a fact, then there’s no more argument.” His decision to cast Cynthia Erivo, a Black woman, as Elpheba—a controversial yet ultimately impactful call—reflected a willingness to prioritize audience appeal and cultural resonance, even in the face of potential criticism.

Ultimately, the success of these “Woke” projects underscored a powerful dynamic: a demand for authentic and diverse storytelling, resistant to ideological constraints and driven by the desire for engaging and transformative cultural experiences.