There’s a certain kind of circus unfolding in Hollywood, and it’s one that could rival any three-ring spectacular. It’s happening in plain sight, under the guise of entertainment, but feels more like a relentless cavalcade of hypocrisy and misplaced priorities. This spectacle stars none other than Rachel Ziegler and Pedro Pascal, two notable figures seemingly more concerned with virtue signaling than leaving their audiences impressed—or entertained, for that matter.
Let’s start with Rachel Ziegler, who momentarily convinced Disney executives that casting an outspoken activist as Snow White was a brilliant move. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t. The recent flop at the box office is evidence enough. It turns out telling the audience to skip out on your movie because of your own political grandstanding isn’t exactly a recipe for cinematic success. Who knew that alienating your core demographic might result in less-than-stellar ticket sales? She must have missed that lesson in PR 101—assuming she attended the class at all.
Speaking of alienating, Pedro Pascal seems to be neck-deep in the same misguided approach. He’s the Hollywood darling who started getting all the plum roles right around the time he decided to publicly denigrate Trump supporters. It’s fascinating how his career trajectory seemingly shot upward with each additional social media tirade. Not that those tirades were particularly dazzling. They are, rather, predictable—a dime a dozen rehashing of the same stale commentary. Instead of taking a cue from bona fide movie stars like Tom Cruise, who skillfully navigate questions with poise without stirring the political pot, Pascal leaps headfirst into controversies with the enthusiasm of a lemming.
Pascal seems to have mastered the art of having it both ways: lambasting the same people he presumably wants to watch his films while basking in the wealth that comes from those same ticket sales. It’s a cozy setup, to be sure, but one that inevitably strains credulity. With a background that’s hardly the blueprint of downtrodden refugees but more of a well-off aristocracy, Pascal’s claims of solidarity with the oppressed might be more firsthand examples of ironic theater than genuine empathy.
Interestingly, the high priests of Hollywood appear to be quite forgiving of celebrities who spout off the “correct” political rhetoric, even if those celebs’ box office numbers are less than impressive. In stark contrast, anyone who dares to think differently—take Gina Carano, for example—faces Hollywood’s sudden enforcement of what’s essentially the artistic version of exile. It’s a spectacular demonstration of double standards that would make even the circus ringleader blush.
In a world where movies are supposed to inspire, uplift, and entertain, how did we end up here, trapped in an endless loop of mediocre productions and political preaching? Films like The Last Rodeo remind us of better alternatives—stories of courage and redemption that don’t club audiences over their heads with ideology. Maybe it’s time for Hollywood to remember its roots and perhaps, just perhaps, learn when to let the spotlight do its talking instead of its actors.
