The only good news for the annual SAG Awards is that the ratings weren’t as bad as last year. Still, a measly 1.8 million viewers is nothing to write home about.

For context, just two years ago in 2019,  everyone was gasping when the SAG Awards ratings crashed to 2.7 million viewers, which is about a third better than this year’s awards. In 2017, 3.9 million tuned in.

Still, compared to last year, when only 957,000 bothered to watch, that sorry 1.8 million is an improvement.

What a thing to realize… You doubled your ratings over last year, and your ratings still suck.

Oh, you mean America wasn’t on the edge of its collective seat to root for Power of the Dog? Wasn’t the country galvanized over the fate of The Eyes of Tammy Faye? Woke Side Story? And what the hell is a CODA? There’s really a movie called Tick, Tick… Boom? And it’s a gay musical?

And other than Will Smith and Denzel Washington, where were the stars? Nicole Kidman hasn’t top-lined a hit in 20 years. I respect some of those nominated but let’s face it, we watch award shows — or used to watch award shows — to see the stars, and stars just don’t exist anymore. We’re not dazzled anymore. They’re all too human, and most of them make no secret of the fact they hate us.

And then there are the movies no one’s seen.

How is it that an industry that not too long ago produced Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Gladiator, Titanic, Braveheart, Forrest Gump, Schindler’s List, Unforgiven, and The Silence of the Lambs, is now shoveling shit called The Power of the Dog, Moonlight, The Shape of Water, and Birdman?

What a broken industry.

Movies are so bad today, China’s rejecting them because their citizens enjoy Chinese movies more than American movies. Never in the history of the motion picture business have American movies been second or third tier in a foreign country. We invented the movie business. We were the best at it. The magic came from Hollywood, U.S.A.

Well, not anymore. The industry has been captured by small-minded deviants and bitter fascists who hate the people they make movies for.

You know, over the past few weeks, I’ve been spending my weekends rerunning Marx Brothers and Bob Hope movies. It’s been long enough, I forgot most of the jokes. But, good heavens, they are simply delightful. The plot clips along, most of the jokes hit, some of the jokes practically put you on the floor, and with the rare exception, the musical numbers put a big ole smile on your face. Everyone involved is doing everything possible to entertain you, to make you feel good, to lift your spirits…

What happened to that?

I’m not saying movies should only be one-liners, pretty girls, and happy endings. There’s nothing wrong with a drama that makes you think. But this garbage today… Where’s the entertainment?

Thank God for DVD and Blu-ray. You’d have to be a lunatic to have a Bob Hope movie sitting on your shelf and choose Power of the Dog instead. Life’s too short, way too short.

Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC. Follow his Facebook Page here.