In addition to the low box office numbers for most of the films nominated for Academy Awards and those that won, perhaps the strongest evidence that Hollywood—like the U.S. cultural elite in general—has become very distant from its audience is the fact that the TV ratings for Sunday’s Academy Awards show were the lowest ever.

The show drew a full million fewer viewers than the previous low, in 2003 just after the U.S. began the Iraq War. The fact that the nominations, presenters, and host —cable TV comedy show host Jon Stewart—had little widespread appeal doomed the show to low ratings and indicated that what Hollywood’s powers-that-be stand for is very distant from the beliefs of the American people.

The talented writer Diablo Cody, a twenty-nine year old former stripper who won the Best Original Screenplay award for Juno, exemplifies the disconnect between Hollywood and America. Ms. Cody is admired among the Left Coast elite largely for her bold personality, vulgar language, and blatant self-promotion, and only incidentally if at all, it seems, for the ideas behind her screenplay.

Her latest self-promotional stunt—releasing a silly picture of herself on the Internet—will only strengthen her appeal among Hollywood insiders and make normal people wonder just what is wrong with her.

Fortunately for audiences, money talks more loudly on the Left Coast than even politics can, and films with mass audience appeal are still being made.

Grudgingly, it would appear.