With such a controversial president, it seems that Hollywood has become increasingly political, especially through award shows. From Jimmy Fallon’s Trump one-liners to Meryl Streep’s six minute speech criticizing the president at the Golden Globes, it seems that actors and filmmakers all across Hollywood have something to say.

Some jab Trump lightly, like Jimmy Kimmel. During the opening for the Oscars, Kimmel said, “The President of the United States will tweet about [the Oscars] in all caps during his 5 a.m. bowel movements tomorrow.” Other celebrities are more extreme, like Meryl Streep, who used her acceptance speech for the Cecil B. DeMille Award to criticize Trump’s treatment of the press.

Opinions on events like these are divided; some applaud these celebrities for spreading important messages while others claim politics should have no place in Hollywood. Politics can be incorporated into the entertainment industry well, like by spreading a political message through a film. Films such as “An Inconvenient Truth” and “The Big Short” inspire and evoke thought and discussion. But the way that it’s been executed in these speeches have been very weak. At the end of the day, most of these filmmakers are simply calling Trump a bully and saying that he stands against American values. Even though I also dislike the current president, these messages and speeches really don’t make any change. Most already have a clear opinion on the president and aren’t going to reconsider or adjust it anytime soon. Because of this, these speeches serve little else than re-establishing ideas that people will either agree or disagree with.

Even with these complaints, films provide for a great alternative in spreading a message. Even though they lack subtlety and impartiality, they provide powerful messages that resonate with the viewer. So while award show speeches can devolve into echo chambers, political films are a creative and effective way of spreading a message.