Federalist Radio Hour: "You're Wrong" with Mollie Hemingway and David Harsanyi, Ep. 191

Episode Title: The Problem With Hollywood
Date: March 18, 2026
Host: Mollie Hemingway (The Federalist), David Harsanyi (Washington Examiner)

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode of "You're Wrong" on The Federalist Radio Hour, Mollie Hemingway and David Harsanyi dissect the persistent disconnect between Hollywood and mainstream America, using the recent Oscars as a jumping-off point. Their conversation pivots sharply into a critique of cultural decline, the legacy of Paul Ehrlich and his apocalyptic environmental predictions, accountability in journalism, and the state of US foreign policy—especially regarding the ongoing war with Iran. Listeners are treated to incisive cultural commentary, historical context, and lively banter, reflecting the hosts' skepticism toward establishment narratives and popular trends.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

I. The Oscars, Modern Hollywood, and Cultural Disconnect

[00:15–10:01]

• Oscars Disinterest:
  Both hosts admit to skipping the Oscars, reflecting a broader societal disinterest.

  • Mollie Hemingway: "I did not even know that they were going to be on until like and that day and I was in Vegas and I was not going to stop things to watch the Oscars." [00:32]
  • David Harsanyi: "I did not [watch], but I went to see... which of these movies have I actually seen... and I did see one battle after next after another." [00:50]

• Nominees and Cultural Irrelevance:
  The hosts discuss unfamiliarity with nominated films, questioning Hollywood’s mainstream appeal.

  • David Harsanyi: "There are movies on here I've literally never heard of. Train Dreams—never heard of it. Sentimental value—never heard of it." [05:19]

• Comparison to Past Film Eras:
  Harsanyi draws a sharp contrast between today's obscure nominees and the cultural omnipresence of past Oscar contenders.

  • David Harsanyi: "Let me give you 1975's list when people made good movies that were... high artistic quality but were also had mainstream..." [05:49]
  • He lists classics from the mid-70s through the 90s, emphasizing their lasting cultural impact.

• Modern Success Stories as Outliers:
  Hemingway and Harsanyi acknowledge occasional hit films but stress Hollywood’s broader failure to create shared cultural experiences.

  • Mollie Hemingway: "Hollywood has failed to capture the imagination for many years now... it is true it's not just us being like 'oh, in our day there were good movies.'" [09:06]

Notable Quote

• David Harsanyi: “There’s something wrong in Hollywood right now. Where they can only make... slop or something that’s so artsy that people... don’t really want to see it.” [06:39]

II. Representation, Grievance Culture, and the Oscars

[07:30–08:57]

• Critique of Representation Discourse:
  Hemingway challenges Oscar speeches claiming historic firsts for Asian representation, pointing to recent wins for "Parasite" and "Everything Everywhere All At Once."
  • Mollie Hemingway: "Like, grievance culture is lame anyway. But when you have forgotten what happened last year in order to enable your grievance culture, it's even more annoying, I guess." [08:45]

III. Paul Ehrlich, Population Bomb, and the Failure of Environmental Doomsaying

[10:01–23:42]

• Legacy and Influence:
  Harsanyi details Erhlich’s influence in mainstreaming overpopulation fears, eugenicist ideas, and the modern environmental movement.

  • David Harsanyi: "[He] was anti humanist. He was a eugenicist, basically a false prophet... He is the father of modern environmentalism, the doomsday apocalyptic Malthusian ideas that, that accompanied it." [11:13]

• Media and Public Accountability:
  The hosts lament Ehrlich’s media platform despite a "terrible," consistently wrong record, with media never holding him accountable.

  • Mollie Hemingway: "He did a lot to...shame people for having more than two children, but he definitely popularized that concept. Corporate media loved him, apparently. Sadly enough, Johnny Carson loved him." [12:19]

• Examples of Failed Predictions:
  Harsanyi lists Ehrlich’s drastically incorrect predictions about starvation, ocean life, and U.S. demographics [14:21].

• Cultural Shamelessness and Journalism:
  The dialogue turns to a critique of elite shamelessness and lack of correction in institutional journalism.

  • Mollie Hemingway: "...there should be accountability for that. There is none. Because the New York Times says, oh, he. He was just a bit premature about his doomsday scenario instead of being honest and saying we were idiots to have ever fallen for it. Right?" [19:19]

Notable Quote

• David Harsanyi, on Ehrlich’s legacy:
  “He was absolutely insane. And he is the father of modern environmentalism, the doomsday apocalyptic Malthusian ideas that, that accompanied it. He was just a terrible, terrible person." [11:13]
• Mollie Hemingway, on media credibility:
  "If we get something wrong, we have to say it. We have to explain why, or else people won't respect us... Paul Ehrlich was wrong about everything. There should be accountability for that. There is none." [19:19]

IV. Decline of Journalistic Standards & Editorial Accountability

[21:40–23:42]

• Correcting Mistakes:
  Harsanyi contrasts the severity of correcting errors early in his career with today’s lackadaisical approach.

  • David Harsanyi: "When I was starting out as a journalist and I had to correct a story, it was like a big deal... There's none of that anymore."

• Broader Media Ecosystem:
  They note the absence of editorial oversight, the rise of partisan-friendly content, and audience preference for confirmation over truth.

V. Media Coverage and the Iran War

[25:15–37:03]

• Media Framing of War
  Harsanyi critiques how establishment outlets frame the Iran war negatively, despite what he calls significant US success.

  • David Harsanyi: "It feels like there's just a negativity and a weird way to frame everything as a loss. When I think the, the, the whole operation has been an incredible success as far as any kind of context of war goes." [25:31]

• Comparisons with Ukraine and Iraq Wars:
  Hemingway observes the inconsistency in war coverage compared to the Ukraine-Russia conflict and past US wars.

  • Mollie Hemingway: “They are leading with the criticism of the war. And it is an unpopular war. I mean, it's one of the most unpopular... But the media are just, I think, lying about how the US is... not achieving its objectives when by most measures it is.” [28:32]

Notable Quote

• David Harsanyi: “I challenge anyone to give me a war that was more successful than this one in its first three weeks... The Iraq war was pretty successful the first year, but nothing like this.” [28:32]

• Polling, MAGA, and Public Support:
  Deep skepticism is voiced about polling quality and narratives about “MAGA” support for the war, with Hemingway emphasizing the need for actual coalitions beyond Trump’s base.

  • Mollie Hemingway: "Do you have to have kind of broad support, wouldn't you say?" [31:11]
  • David Harsanyi: "If readers haven't. Last thing. Did you notice whenever I mention anything about my concealed carry gun or whatever, we get a ton of people." [60:08]

VI. Domestic vs Foreign Policy: Tradeoffs and Voter Priorities

[33:08–41:44]

• Foreign Crisis vs. Domestic Concerns:
  The hosts debate whether a focus on foreign policy (like the Iran war) undermines attention to vital domestic issues such as immigration and tariffs. Trump’s prioritization and how this lands with voters is a recurring theme.

• Polling, Tariffs, and ICE Raids:
  Discussion of unpopular Trump policies (specifically tariffs) and how polling impacts or doesn't impact policy decisions.

VII. Trump Administration, Internal Dissent, and National Security Resignations

[42:08–47:08]

• Counterterrorism Director’s Resignation:
  Harsanyi critiques the recently-resigned counterterrorism director as opportunistic and inconsistent, questioning why such officials are in the administration if they disagree fundamentally with policy.

• Public vs. Quiet Resignation:
  Hemingway expresses preference for officials to step down quietly rather than make their departures a media spectacle.

  • Mollie Hemingway: “I also think you should resign quietly. I don't know if that makes sense, but, like, you should, you should resign. But then you shouldn't make it all about you.” [43:53]

VIII. The "Imminent Threat" Justification and Historical Parallels

[47:08–55:10]

• Transparency on War Justifications:
  Hemingway urges the Trump administration to share substantiating evidence of an imminent threat from Iran, drawing parallels to how weak evidence precipitated the Iraq War.

  • Mollie Hemingway: “If it's strong and compelling, that would be good for people... to build support, I think, and to know the quality of the evidence.” [47:08]

• High Bar for Preemption:
  Harsanyi challenges the demand for absolute imminence before intervention, arguing the regime’s ambitions are transparently dangerous.

  • David Harsanyi: "I don't understand why... we have to be minutes away from being attacked before we can ever move against anyone who is trying to hurt us." [51:40]

IX. Culture Corner: Vegas Trips, Baseball, and TV Comfort Viewing

[55:10–61:03]

• Personal Stories:
  Hemingway shares about her family’s Vegas gathering, Mob Museum visit, and zipline experience—emphasizing non-gambling, non-partying enjoyment of the city.

• World Baseball Classic:
  Harsanyi expresses bemusement about the sudden relevance of the World Baseball Classic and whether it has real cultural weight.

• Seeking Light TV Fare:
  Discussion on favorite light police procedurals and the challenge of finding new, uncomplicated TV to unwind with.

• Community Interaction:
  Harsanyi notes the lively audience response whenever guns are discussed on the podcast.

Memorable Quotes & Segments with Timestamps

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker |
|-----------|-------|---------| | [00:32] | "I did not even know that they were going to be on until like and that day and I was in Vegas and I was not going to stop things to watch the Oscars." | Mollie Hemingway | | [06:39] | “There’s something wrong in Hollywood right now. Where they can only make... slop or something that’s so artsy that people... don’t really want to see it.” | David Harsanyi | | [11:13] | “He was absolutely insane. And he is the father of modern environmentalism, the doomsday apocalyptic Malthusian ideas that, that accompanied it. He was just a terrible, terrible person.” | David Harsanyi | | [19:19] | "...Paul Ehrlich was wrong about everything. There should be accountability for that. There is none." | Mollie Hemingway | | [25:31] | "It feels like there's just a negativity and a weird way to frame everything as a loss. When I think the, the, the whole operation has been an incredible success..." | David Harsanyi | | [28:32] | "They are leading with the criticism of the war... it is an unpopular war. I mean, it's one of the most unpopular..." | Mollie Hemingway | | [43:53] | "I also think you should resign quietly... you shouldn't make it all about you." | Mollie Hemingway | | [51:40] | "I don't understand why or when we came up with this idea that we have to be minutes away from being attacked before we can ever move against anyone who is trying to hurt us." | David Harsanyi |

Timestamps for Major Topics

• Oscars & Movie Trends: 00:15–10:01
• Representation Debates: 07:30–08:57
• Paul Ehrlich and Journalism: 10:01–23:42
• Iran War and Media Coverage: 25:15–37:03
• Trump, Policy, & Public Opinion: 33:08–41:44
• National Security, Resignations & Evidence Standards: 42:08–55:10
• Culture Corner (Personal Stories, Baseball, TV): 55:10–61:03

Overall Tone and Closing

The episode's tone is simultaneously skeptical, humorous, and combative, reflecting the hosts’ resistance to elite consensus and mainstream narratives—whether about movies, science, wars, or political polling. Sifting through media mistellings and historical hindsight, Hemingway and Harsanyi periodically redirect conversation to what they see as plain truths, often reinforced by sharp wit and historical references. The episode concludes with light-hearted cultural recommendations and enthusiastic engagement with the podcast audience.