The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show — Hour 2: "Did You Watch the Oscars?"

Date: March 16, 2026
Podcast: The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show (iHeartPodcasts)
Episode Theme:
A lively, irreverent takedown of Oscars night, Hollywood trends, and current events in politics and culture—with characteristic sarcasm and a critique of "woke" changes in media and society.

Episode Overview

In this hour, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton riff on the 2026 Oscars, Hollywood’s embrace of diversity, and the directions of both pop culture and politics. The hosts use their trademark banter and skepticism to dissect the state of movies, TV, and the current political climate, touching on topics ranging from TSA chaos and left-wing double standards to diversity mandates for Best Picture nominees. The conversation grows broader, linking Hollywood trends to deeper issues of historical literacy and media bias.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Oscars Recap & Hollywood Critique

• Oscars Apathy & Film Quality
  • Buck confesses only watching the last 15 minutes of the Oscars, largely to see if his least favorite film "Sinners" would win Best Picture.
    • "I was hoping that Sinners was gonna win Best Picture and then I'd be able to just tee off on just what garbage it is and how Hollywood is such trash in general now and everything else." (17:53)
• Oscars Diversity Requirements
  • Clay reads out new Oscars diversity guidelines demanding representation in casting and crew. The requirements include having a lead or significant supporting actor from an underrepresented group, at least 30% of the cast from two or more underrepresented groups, and storylines centered on these groups.
    • “You have to meet the diversity and inclusion guidelines to be considered for a movie... The Godfather would not qualify... Titanic, I can’t imagine would qualify, really. Um, it’s kind of crazy to think about.” (21:02–23:45)
• Cultural Impact of Past vs. Present Films
  • Both recall how movies like "Gladiator," "Braveheart," and "Saving Private Ryan" were major cultural events—yet wouldn’t even qualify for a nomination under current rules.
    • “Now it’s just trash. They’re just churning out trash all the time. Once the Academy and Hollywood put this race Marxism into place, it’s very hard to get rid of.” (24:13–26:11, Buck)

2. TV & Streaming Trends: Woke Storylines

• Netflix shows and others are called out for inserting what the hosts see as gratuitous LGBT+ storylines or unrealistic DEI-driven casting.
  • On "Stranger Things":
    • Clay: “Spoiler alert. From evil monsters. And in the next to last episode they just have like a... big ‘hey, I’m gay talk.’ It was totally out of left field. Doesn’t fit the plot at all.” (01:15)
  • On "Billions":
    • Buck: “When it got to the, the hookup scene with the trans girl and the guy and like we’re going like the trannies getting naked ... I was like, I’m done. This is a little, little more than I need.” (01:55)
    • Clay: “What I didn’t buy was all of those hedge fund baller dudes using the preferred pronoun. ...That’s where I was like, I can’t keep watching this show because that’s a chick. And they would be calling her her.” (02:45)

3. Politics: TSA Chaos & Blame Game

• Clay calls out Congress and the Democrats for TSA understaffing and long airport lines, making a connection to security risks amid recent terror attacks.
  • “If you’re standing in line, if you are listening to us right now and you are standing in hours long lines to get through TSA, the Democrats have done that to you.” (04:39)
• Buck elaborates that while the airlines are blamed, the issue stems from Congressional gridlock and election-year political ploys.
  • “This is what you get when you have a media environment that refuses to hold one side accountable for its unwillingness to just go with funding that was already agreed to.” (06:10)

4. Media & Politics: Double Standards on Anti-Semitism

• Clay discusses the controversy over the New York City mayor’s wife illustrating a book deemed anti-Semitic, and the administration’s dismissal of criticism.
  • “Can you imagine...if it was about black people? ...This story would be the number one story in America.” (07:21)
• Buck argues that left-wing circles excuse anti-Semitism from minorities, but not whites—even among politicians and college campuses.
  • “Among the left in this country, if you are non white, you will get away with whatever anti Semitism you want.” (09:47)
  • “Even Jewish leftists will say, some of these black and brown leftists are clearly full of hate when it comes to Jews, but they’re useful and so they’ll excuse it.” (10:13)

5. Historical Literacy, Media, & Social Construction of Race

• The hosts draw parallels between current cultural debates and how history is taught and retold.
  • Clay wonders how World War II or the Holocaust would be covered by today’s media, arguing coverage would be skewed by identity politics.
    • “I do wonder how the media would cover World War II in, in the context now in which we’re seeing how Iran is covered in everything else.” (12:27–14:11)
• They discuss casting choices in historical biopics (e.g., Denzel Washington as Hannibal, Cleopatra’s ethnicity) and the reinterpretation of history to fit DEI narratives.
  • Buck: “Cleopatra was Greek by ethnicity. ...They want to say she’s black.” (37:24)
  • Clay: “If you control history, which is the foundation of the 1619 Project, then there is a belief that you can control the future.” (38:05)

6. Cultural Taste & “Hamilton” Debate

• Buck rails against the musical “Hamilton,” calling it a “mass delusion” that people pretend to love because of social pressure.
  • “Hamilton is trash. It is garbage start to finish. There is no reason for you to pretend that you like this.” (31:24)
  • Clay suggests the show’s popularity is due partly to DEI factors.
    • “If a white guy had done Hamilton, I think it would be a fraction as popular. I think the fact that he’s a minority...played in.” (36:34)
• They check musical gross records, confirming Clay’s view that older shows like "The Lion King" and "Phantom of the Opera" outgrossed "Hamilton." (34:32-35:23)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Oscars Diversity Rules:
  Clay (21:02): “In order to compete for best picture, all films must now meet the diversity and inclusion quota. ...I saw Jimmy F. tweet about this. In theory, The Godfather would not qualify…"

• On Netflix and TV “Wokeness”: Clay (01:15): “Netflix seems to require a gay or trans plot element of virtually every one of their shows. Or somebody who’s white being played by someone who is black.”

• On TSA Chaos:
  Clay (04:39): “The Democrats have done that to you [if you’re waiting in long TSA lines]. … Four different terror attacks in the last couple of weeks. ...This to me is inexcusable.”

• On Political Double Standards in Media:
  Buck (09:47): “If you’re black, as long as you’re not white, the left will excuse any level of anti Semitism.”

• On Modern Film vs. Classics:
  Buck (24:13): “It’s actually just sad because movies were the dominant art form in America… And now it’s just trash. They’re just churning out trash all the time.”

• On "Hamilton" & Social Pressure:
  Buck (31:24): “There is no reason for you to pretend that you like this. I know it’s the most successful financially musical of all time. I don’t care.”

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Segment | Topic | Speaker(s) | Timestamp | |---------|-------|------------|-----------| | TV “wokeness”/Netflix & Billions | Clay, Buck | 00:35–04:08 | | TSA/airport chaos & politics | Clay, Buck | 04:39–07:21 | | NYC Mayor/anti-Semitism critique | Clay, Buck | 07:21–14:11 | | Oscars & Best Picture diversity rules | Clay, Buck | 17:34–24:13 | | Classics wouldn’t qualify under new rules | Clay, Buck | 24:13–28:52 | | Trash films vs. past classics | Clay, Buck | 28:52–30:49 | | “Hamilton” is “garbage” debate | Clay, Buck | 31:24–36:34 | | Historical literacy & media | Clay, Buck | 36:34–38:05 |

Flow & Tone

• Informal, sarcastic, contrarian, and highly conversational.
• The hosts are skeptical of DEI mandates in entertainment and politics, seeing them as forced and often counterproductive.
• Consistent use of pop culture references, personal anecdotes, and humor to illustrate broader political or cultural critiques.
• Willingness to call out sacred cows on both left (“Hamilton,” Oscars) and right (acknowledging infighting).

Final Thoughts

This episode is a full-throated critique of how “wokeness” and identity politics, according to the hosts, have infected everything from TV and film to airport security and national debates about history—leaving core American cultural institutions diminished in the process. The banter is fast, opinionated, and intentionally provocative, mixing pop culture dissection with political hot takes—all delivered in a signature breezy, sometimes abrasive style.

For More:
Find Clay and Buck on the free iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.