The 95th Academy Awards happened on Sunday evening, and if you’ve been paying attention to popular culture for the last two decades, it was exactly what you’d expect.

Prior to the show, there was hope, largely driven by the nominations made, that some return to normalcy would prevail. Perhaps, just maybe, the award process wouldn’t boil down to producing the best “diversity” storylines.

But nope, as I said, it was exactly what you’d expect. Top Gun: Maverick was nominated for seven different awards. In the end, the massive box-office hit hauled in a single win for Best Sound. Best Picture went to a lesser-known film that seemed awfully derivative of The Multiverse of Madness called Everything Everywhere All At Once.

What made the moment so special, though, was that the leading role in the movie was played by a “self-identifying” Asian woman.

“a self-identified Asian actress.” pic.twitter.com/wxQKK0TDGI

— Amygator 🐊 *not an actual alligator (@AmyA1A) March 13, 2023

Who knew that women who are clearly Asian needed to “self-identify” to wear the title? The background there surrounds another Asian woman who was nominated 88 years ago but hid her ethnicity. She didn’t win the award, and it’s now 2023. I don’t think we need “self-identified” labels being placed on Asians at this point. It’s just meaningless virtue signaling.

But I digress, the Associated Press was apparently really impressed by the “historic” nature of a black woman winning a second Oscar.

Ruth E. Carter just made history: The costume designer behind the “Black Panther” films has become the first Black woman to win two Oscars. https://t.co/EgK0EjPC3a pic.twitter.com/UncevJwSR8

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 13, 2023

Do we celebrate her again next year as “historic” if she wins a third? What about a fourth? The press is really scraping the bottom of the barrel now to claim supposedly historic firsts for certain minority groups.

To be fair, though, Michelle Yeoh was actually the first Asian woman to win Best Actress, and her movie was legitimately good. The problem is that we all know that was the only outcome possible. Having a “historic first” set to win multiple Oscars, including best actress, was not something the woke Academy Awards was ever going to give up. There’s no suspense, and that’s probably why so few people are tuning in to watch these days.

Regardless, the fact that Top Gun: Maverick didn’t even get a nomination for Best Cinematography seems a bit silly. The movie pioneered practical effects using jet aircraft and delivered some of the most incredible visuals to ever grace a movie screen. Thankfully, Netflix’s adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front won it, and it’s an incredible movie in its own right. If you haven’t seen it, you’re missing out.

Of course, it wouldn’t be The Academy Awards without some shots at conservatives mixed in.

Daniel Scheinert goes on bizarre rant thanking his parents for letting him dress in drag as a kid.
"Thank you for not squashing my creativity when I was making disturbing horror films or perverted comedy films or dressing in drag as a kid, which is a threat to nobody" #Oscars pic.twitter.com/ET5RHelapA

— Stephanie Hamill (@STEPHMHAMILL) March 13, 2023

Let me help Daniel out. Drag is a threat if you allow a child to become so engrossed in it that they deny biological reality. Now, it appears that he didn’t do that, which is good, but comparing a child playing dress up to drag shows for children where grown adults prance around in thongs and simulate sex is a bit ridiculous. You will be made to not just tolerate but affirm such insanity, though. Hollywood isn’t going to change, and the cultural onslaught isn’t going to stop.

Regardless, while the Oscars and the press awkwardly fawn over diversity for the umpteenth time, the rest of us will just go see Top Gun: Maverick again. They’ve lost their audience, and it’s not coming back.

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story included a featured image of the Emmys rather than the Oscars. We apologize to our readers for this error.