The Daily Wire and the conservative temptation to go Hollywood

The right-wing media company is reportedly in some financial trouble- and its extravagant showbiz ambitions appear to be a big reason why.

For all the mileage conservative media has gotten out of bashing the products and personnel of Hollywood, the observation has been made quite a few times over the years: A lot of the leading right-media media figures really, really want to be actors and comedians themselves.

You’ve read about The Sad Theatre Kids of Right-Wing Media. Back in 2017, Patton Oswalt reacted on Twitter to a particularly unfunny bit with Tomi Lahren with “They want. To be comedians. SO FUCKING BADLY. Love kicking back and watching the raw, awkward NEEEEEEEED. Don't stop, guys. Ever.”

For years, the biggest conservative hero on Earth was movie star John Wayne, and then it was movie star Ronald Reagan. Donald Trump himself is a lifelong starfucker and fame-whore who’s obsessed with actresses and celebrity gossip.

That brings us to The Daily Wire. Featuring the likes of Ben Shapiro, Matt Walsh, and, formerly, the deranged conspiracist antisemite Candace Owens, it’s one of the nation’s most successful right-wing media companies. In addition to its articles and podcasts and vlogs and other typical offerings, The Daily Wire has also taken steps towards becoming a movie studio. Matt Walsh has fronted some successful documentaries, and the company also has a kids programming division.