It should come as little surprise that the early projections for the 2018 Oscar ratings indicate the telecast has likely hit an all-time low.

Ratings were down 16 percent from last year’s awards show, according to Deadline — and 2017 was already a low-rated year.

Variety reported that the 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. portion of ABC’s telecast averaged an 18.9 household rating and 32 share in Nielsen’s metered market overnight ratings … That’s down about 16 percent from the 22.5/37 rating generated by the 2017 Oscars.”

It was not a good idea at all for the show to feature an increasingly political Jimmy Kimmel as host once again this year — which likely drove away many viewers. His “woke” bits and almost incessant social justice advocating had little to do with humor and everything to do with advancing a political agenda.

And though the Best Picture picks were among the more popular in recent years, the Academy still recognized a great many films that few people outside the entertainment industry had even heard of — so-called art house films rarely attract or appeal to a wide audience.

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If producers want these awards shows to earn the ratings that they once did, they need to begin considering that vast swaths of people don’t want to tune into a night meant to celebrate art — and then see millionaire celebrities preaching to them incessantly about politics and shaming them about their beliefs — all while these “stars” are protected by armed security.

PopZette editor Zachary Leeman can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter