Her cameo lasted less than 20 seconds. She read just one sentence from a 336-page book. But Hillary Clinton’s surprise turn at the Grammy Awards on Sunday night, narrating some of the dishy gossip about President Trump in the best seller “Fire and Fury,” set off a roiling political debate about how far glitzy awards shows should go in needling Democrats’ favorite target.

Large parts of the country tune into the shows for the celebrities, fashion and winners rather than political statements, which most viewers dislike hearing, according to post-show research. While the crowd inside Madison Square Garden erupted in applause when Mrs. Clinton appeared with Cher and other liberal musicians in a skit about Michael Wolff’s depiction of a dysfunctional White House, the decidedly political turn of awards shows in the Trump era plays less well in the homes of many Americans, some political strategists say.

The biggest test of the public’s tolerance for politics and Hollywood will come at the Academy Awards, on March 4, an event that provides an unparalleled spotlight for speechmaking. The show’s producers and writers will surely debate how far to go in skewering Mr. Trump — jokes liberals will want and expect, especially after the Clinton gag at the Grammys, but may only alienate other viewers.

The Disney-owned ABC network, which is broadcasting the Oscars, also may feel pressure over how-far-is-too-far-to-go when it comes to political content, film industry insiders say, and will be worried about political banter pulling down ratings for the Oscars.