In the last five years or so, the comedy category for awards nominations has been highly questionable. Why exactly are we laughing, and at what? A show like The Bear does have its lighter moments, sure, but more than anything, the series is an exploration of grief and trauma. It’s not funny at all. At the same time, we have a film like Netflix’s May December, considered a comedy when it tackles grooming and trauma. Let’s unpack this, Hollywood.
Now, surely dramedies and dark comedies also exist, and the one umbrella term “comedy” works to encase them all, but there are specific themes that ultimately shouldn’t have the comedy label. If I’m writing a romance that tackles grief and loneliness, amongst other heartbreaking themes, then I’m not going to label the book as a romantic comedy, even if a happy ending is included and there are funny parts. It’s merely a romance at that point. However, a film like Barbie tackles identity crises and thoughts of death, but most of the narrative is full of running gags and legitimately hilarious moments. In the same way that the academy doesn’t deem Succession a comedy even when there are outright uproarious beats, then we shouldn’t do it for series like The Bear, either.
A show like Fleabag is indeed a dark comedy—it works to categorize it as a comedy even amid the heartbreaking themes. A show like The Flight Attendant is drama draped with some comedic moments. It’s not funny—Season 2 especially isn’t funny as it unpacks so much of the trauma our main character has lived through. It’s unclear what Hollywood wants to define comedies as because, more often than not, they’re the properties hugely anxious people will have a difficult time with. They can be triggering, too dark, and not at all an escape. And while The Bear is fantastic as a drama, it’s never once hilarious enough for this treatment.
Further, and most importantly, anything that pertains to sexual assault, statutory rape, or grooming should never fall into a category that is supposed to be humorous. Despite how many self-deprecating jokes characters crack about their own experiences, the subject matter isn’t something to laugh about. It’s something countless people still don’t have justice for and live through, and Hollywood considering it a comedy is deeply demoralizing.
We could also argue that perhaps moving some dramas into the comedy category allows more chances of winning, but then again, is that even fair? If a show like Succession is maybe guaranteed to win, does that really mean that we need to box other things in the wrong places and take from other series that belong there? In short, awards season is often a convoluted mess that we consistently have complaints for, and only smaller critics circles and associations pay attention to. Ultimately, miscategorizing series and wrongfully moving people toward something that could maybe be detrimental to their mental health if they watch with no context isn’t even at the top of the list of things that need to change in Hollywood. But still, it’s one of the significant ones.
What are your thoughts on how Hollywood views a comedy? Do you agree? Disagree?