How anyone could call THE BEAR a comedy is unfathomable. I doubt I laughed even once. Your writing on this series is by far the most insightful I have read. My one bone to pick is with Tolstoy’s observation about families. Unhappy families are indeed all alike, and what they share is an inability to let family members be themselves instead of playing roles forced upon them.
The Emmys have a broader range of categories than most award shows, given the range and variety of television programs, but it's still an adversarial, popularity based system as opposed to, say, the merit-based Peabodys.
It was classified as a comedy more because of its length than its content- the episodes are not long enough in duration for the program to properly be considered a drama.
Yes, that’s what I read this morning. But last year, they were justifying it by saying they didn’t want it competing against “Succession.” So who knows?
They can get away with this because they hold all the cards on defining the criteria about how the programs will be judged; this just underlines the smugness with which the current management is doing it.
I know this for a fact having written about the history of television animation. It wasn't until the 1980s that a proper animated television series Emmy came to exist- prior to that, it was partially incorrectly lumped in with the "children's" programming categories because the Academy clearly was showing some measure of disdain for it...
The Academy can certainly be snobby, especially certain voting groups, like directors and writers. I wrote about that in connection with the way they showered “Oppenheimer” with awards and ignored “Barbie.” Did you see that stack?
All true. The AMPAS tends to favor films that contain what Woody Allen called "total heaviosity" in ANNIE HALL (1977). Hence, comedies and lightweight dramas are rarely considered for Best Picture Oscars.
In fact, I'm looking at some Academy Award statistics right now and notice that between 1927 and 1992, only 3 full-fledged comedies (IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, ANNIE HALL, etc.) received the top prize - with a few dramedies sneaking through: i.e., THE APARTMENT, PARASITE, "Everything Everywhere All at Once," etc.)
Interestingly, when box office receipts are adjusted for inflation, ANNIE HALL is the LOWEST-grossing Academy Award winner ever.
Brilliant, spot on exploration, Susan. I'm just catching up with season 3. That mother daughter labor episode floored me, into tears last night. The exchange between Mikie & Tina, moving and we'll executed. It's def not a comedy. The volume of yelling FUs is a bit much and I find myself wanting to ff thru it and do sometimes. My other complaint, too much use of, "you good?"
How anyone could call THE BEAR a comedy is unfathomable. I doubt I laughed even once. Your writing on this series is by far the most insightful I have read. My one bone to pick is with Tolstoy’s observation about families. Unhappy families are indeed all alike, and what they share is an inability to let family members be themselves instead of playing roles forced upon them.
Not yet- I'll look for it.
The Emmys have a broader range of categories than most award shows, given the range and variety of television programs, but it's still an adversarial, popularity based system as opposed to, say, the merit-based Peabodys.
https://open.substack.com/pub/susanbordo/p/barbie-and-the-oscars-lets-get-more?r=384ha&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I'm not nuts about The Bear Susan! But will give it another try cuz of you : )
I’m flattered! Let me know what you think. I didn’t like it at first myself—too hectic. But it slows down and gets more character-focused.
It was classified as a comedy more because of its length than its content- the episodes are not long enough in duration for the program to properly be considered a drama.
Yes, that’s what I read this morning. But last year, they were justifying it by saying they didn’t want it competing against “Succession.” So who knows?
They can get away with this because they hold all the cards on defining the criteria about how the programs will be judged; this just underlines the smugness with which the current management is doing it.
I know this for a fact having written about the history of television animation. It wasn't until the 1980s that a proper animated television series Emmy came to exist- prior to that, it was partially incorrectly lumped in with the "children's" programming categories because the Academy clearly was showing some measure of disdain for it...
The Academy can certainly be snobby, especially certain voting groups, like directors and writers. I wrote about that in connection with the way they showered “Oppenheimer” with awards and ignored “Barbie.” Did you see that stack?
All true. The AMPAS tends to favor films that contain what Woody Allen called "total heaviosity" in ANNIE HALL (1977). Hence, comedies and lightweight dramas are rarely considered for Best Picture Oscars.
In fact, I'm looking at some Academy Award statistics right now and notice that between 1927 and 1992, only 3 full-fledged comedies (IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, ANNIE HALL, etc.) received the top prize - with a few dramedies sneaking through: i.e., THE APARTMENT, PARASITE, "Everything Everywhere All at Once," etc.)
Interestingly, when box office receipts are adjusted for inflation, ANNIE HALL is the LOWEST-grossing Academy Award winner ever.
Length should not be the criteria for adjudging genre.
Yes, Frank, yes!
Brilliant, spot on exploration, Susan. I'm just catching up with season 3. That mother daughter labor episode floored me, into tears last night. The exchange between Mikie & Tina, moving and we'll executed. It's def not a comedy. The volume of yelling FUs is a bit much and I find myself wanting to ff thru it and do sometimes. My other complaint, too much use of, "you good?"
Good article!
Susan: I don't even have to read your lengthy exegeses of THE BEAR's seasons to know it's NOT a comedy.
Just watching it reveals its true genre.
OK, there are a few moments of comic relief but so do HAMLET and MACBETH.
I hope you’ll read it even though you don’t have to, Frank!