A Laugh, Riot

By Thomas Willett

When I began writing this week’s blog, I had originally intended to make one all about my choice picks for movies to see in December (either way, go see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). I had it all ready to go and post. Somehow, in the course of the week, I came across a recent article about an event the Los Angeles Times hosted with Judd Apatow and the cast of Bridesmaids.

I have implied before my infatuation with Apatow’s catalog. Most recently, he was my gateway into the WTF with Marc Maron podcast. However, since 2007, I have admired his work and have been following him devotedly. I find most of his work to be top notch and very funny (his producer credits are hit and miss), and I still discover small gems of his influence in his brief stint on The Larry Sanders Show. If anything, he is the one man who got me into a unique type of modern comedy, and I’ll always be grateful for that. Even with his name attachment to Bridesmaids, I am able to show how simple name recognition sells tickets (director Paul Feig was the bigger sell. The man created Freaks and Geeks).

At this particular event, Apatow was asked about the possibilities of comedy movies getting Oscar nominations. While he finished the rant with a tone of delirium, it got the Internet talking about how it could be a reality. The gaffer gets recognition but not the comedian? It could be seen as him calling out blasphemy on an age-old award show, or this is all just subtle “For Your Consideration” promotions for Bridesmaids (Note: ads ran in Los Angeles Times’ Envelope section last week along with other Oscar campaigns). Either way, it got me thinking that if the man who shaped my comedy tastes thinks this is a good idea, then maybe I should consider the following.

Before I dive in, I must note that in reading numerous comments, majority of them were remnants of the pro-feminist talk of Bridesmaids making women funny (i.e. they’ve always been, but now it’s obvious). The only complaints either argued that the awards show is outdated and very biased towards “old people movies,” or they’ll never vote in a comedy because it lacks a supposed elitist view. Both sides are valid, as I felt that the King’s Speech was a very safe pick this year. However, by saying that the academy doesn’t recognize comedies isn’t as true as these writers make it out to be. It’s true, they’re not going to vote in blockbuster comedies by Will Ferrell or Adam Sandler, but they’re also not going to just ignore that genre. They have a very niche selection.

Apatow stated that only five comedies have won in the gazillion years that the event has been going on. Depending on your definition of comedy, either 1983’s Terms of Endearment (albeit more sappy than funny) was the last winner, or 1994’s Forrest Gump (which features many comical moments in a very dramatic story) or 1999’s American Beauty (which is stretching it, but it could be perceived as dark humor). With that said, it’s definitely a very elitist batch of drama-heavy movies. Apatow is definitely right in it being skewed, but if you look at the list carefully, it’s not like they’re entirely snubbed.

While their choices may not be the best comedies of the year, they still have featured one in the Best Picture category 6 out of the past 10 years. I am on board in saying that they aren’t represented that well in the final votes, but for starters, most pictures already win because they’re nominated for Best Picture, which is a selective bunch forever to be remembered on Oscars recap blogs and Wikipedia. The Oscars should be representative of the best of the year, and if it makes that top 10, then it already won. It’s only a matter of who gets first place after that.

Apatow also states that comedy is harder to do than drama, I think the Academy recognizes that. The majority of screenplay nominations are given to comedies. Seveteen out of the past 50 nominees in Original Screenplay have been comedy and of those 10 years, 5 have won. I think that this is proof that comedy does get some respect, but what Apatow wants us to focus on is the Best Picture category. He makes sure to note that by making another category, there will be no interference with Schindler’s List’s victory. I suppose that’s right, but in all fairness, Mrs. Doubtfire was not going to beat a moody drama about the Holocaust.

With all of this said, I must finally address the main question. Should there be a comedy category at the Oscars to even the playing field? NO.

Let me tell you about another awards show. It features the Foreign Press and it’s biggest contribution this past decade has been turning Ricky Gervais from the comedic genius that The Office and Straight Out of England created and made him a reviled bully (and yet he’s still coming back). It ranks alongside the Emmy’s in terms of importance. It manages to be the highbrow’s People’s Choice Awards. It’s the Golden Globe Awards. Regardless of its more laid back nature, it has never held the respect of the Oscars, and maybe that’s because of its reputation.

For some reason, I never became a fan of the Golden Globes. I rarely watch them with the enthusiasm that I give the Oscars. I think it’s notably because it decides to recognize everything possible. Okay, not everything possible, but there’s a distinct difference. They recognize dramas exclusively and everything possible in the Musical or Comedy category. This has always offended me, peaking last year when Alice in Wonderland made this category without featuring music or any real comedy. You could say it was a bad year for comedy to compensate, but the lack of Four Lions or Scott Pilgrim vs. the World proves just how much more centralized their thinking is. 2010 was a downright embarrassing year for that comedy category, even though it wasn’t hard to top the previous year’s upset of the Hangover over (500) Days of Summer.

The Golden Globes are the predecessor to the Oscars in that they represent the odds of who may possibly win the awards. Sadly, this is only seen as speculation for the drama category. With the Hangover and the Kids Are All Right being the big comedies, it’s no wonder that most get overlooked when the categories are announced. It’s all one big joke that seems more like a promotion for DVD sales than recognition of the outstanding comedy that Apatow speaks of.

Don’t get me wrong. The drama category can be a joke, too. However, it seems like they take it more seriously and therefore the nominees are usually harder to pick on. I believe that the Golden Globes somehow plays a social influence on the Oscars and by choosing to ignore their treatment of comedy, you’re only asking another Alice in Wonderland to have a best comedy Oscar nomination. It’s not right and will only isolate the very biased group further than they are perceived.

I also believe that this will be a downward spiral of further demands. While musicals have favored well in the past (last winner was 2001’s Chicago), they are harder to come by than a good comedy annually. The horror genre’s latest winner was 1991’s Silence of the Lambs. As you can see, it’s not just a matter of ignoring one genre entirely, it’s ignoring a wide spectrum. While their choice to expand to ten categories has solved some of the problems of nominating blockbusters, science fiction, indies, and animation, it leaves many subgenres out that are only waiting for recognition that not even the Golden Globes have provided yet.

Consider this. Comedy was also a featured category for Original Comedy Scores from 1995-1998. While it eventually entered the retirement closet of Best Dance Direction (1933-1937), it’s those small signs that should keep people optimistic of its presence.

At this point, you’re probably wondering about the other selective category field that seems unfair: Best Animated Feature. Yes, it mostly goes to Pixar, but what makes animation better than a comedy category? It’s very selective and obvious. Not just any movie can be in the animation category. I am very happy that the Academy decided to recognize animation as a field as it’s very hard to make and often didn’t get the respect that it deserved in the past. It couldn’t get recognized in Best Special Effects, so where could it turn to? Animation.

Can comedy win Best Special Effects? Just as much as a drama, action, horror, or musical. The playing field is more diverse in live action, and thus it should be respectably harder to achieve victory. A movie should be judged on its merits, not the fact that comedies have always been badly represented. Comedies take just about as much effort as a drama to be effective. It needs a good script, cinematography, and actors who can bring the lines to life. This is no different than a drama. You’re just expected to laugh at the end of the line.

As much as I defend a good comedy, I do not agree with this treatment for numerous reasons. They’re mostly resembled in the Golden Globes and there’s a good chance that bad “comedies” will get nominated over something inspired. Also, it’s called Best Picture for a reason. There shouldn’t be a continuing dilution of categories to also feature Best Actor in a Leading Role: Comedy. At most, that could cause controversy because leads in comedies can be the straight man and not be very funny. Also, it would cause people to wonder where Tobin Bell’s Best Actor in a Leading Role: Horror award is for Saw VII 3D: The Trap Comes Alive. At some point you have to realize that while it’s a very biased show, it’s supposed to have some class. The only way to obtain class is to give out awards exclusively. While I am sure that there is a category that they could expand on, their current list is rather exclusive and the acting even more-so. Can you imagine if there were more acting awards? It would cause damage to the overall image and make the awards pointless.

Finally, you can argue that comedy is just as important because the show is hosted most times by a comedian. I am in fact very excited for Billy Crystal’s comeback. Let’s be honest, though. This has nothing to do with snubbing comedy pictures. Can you imagine a four hour show where the host is a droll, Alfred Hitchcock character and it moves very slowly? They hire comedians because they need to keep the show snappy and fun so that we don’t fall asleep midway through the opening monologue. Very few non-comedians have been successful in hosting the event (many argue this year’s James Franco and Anne Hathaway), and that should counter argue the case.

Please don’t make the Oscars turn into the Golden Globes. I would hate that. I like the Oscars for their exclusive nature. I like being surprised that Ryan Gosling got snubbed for Blue Valentine (Drive will fix that). It causes buzz and upsets, but most of all, it creates interest for the awards. Who wants everything to be voted their way? There’s no conflict, no surprise. I would hate to just go through every year and be able to point to a poster in a theater lobby in August and say “Best Picture!” I want suspense, and having small numbers gives us just that. After all, these are Best Pictures. There’s no adjective specifying what they’re the best at. It should be overall.

With December coming up and the year almost over, I am happy to be in one of the most maudlin years for nominees ever. I like the surprise and cannot wait to see who the front runners are. The past few years have been so obvious that I’m already familiar with what to see. This year, I’m left wondering if Martha Marcy May Marlene or The Artist will make the cut, or if it will be more generic. I personally am rooting for Drive and 50/50 to have considerable buzz, but all I can do is see if anything in the next 31 days comes close to being the best of the best.

Speaking of, with the year coming to a close, I am going to be dedicating my blogs in December to year-end wrap ups of TV and movies. In truth, my movie load is really light, but you may be tickled to discover what scenes stood out, or what brilliant new TV show I discovered this year (hint: Karl Pilkington). I have no idea what all I will write, but the main reason I love this time of year is not the presents or the family, but looking back on what shaped our lives the past year.

You can read Thom’s blog every Wednesday and hear him on Nerd’s Eye View every Tuesday and Thursday at nevpodcast.com. Thom also writes movie reviews for cinemabeach.com. You can send your thoughts on a Best Comedy section of the Oscars to nevpodcast@gmail.com.