On the eve of tomorrow's Oscar nominations, some of the finest minds in the country have declared something that even some of us without Ph.D.s have long suspected: Actors in dramas are more likely to get Oscar nominations than actors in comedies. The joint Harvard-UCLA study found that when a film was classified as a drama by IMDb, its actors were nine times more likely to receive an Oscar nomination than actors in other types of films.
That study might be a little skewed — IMDb calls Fargo a drama, for instance, and even Little Miss Sunshine is listed as both a comedy and a drama. But even so, it does seem harder for comedies to really break through at the Oscars. Are the comedies being unfairly ignored? Or is dramatic work just more award-worthy?
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I wish the Oscars would have a Comedy Catagory like the Golden Globes!
1I do too! Especially when you consider that it's actually rather difficult to be truly funny.
2i think its a well known fact that if your funny you will never be honored by the academy, why do you think so many comedic actors go serious?
3I think that comedy is getting increasingly done poorly (has anyone else seen the trailer for Semi-Pro and been oh, so disapointed?)... making the excellent ones stand out even more. The quirky, more realistic movies like "Juno" need to be recognized often.
4I truly think that it SHOULD depend on the demand of the role and how the actor/actress succeeds in said role. If a comedy has terrific writing, excellent directing, and inspiring performance by it's cast it should get Oscar's attention. That being said, I've rarely found a comedy that really fits that bill.
5Not when the movie is really funny thus worthy.
6I was extremely disappointed that Juno did not win any Golden Globes and am hoping it will get several nominations for the Oscars. I think right now, it is getting harder and harder to be truly funny, and when it does happen, it should be recognized and awarded for it.
7Yes. While there are many dumb comedies out there, there are also some that are wonderful and deserve to be nominated at the oscars.
8I can't even remember the last time I saw I really funny/good comedy with compelling characters.
9The oscars are so pretentious honestly.
10"Dying is easy, comedy is hard." I do think there should be a category for comedy.
11Yes!! There are so few truly funny movies compared to the crap they keep putting out over and over again, they should be recognized more! The Oscars nominating committee needs to give comedies some lovin'!
12I think Comedy needs to be recognized. There are so many dumb comedies out there that we should recognize a comedy that thinks outside the box and is original and funny. Like Juno!
13I totally agree. They should make a comedy category and a dramatic category for the Oscars. I think the last comedy that won Best Picture was As Good As It Gets but it was more like a dramedy.
14I agree with the best comedy catagory. It is definately hard to be funny and there are so many great actors and actresses who really work hard!
15The oscars should be about rewarding the most thought provoking, demanding, inspiring films. If this is a comedy then by all means it should win, but I think it's easier to show range and talent and to make people go 'wow' in a drama than it is in a comedy, which is why comedies often get shafted.
16i think that sometimes they do and sometimes they don't. if you think about it - there have been comedies that have done well - it's just a matter of having sound acting and stand out performances, and i think that in general - you find those in dramas more than comedies. doesn't mean that it'll always be that way
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