“How disrespectful to the comedy writers…”: Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Dismissive Take on The Bear’s “fraudulent” Emmy Nomination as a Comedy Will Enrage Fans
- The Bear has won 21 Primetime Emmy Awards and continues to receive critical acclaim for its outstanding performances, writing, and production quality.
- The show’s categorization as a comedy has sparked debate, with many arguing that its dramatic elements overshadow its comedic aspects.
- Social media gets in action as The Bear actors appear conflicted on whether it should be classified as a comedy or a drama.
Starring Jeremy Allen as the central protagonist of Carmen Berzatto, The Bear has in its three aired seasons so far, won acclaim from all corners. Revolving around a chef in Chicago managing his deceased brother’s sandwich shop from his wits’ end, its narrative has won plenty of awards as its claim to fame. Raking in a whopping 21 Primetime Emmy Awards, as of yet, it has admittedly built all of it on outstanding performances, writing, and overall production quality.
Unsurprisingly, the FX series also ranked among the chart-toppers when it came to the 2024 Emmy Awards. Moreover, most of its leading cast, including Allen, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Ayo Edibiri, featured on the list of nominees for another consecutive year for the very same outing. However, the last two of its prized members stirred up a hornet’s nest with respect to the show’s categorization.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Ayo Edibiri choose a genre for The Bear
A highly debated flash point for The Bear, despite its high critical approval, is its genre. Since its very inception, the series has poised itself as a comedy-drama and has regularly contended for awards in that very category, including The Emmys. However, many have wondered if its comedy tag is valid, as it is mostly used as a coping mechanism and in no way overshadows the serious dramatic elements.
Sharing their minds on the same in talks with Variety on the 2024 Emmys red carpet, Ayo Edibiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach appeared restricted in their opinions. Upon being asked what she says to people who claim that The Bear is not a comedy but a drama, the actress replied,
I don’t really say anything. I think those are like conversations for other people to have and our conversation is in the work …but I laugh, I think the people laugh.
At this very moment, Moss-Bachrach stepped in with his views and offered a blunt take.
I think the show is really funny. I don’t know. Comedy, drama. I mean who cares man? Really.
Soon after, the actress attempted damage control by rectifying that some people do care and also that the conversation surrounding its category was “important”. However, she, too, did not provide a definitive answer to whether The Bear fit into its proposed genres. Meanwhile, The Fantastic Four actor’s remarks took a wild turn on social media.
Social media lashes out at actor’s response for The Bear
The one-line statement by Ebon Moss-Bachrach soon caught the attention of both fans and critics alike, who questioned his stance despite the show being nominated for comedy categories in the Emmy Awards. Furthermore, the long-standing debate that the series should fall under the drama category also found renewed flame.
Even as several users on X (formerly Twitter) lashed out at the attitude showcased by the actor, many underlined the key attributes that made The Bear an overall drama rather than a comedy. Themes of grief, trauma, complex family emotions, a high-pressure work environment, mental health struggles, and chaotic tension between the characters pitch the series more as a psychological drama.
The majority of comments summed up stated that most of the comedy in The Bear is situational and lies muted in comparison to the prevailing drama. Yet, the show not only competed as a comedy for the 2024 Emmys, with a total of 23 nominations, but Jeremey Allen White and Ebon Moss-Bachrach both won their second consecutive Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Emmy for The Bear, keeping the debate alive.
The Bear is available to stream on Hulu.
