By all accounts, "The Bear" swept the 2024 Emmys. The FX series broke its own record for most wins by a comedy, garnering 11 wins across acting, writing and directing categories for its second season. "Hacks," however, won outstanding comedy series.
The show's series of victories also re-stoked a debate from the series' first Emmys run: Is "The Bear" a comedy at all? The tense series unfolds in the kitchen of a Chicago sandwich shop-turned-gourmet restaurant. Characters grapple with all manner of hardship, ranging from childhood trauma to substance abuse. "Fishes," which won best directing at the Emmys, was called chaotic; there are rankings of the show's most stressful episodes.
In their opening monologue, hosts Dan and Eugene Levy poked fun at the debate of the night. "Now, I love the show," Eugene Levy said, introducing "The Bear." "And I know some of you might be expecting us to make a joke about whether ‘The Bear’ is really a comedy. But in the true spirit of ‘The Bear,’ we will not be making any jokes."
Online, viewers poked fun — and critiqued — the categorization. Comedian Laraine Newman wrote, "Every time I think about The Bear being in the comedy category for the Emmys I can feel an ulcer developing." "The bear’ is committing voter fraud and stealing the election," one tweet read. Another likened it to "category fraud." "The joke of the bear might be how the series is categorized as comedy series after all," another wrote.
Viewers believed the categorization shut out other, truer comedies, like "Abbott Elementary" or "Only Murders in the Building." "Jeremy Allen White is an amazing actor in a great show… who hasn’t delivered one funny line in three seasons. The #Emmys are broken. Martin Short, Steve Martin & Larry David are three of the funniest humans ever. Comedy needs to be factored into Best Actor in a COMEDY Series," one X user wrote.
Others defended the show. "Let's not pretend this wasn't one of the best TV episodes of the year," an X user wrote about "Fishes," which won Christopher Storer an Emmy for directing.
The cast also addressed the debate on the red carpet. "Those are conversations for other people to have. Our conversation is in the work," Ayo Edebiri said in a Variety interview. "I think the show is really funny. Comedy, drama… Who cares, man?" Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who won outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for the second year in a row, said. "I think it is an important conversation to have. But I think the show is funny and the work is good... so I'm not really interested in discourse that's insulting to anyone, really," she said.
FX has not clarified why "The Bear" was submitted as a comedy. However, FX chairman John Landgraf addressed the debate in an interview with Variety, and essentially said he leaves the categorization up to the Academy. "I’ve been doing this for a long time. I’m in my 60s, and I’ve been doing it my whole adult life. And I’ve never seen a better season of any television series, let alone a comedy, than 'The Bear' Season 2. Like, that’s as good a season of television as I’ve ever seen. And there are parts of that season that are very, very funny. We let the voters decide the answers to these questions," he said.
This is hardly the first time a show that straddled comedy and drama has been submitted at the Emmys as a comedy. "Barry," year after year, swept the Emmys’ comedy category and was an often violent show about an assassin working through PTSD.
In this evolving, genre-bending TV landscape, the Television Academy's rules for what constitutes a drama and what constitutes a comedy have changed. In 2022, the Emmys eliminated program length determining whether a show was a comedy or a drama.
The debate will likely rage on. The third season of "The Bear" just premiered, and was as stressful and wrenching, meaning that next year's Emmys will keep the controversy going.
The Cast Weighs in on the Debate
Even the cast of "The Bear" is torn over the show's categorization. Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, told reporters that he just doesn't care about the label. "Comedy, drama… who cares?" he said. "It's all about the work."
While some viewers may argue that the show is too intense for the comedy category, the cast remains focused on their work. They have no plans to get caught up in the debate over genre classifications. "Those are conversations for other people to have. Our conversation is in the work," Ayo Edebiri, who plays Sydney on the show, said.
The History of Comedy at the Emmys
The debate over "The Bear"'s genre is hardly a new one. The Television Academy has long grappled with the question of what constitutes a comedy and what constitutes a drama, and it's only getting more complicated as the TV landscape evolves.
In 2022, the Emmys made a significant change to their rules for the comedy and drama categories. They eliminated the rule that a show's length was a factor in determining its genre. This move was likely spurred by the increasing number of shows that blurred the lines between comedy and drama.
The Future of Genre
The debate over "The Bear" is a sign of the times. TV is more diverse and experimental than ever before. The traditional boundaries between comedy and drama are becoming increasingly blurred. And the Television Academy is still trying to figure out how to classify these genre-bending shows.
As long as shows like "The Bear" continue to push boundaries, the debate over genre will likely continue. It's a good thing, too. It means that TV is evolving and becoming more challenging and interesting. And that's something to celebrate.
But Wait, There's More
The "The Bear" cast is still celebrating its Emmy wins and preparing for the next season. But even with a new season just around the corner, fans are already discussing the future of the show and its place in the comedy category. It's a conversation that's sure to continue for years to come.
