- "Get Out" will be competing as a comedy at the Golden Globes.
- Some fans think that trivializes the movie's critique on racism.
- Others — including director Jordan Peele — don't think there's anything wrong with comedies.
- In any case, this is all probably part of a strategy that makes "Get Out" more likely to win awards.
"Get Out"— Jordan Peele's biting horror movie about race released earlier this year — will be competing in the Golden Globes as a comedy instead of a drama, according to Entertainment Weekly.
People aren't happy.
"If I can be honest this is weird to me. [There] is nothing funny about racism,"tweeted comedian Lil Rel Howery, an actor in the movie. "Was it that unrealistic?"
"'Get Out' is a documentary,"tweeted Peele, probably sarcastically in response to people's reactions.
Some fans think that categorizing the movie as a comedy as opposed to a drama demeans the movie. "Get Out" is a terrifying movie about racism, they argue, and considering it a comedy trivializes that terror.
The fact that Get Out was nominated for a comedy shows how some ppl didn't take it seriously and get the point of the film. That movie is a horror film, and the monster was racism.
— Tahir (@HandsomeAnHeavy) November 15, 2017
White privilege is watching "Get Out" and thinking it was funny. https://t.co/jZfbfEUDen
— blaqzenon (@Blaqzenon) November 15, 2017
But others are fine with the "comedy" label. Being funny is hardly a bad thing.
"People look at genre movies as joke and not real art," Jason Blum, the movie's producer, told Variety. "Some of our movies are better than others. But I’m very invested in everything I do. I don’t want to make something unless I’m in love with it."
I guess I missed the Get Out controversy but...it’s clearly a horror comedy.
— Adam Serwer 🍝 (@AdamSerwer) November 15, 2017
I didn’t see this earlier but Ira is correct. Being a comedy doesn’t mean the subject of the comedy isn’t serious. https://t.co/zS6JRjn0Qq
— Adam Serwer 🍝 (@AdamSerwer) November 15, 2017
Get Out actually was a comedy but maybe it was hard for some of y’all to laugh for a reason
— Ira Madison III (@ira) November 14, 2017
White people are REALLY insistent today that calling GET OUT a comedy somehow trivializes it. It makes me realizes they didn’t understand it and they also look down on comedy as a genre.
— Ira Madison III (@ira) November 15, 2017
Peele himself agreed with the sentiment in an interview with CBS News. He said weaving comedy into the movie was important.
"I'm putting my audience through a lot of tension," Peele said. "Lil Rey Howery, who plays Rod, he's kind of the release valve for the audience."
And Howery, later on, seemed fine with the categorization.
But I will say this Jordan Peele wrote a masterpiece that has horror, drama, suspense and comedy in it... And it all was good so hey maybe it just fits in a bunch of categories!!! This my first go around so hey lol... #GetOut
— Lil Rel Howery (@LilRel4) November 14, 2017
In any case, it's important to remember that Golden Globes categorization is little more than an awards season strategy. The Globes has two main categories for movies to compete in: comedy or musical, and drama. The drama category is generally more competitive, so a studio will submit movies that may be on the line between comedy and drama to increase the movie's chance of winning.
The same sort of controversy erupted in 2013, when "The Wolf of Wall Street" was categorized as a comedy. It paid off, with Leonardo DiCaprio winning the best actor award in his category.
Entertainment Weekly speculates that, as a comedy, "Get Out" will be competing against "The Greatest Showman,""The Disaster Artist,""The Big Sick,""I, Tonya,""Downsizing,""Battle of the Sexes," and "Lady Bird." It's tough competition, to be sure, but the drama category would include heavyweights like "Call Me By Your Name,""Darkest Hour,""Dunkirk,""The Post," and "The Shape of Water."
As a comedy, "Get Out" may have a better chance with awards season glory.
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