As of this writing, Sunday night’s Emmys broadcast has barreled through nearly half of its winners list, and so far, three The Bear cast members (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Jeremy Allen White) have come close to sweeping the comedy acting acting categories. Yet is The Bear really a comedy? The answer deserves nuanced discussion, but also: nope.
The Bear, which remains a very good show by the way, hits like a tidal wave of combative emotions that lean towards powerfully dramatic and highly stressful to witness. Sure, there are moments of humor here and there, but for a few years running, other deserving performances (which are rightfully categorized as comedic) have arguably been given the shaft, and although that stance isn’t unanimous, it’s a commonly held sentiment from those who care about awards shows. That includes hosting pair Eugene and Dan Levy, although Eugene did the talking there during the pair’s opening monologue:
“‘The Bear’ is nominated for 23 Emmys tonight, making it the most-nominated comedy in history. Now, I love the show, and I know some of you will 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.”
Will the TV Academy switch course on The Bear for future seasons, so that the show can at least start throwing elbows against other dramatic and stressful-to-watch series? Probably not, but at least the hosting Levy pair landed a well-meaning and lighthearted punch, not to mention a genuinely funny moment tied to The Bear.
(An updated list of Emmy winners can be found here.)