Hit FX series The Bear has dominated the 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards, nabbing 11 wins and 23 nominations across major categories for its second season.
However, only one thing remained on everyone's minds, both during and after the show: Is the show really a comedy? This question has everyone online buzzing with curiosity.
The show follows Cameron Berzatto, a highly praised chef, who returns to his hometown after his brother's suicide to revamp his brother's sandwich shop. Over three seasons, we watch as he transforms the dingy shop into a high-end restaurant with the help of his sister Sugar, his friend Richie, and cooks Sydney, Tina, and Marcus.
Fans online are divided over the question. "Not only not a comedy but perhaps the most dauntingly morose show on television. It's blatantly been mis-categorized and likely due to some intentional shenanigans which makes it far worse than some large but honest mistake," one user shared.
Many fans backed up this view, noting that while the show was one of the "best," it was not a comedy.
Several others have a lot to say about it too, with the general consensus being: the show should fall under drama instead.
"Is everyone ready for a CRAZY opinion??? The Bear is great and the cast is all doing stellar work, but the show is not a comedy and if I were an actor saying actual jokes in an actual comedy I’d be so f****n annoyed watching every award get snatched away!!!," one user stated.
"Not a crazy opinion at all. It is NOT a comedy! Period," one user chimed in.
"It actually isn't some "crazy" opinion and us, in fact, discussed and argued over EVERY year," another user echoed.
Across the internet, fans pitched in their opinions on the same, with many noting that the show is "melodramatic" in nature.
"Absolutely agree with you. I think The Bear is one of the best shows on tv but it’s not a comedy. To see it win over actual comedies series like Only Murders in the Building with comedic legends in it is truly painful for me see happen," one user noted.
"Agreed. The Bear is melodrama. I feel bad for actually groundbreaking comedy shows like Reservation Dogs that had one last chance to win an Emmy and The Bear is just steamrolling everything. At least they gave Jean Smart a shot," another chipped in.
"Not crazy. It’s disgraceful they’re winning for comedy. It’s a fabulous show w stellar performances but it’s not a comedy and it’s making it impossible for actual comedies to get their well deserved awards. Makes me mad," someone said.
Jeremy Allen White confirms The Bear is indeed a comedy series
2024 Emmy Awards co-hosts Eugene and Dan Levy alluded to the discourse as well in their opening statement:
“Now, I love the show, 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.”
When probed about the same in the press room in January, during the 75th Primetime Emmys, Jeremy Allen White, who plays the lead character Carmen Berzatto, told the reporters "Yes!," confirming that the show is a comedy.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays Richie on the show, chimed in, saying,
“I feel like these ideas about comedy and drama are a bit outdated. We’re all just trying to reflect the mess of being human, which is deeply hilarious, and we’re all suffering.”
In July 2024, FX chairman John Landgraf himself addressed the discourse in a seemingly vague statement:
"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."
Seasons 1 through 3 of The Bear are currently available to stream, while season 4 is expected to air next year.
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