Judd Apatow: Oscars Should Have Comedy Category

Judd Apatow: Oscars Should Have Comedy Category

Since breaking into Hollywood in the early 90s, Judd Apatow has produced, written and directed a vast array of TV shows and movies, turning out hit after hit and heading up a sprawling comedy empire. But while he's achieved massive show business success, staying in comedy means he's going to have a difficult time winning the film industry's greatest prize: an Oscar.

The Academy Awards, unlike the Golden Globes, are strictly drama-driven; while, technically, comedies are eligible for awards, it's rare that they receive nominations. With "Bridesmaids," the Kristen Wiig-starring smash hit that he produced, generating some soft Oscar buzz, Apatow thinks that his beloved genre deserves its own separate category, to reward the brilliant actors, writers and directors in the field.

"If comedy is not included, ever, it's been like five times in a zillion years that it's won Best Picture, then it doesn't seem like it's screwing up 'Schindler's List' for 'Hangover' to have its own category," he said at a recent Los Angeles Times forum, pointing to the Best Animated Feature that was added in 2001.

His job would be a lot easier, Apatow said, if he didn't have to make people laugh with his movies.

Apatow said that his point -- which he initially made on Twitter -- doesn't make any sense at all, though what he initially said on the social networking service certainly makes some sense. "Since comedies are rarely up for Oscars it does make sense to have a comedy category. It would just add more fun categories," he wrote.

In the last decade, only six films, outside of Pixar movies, that could be considered comedies were nominated for Best Picture. Last year, "The Kids Are All Right" got a nod, in 2007, Jason Reitman's "Juno" got consideration, while in 2006, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris's "Little Miss Sunshine" was nominated. As for the other three, they were more serious films with funny elements; in 2009, Reitman's "Up in the Air" received a bid, Alexander Payne's dramedy "Sideways" got a nomination in 2004, and Sofia Coppola's film, "Lost In Translation" earned a slot on the ballot in 2003.

What do you think -- should the Oscars have a separate comedy category?

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot