The Bear's controversial Emmy win
By Aidan Robertson
The Bear wins best comedy series at the 2023 Emmys after the ceremony was delayed due to last years strikes.
The night of the Emmys was filled with celebration for all the hit TV shows that came out in 2023. Shows such as Succession, Beef and Black Bird found themselves on the podium holding their award for the various categories they won.
However, one such show that caused a stir of controversy among its many awards on the night was hit FX show “The Bear”. A popular show about a struggling chef trying to achieve his brothers dream.
Starring Jeremy Lee Allen, Ayo Edebiri and Oliver Platt alongside many more stand out cast members, the show was nominated for many categories throughout the night and won every single category it was nominated for. This, while celebrated, has been criticised from many viewers online saying that the category The Bear was nominated in didn't match the show, with many of the show's wins being from categories focused on comedy series, which many have argued The Bear is not.
The Bear's placement in this category has caused it to be accused of simply being placed there in order to secure an easier win when compared to the stacked nominations for the drama series categories. This leaves The Bear's nomination in these categories to be at the detriment of shows that arguably fit the comedy genre better such as Abbott Elementary, Ted Lasso and Barry.
This hasn't been the first show in the Emmys history that has been controversially difficult to categorise with similar shows like “Atlanta” finding itself placed in comedy series in which it won many awards among contention.
However, many have also argued in favour of The Bear stating that comedy is subjective and that this should make us think about the way comedy and drama are categorised. Some even say that we should do away with trying to separate comedy and drama as it's increasingly becoming a fool's errand as writers continue to make these nuanced shows that hold an emotional and comedic toll on the viewer.