As beloved as The Bear – FX and Hulu’s restaurant-centered series – is, it remains at the center of a major debate. Christopher Storer’s brainchild is classified as a comedy by the Television Academy and other organizations, though many argue that it doesn’t warrant that distinction. With that, many would prefer that it be placed in the drama category. A number of people have been vocal about that, with an SNL even alum recently blasting the show in the process. With all that said, CinemaBlend put together a video that shows how hilarious the series is.
Veteran actress and comedian Laraine Newman – a member of the OG Saturday Night Live cast – took to X (formerly Twitter) ahead of the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, where the Jeremy Allen White-led show ultimately took home four awards. Via her since-deleted post (which was captured by Deadline), Newman didn’t mince words when describing her feeling about the hit series (which is on one of the best streaming services) being pegged as a comedy:
Every time I think about ‘The Bear’ being in the comedy category for the Emmys I can feel an ulcer developing.
The Coneheads alum wasn’t done after that, as she later tweeted “FUCK. THE. BEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” after the show broke its own record for the number of wins in a single season for a comedy. Despite that, she did share another post that’s still on X, in which she said the FX production was “a great show IMHO,” yet she still asserted that it’s “not a comedy- not even a dark comedy.”
In some ways, the culinary-centric series could best be described as a dramedy, which includes its share of laughs and heavy material. It’s just a question of whether one outweighs the other. While that can definitely be debated, the video we put together (which you can see above) does show that the show does have some truly funny moments. From Richie Jerimovich’s squabbles with his “cousin Carmy Berzatto, Neil Fak and more to Uncle Jimmy’s one-liners, there’s humor to be found, and our video provides just a taste (no pun intended).
While I am admittedly a fan of the dramedy, I can certainly understand the debate over its categorization and have wondered about it myself. Yes, the show is definitely funny at times, but there’s a lot of heavy material, to say the least. Plus, it can also be stressful at times, employing high-energy moments to build tension. (I’m sure some fans are still reeling from the likes of Season 1’s “Review” and Season 2’s “Fishes.”)
None of that chatter stopped The Bear’s cast and crew from becoming 2024 Emmy winners, though. This past Sunday, series lead Jeremy Allen White won the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Co-stars Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Liza Colón-Zayas earned Outstanding Supporting Actor (for the second consecutive time) and Outstanding Supporting Actress. Christopher Storer was a winner as well, as he earned the award for Outstanding Directing. The show also notched seven other awards from the Creative Emmys.
However, the show didn’t win for Outstanding Comedy Series this year, as that honor went to Max’s Hacks, another one of TV’s best comedies. Laraine Newman is the mother of one of that show’s main stars, Hannah Einbinder. I’d say that win was well deserved.
Chances are the discussion surrounding whether The Bear – which is returning for Season 4 – belongs in the “comedy” category will persist, and that’s understandable. Nevertheless, remember that the show does still have its share of funny moments, even beyond those featured in our video. You can check those out for yourself by streaming the show with a Hulu subscription. Also, check out the 2024 TV schedule for other excellent options.