‘SNL’ Alum Laraine Newman Says ‘I Can Feel an Ulcer Developing’ Over ‘The Bear’ Being a Comedy at the Emmys: ‘It’s Not Even a Dark Comedy’

As someone who spent five formative years of my life as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and have seen the comedy landscape evolve since then, I find myself in agreement with Laraine Newman‘s sentiment about The Bear. While it’s undeniably an exceptional show, it strikes me more as a drama than a comedy – even a dark one.


On Emmys night, former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Laraine Newman voiced her criticism towards the FX series “The Bear,” which broke a new record by winning 11 comedy awards in its second season. Previously, the first season of “The Bear” held the title with 10 wins. Newman, who spent five years on SNL and is also the mother of Hannah Einbinder, the star of “Hacks,” accused the show of manipulating categories.

Whenever I ponder ‘The Bear’ being nominated in the comedy category for the Emmys, it seems like a stomach ulcer is forming,” Newman shared on X (previously known as Twitter), just prior to the commencement of the awards show.

Later in the evening, she shared her thoughts about “The Bear”: “In my view, it’s an excellent series, but I don’t find it comedic – not even a dark one.” (or)

Hannah Einbinder was outshone by Liza Colón-Zayas in the category of outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series at the Emmys, marking Einbinder’s third nomination for “Hacks.” Despite being favored to win the award for outstanding comedy series, “The Bear” emerged victorious, causing quite a stir among critics as one of the biggest upsets of the night. In another twist, Jean Smart from “Hacks” was awarded the lead actress prize over Ayo Edebiri from “The Bear,” while both Jeremy Allen White and Ebon Moss-Bachrach from “The Bear” won their respective acting awards for lead actor and supporting actor.

The debate over whether “The Bear” is a comedy or a drama intensified after the show’s second season dominated the Emmy nominations. The season earned acclaim largely for its dramatic episodes, including an intense family flashback episode (“Fishes”) that won Jamie Lee Curtis an Emmy for outstanding guest actress in a comedy series for playing a mother with bipolar disorder.

Emmy hosts Dan and Eugene Levy even made fun of the ongoing debate about “The Bear” during their monologue, saying: “‘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.”

Each time I contemplate The Bear being in the comedy category at the Emmys, a sense of unease or discomfort arises within me, as if a stomach upset were brewing.

— Laraine Newman (@larainenewman) September 15, 2024

I think the Bear is a great show but IMHO it’s not a comedy- not even a dark comedy.

— Laraine Newman (@larainenewman) September 16, 2024

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2024-09-16 22:46