Laraine Newman, mother of Hannah Einbinder, expressed strong opinions about The Bear’s inclusion in the comedy categories for the 2024 Emmy Awards.
After Liza Colón-Zayas of The Bear won the award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series—an honor for which Newman’s daughter was also nominated for Hacks—the former Saturday Night Live cast member took to X (formerly Twitter) with a pointed remark. Her initial reaction was, “F—. THE. BEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Later, Newman removed the post and responded to a follower with, “I took it down. Not my best moment.” She then clarified her stance with a new message, stating, “I think The Bear is a great show but IMHO it’s not a comedy—not even a dark comedy.”
Laraine Newman criticizes The Bear’s inclusion in comedy categories after Liza Colón-Zayas wins over her daughter at the Emmys
The Bear, featuring Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, dominated the Emmy nominations this year with 23 nods, setting a new record for the most nominations in the comedy category. Previously, this record was held by NBC’s 30 Rock with 22 nominations in 2009.
Debate over the show’s classification as a comedy has persisted, given its often dark themes. These concerns were also noted during the 2023 Emmy Awards, where The Bear won 10 awards including Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Supporting Actress.
According to Emmy nomination rules, producers can select a show’s category, subject to approval from the Academy’s Industry Panel. For a show to be categorized as a comedy, the majority of its content must be primarily comedic across at least six episodes per season. Once categorized, all related awards—such as acting and directing—must adhere to that classification.
During their opening monologue, Emmys hosts Eugene Levy and Dan Levy humorously addressed the debate about The Bear’s comedy status. Eugene quipped, “I know some of you might 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.”
On September 15, Colón-Zayas won her first Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. In her acceptance speech, she expressed awe and admiration for her fellow nominees, saying, “How could I have thought it would be possible to be in the presence of Meryl Streep and Carol Burnett and Janelle and Sheryl Lee Ralph. I love you all, I revere you to the bottom of my heart.”
