So, if you haven't heard, Jordan Peele's horror film GET OUT has been nominated for Best Comedy at the Golden Globes. This has sparked some controversy, as the film – while having some funny moments – was not really a comedy, it was a horror-thriller, through-and-through. And it seems writer/director Peele agrees, posting this tweet soon after the nomination:
‘Get Out’ is a documentary.
sponsored content— Jordan Peele (@JordanPeele) November 15, 2017
Peele later clarified his statement at a lunch event for the movie in New York yesterday:
What the movie is about is not funny. I’ve had many black people come up to me and say, ‘man, this is the movie we’ve been talking about for a while and you did it.’ That’s a very powerful thing. For that to be put in a smaller box than it deserves is where the controversy comes from…Call it what you want, but the movie is an expression of my truth, my experience, the experiences of a lot of black people, and minorities…The major point to identify here is that we don’t want our truth trivialized. The label of comedy is often a trivial thing. The real question is, what are you laughing at? Are you laughing at the horror, the suffering? Are you disregarding what’s real about this project? That’s why I said, yeah — it’s a documentary.
He also states that he would've opposed the classification if he had been consulted (hint: he was not). And I agree with Peele. Even if unintentional (it was more likely chosen because it has a better chance of winning as a comedy than as a drama), it can be seen as trivializing the very horror that the film is showcasing as a lark. Also, why not just have a horror category already?
So what do you Schmoes think? Sound off below!
The comment section exists to allow readers to discuss the article constructively and respectfully, focused on the topic at hand.
What’s Not Allowed