In simplistic terms, if you laugh you’re watching a comedy, but if you cry, it’s drama. Obviously, there are more layers to both genres, but the controversy in recent years over the Television Academy classifying The Bear as a comedy series, even though it talks about suicide, anxiety, and other mental health disorders with a lot of dramatic changes, leaves us bewildered. To top it off, the unserious and often comical adventure of Mr. and Mrs. Smith is like Drama. Did they invert the concepts?

What defines a Comedy?

Comedy is a dramatic genre that aims to entertain and make people laugh through funny situations, witty dialogue, and comical characters. Historically, comedy has its roots in Ancient Greece, where comic plays were performed during festivals honoring the god Dionysus.

One of the problems with Comedy in Hollywood is in its essence: Aristotle, in his work “Poetics”, defined comedy as an imitation of inferior people, but not necessarily bad, and which aims to provoke laughter and fun. He contrasted comedy with tragedy, which deals with noble and serious characters and provokes feelings of pity and fear. In other words, comedy would be “below” Drama.

There are several subgenres of comedy, including:

Comedy of Costumes, which focuses on the behaviors and mannerisms of society, often satirizing the upper class and their hypocrisies.

Romantic Comedy: Revolves around romantic relationships and often culminates in a happy ending, such as weddings.

Situation Comedy (Sitcom): Based on everyday situations and recurring characters, it is very popular on modern television.

Physical Comedy (Slapstick): Emphasizes physical and exaggerated humor, such as falls and collisions.

Comedy, over time, has evolved to include a wide range of styles and approaches, but its main purpose remains the same: to provoke laughter and provide relief and entertainment to the audience.

There are moments in The Bear that make us laugh, some out of nervousness, others because it is so dramatic that it makes us consider it comical, but it is actually in this category because the Marketing Department, by positioning the series here, won more awards. The injustice with one of the best series of recent years, The Bear, is clear when we put it in competition with the light and fun Only Murders In the Building, for example.

And what is Drama?

The term “drama” has multiple meanings in literary and theatrical contexts, but generally speaking, it can be understood as a form of narrative that focuses on representing conflicting and emotional human situations, usually with a serious tone.

In other words, every story is a “drama”, but there is a difference in how the story develops, which are the subgenres that define the award categories. Some examples:

Tragedy: Focuses on tragic events and human suffering, often ending darkly or catastrophically.

Comedy: Although it is also a form of drama, comedy deals with lighter, more humorous situations, often with happy endings.

Realistic Drama: Seeks to represent real-life authentically, focusing on everyday problems and issues.

Tragicomedy: This subgenre combines elements of tragedy and comedy, presenting situations that have both comical and tragic aspects.

Melodrama: Characterized by an exaggerated and emotional plot, with clear characters of heroes and villains. Melodrama often appeals directly to the audience’s emotions.

Farce: Farce is an extreme form of comedy that uses exaggerations, absurdities, and ridiculous situations to provoke laughter.

Social Drama: This subgenre addresses social and political issues, often with the aim of provoking reflection and change.

Musical: Combines dialogue, music and dance to tell a story.

Monologue: A drama in which a single character speaks throughout the play, revealing his thoughts and feelings directly to the audience.

With this “broader” look, it would even be understood that some would consider Mr. and Mrs. Smith to have a dramatic charge, but as we have seen, it is in the Comedy subgenre because it is light and does not go into Melodrama, which is what we consider “drama ”. Do you agree?

The Differences between Drama and Comedy exist

Looking for educational sources reinforces our understanding of what we will see at the 2024 Emmys. Although for Mr. and Mrs. Smith the victory is already the nomination, The Bear is in its second year of dominance… in the wrong categories.

Tonality and Emotions:

Drama: Drama generally deals with serious and deep themes, exploring intense emotions such as sadness, pain, love, and conflict. The goal is to provoke a strong emotional response in the audience.

Comedy: Comedy, on the other hand, seeks to provoke laughter and fun. Deals with everyday situations in a light and humorous way, often exaggerating ing human characteristics and absurd situations.

Characters:

Drama: Characters in dramas are often complex and multifaceted, with internal dilemmas and deep motivations. They face significant conflicts that can lead to personal changes or tragedies.

Comedy: Characters in comedies tend to be more stereotypical and exaggerated. They often get involved in misunderstandings and comical situations that result in humor.

Plot and Resolution:

Drama: Dramatic plots often involve a progression of events that lead to an emotional climax and a resolution that may be tragic or cathartic.

Comedy: Comic plots usually involve a series of funny events and misunderstandings that culminate in a happy resolution, where problems are resolved in a lighthearted and satisfying way.

How do they get confused?

Dramatic comedy:

Some works combine elements of drama and comedy, creating what is known as “dramatic comedy” or “dramedy”. Examples include films and series that address serious topics with a touch of humor, such as Little Miss Sunshine and Orange is the New Black or Forrest Gump.

Potentially including Mr. and Mrs. Smith here – which would alleviate the confusion – but although they claim that would be the case with The Bear, we can list the comedic moments on a single hand. Does not support the argument.

Satire:

Satire is a form of comedy that uses humor to criticize and reflect on social, political, or cultural issues. Although it is comical, satire can address very serious themes and provoke reflection, thus confusing it with drama.

Characters and Situations:

In some dramas, secondary characters or specific situations can be used to alleviate tension with moments of humor, without the work ceasing to be essentially dramatic. This is known as “comic relief.”

If I didn’t love The Bear so much I would be angrier, but my position is precisely because I deeply respect the series and am offended by the platform’s opportunistic strategy to circumvent greater competition. And as the third season, once again calculatedly, arrived in time to anticipate the awards in 2025, we are talking about three consecutive years of controversy. And injustice. With series that truly make us laugh. Isn’t it to cry? Yes, Chef!

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