Have a comedy/comedian win an Oscar

Usually, comedies don't do well when it comes to winning Academy Awards. The last comedy that won in some relevant category was Life is Beautiful back in 1999, and it's probably because it was a sort-of-comedy about the Holocaust. Now, Benigni did something for which an huge set of balls is required, and he did it well, thus he deserves his victory, but it's no mystery that the Holocaust is usually Oscar bait - you know what I'm trying to say. Could a "normal" comedy, post-Life is Beautiful, become the Best Picture or have the Best Actor/Actress? Tropic Thunder got kinda close, for being a comedy...
 
Interesting thread. I'd never thought about it but you're probably right. Don't know much about the oscars but what about a category for comedy? You're point about the holocaust and tragedy in general is also probably a good one. So maybe it depends on having comedy material but based on very grave situations. Black comedy I suppose you'd call it. It could cover things like marraige breakup, economic depression or illness.
Funny I don't feel so cheerful now.
 
I would argue that the Artist is a comedy with darker elements, but your point is valid. I think we might have to see a few more members of the Academy keel over before we see some more comedies up there. For some reason, I think comedies are better enjoyed by the young.
 
Well Chicago definitely counts as satirical and won best picture. Barbarian Invasion is lightly comedic in tone and won best foreign film.

If you consider the screenplay awards to be major there have been many comedic winners since LiB was nominated: Almost Famous, Gosford Park, Lost in Translation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Sideways, Little Miss Sunshine, Juno, Midnight in Paris.

And if you consider supporting actor/actress to be major there are more comedic winners than not.

Moreover comedic films are frequently nominated for best picture, even if they don't win- at least one comedy is almost a requirement these days. What would it take for one to win? It would take a terrible year for the kind of films Hollywood loves to give the award to.

Changing the culture is too difficult to contemplate without a POD in at least the 1960s that somehow pops the New Hollywood bubble or sends creative energies in different directions.

It's much easier to think about a year where Hollywood wants to give the award to something beautiful and intellectually middle-brow, but just doesn't have a viable nominee. A comedy could sneak in under those circumstances.
 
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