Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Good to Have Animated Categories

Some in the 'toon biz think animated award categories are an insult to 'toon creators, and they deserve to compete with the live action crowd, should compete. Just look at Seth Macfarlane:

MacFarlane says, "It's surprising that we hadn't been able to get a nomination in the animation category the last several years, yet in the comedy category we had success." His Fox show has been nominated twice since 2001 for animated program, plus once for an hourlong episode, and has never won. ...

"It's more of a function of the landscape of television comedy changing overall. You now have five or six animated prime-time shows as of this fall. At some point, they're just too influential, too much a part of pop culture" to exclude them ...

It's peachy that animation is so influential and popular that it gets itself nominated in the mainstream categories with its live action cousins, but maybe you've noticed a strange phenomenon.

Animation occasionally battles its way into the finalists' ring (Flintstones, Family Guy, Beauty and the Beast) but weirdest thing ... it never wins.

Call me a sour cynic, but I don't think academy voters would ever vote for an animated show in large enough numbers to allow it to win. The vast majority work in live action and cast ballots for the product on which they work.

If it comes down to a one-on-one between Snow White and You Can't Take it With You ... or Beauty and the Beast and Silence of the Lambs ... guess which one takes the gold prize?

I wish it were otherwise, but I also wish there was world peace and rainbow-colored ponies for every girl and boy who wanted one, and I don't think those other two things will be happening either.

So given the cold realities, animation creators should take the ghettoized categories granted to them by their entertainment overlords and be glad they exist.

Because they won't be winning much of anything else much before the sun reaches it red star phase.

9 comments:

Michael Sporn said...

The actors rule both the Oscars and the Emmys. They would never vote for anything animated; they want a reflection of themselves or, at least, their friends. I can't fault them.

Anonymous said...

That's about right. The WGA is having yet another fit, this time about the academy making a run to cut several writing awards from the live telecast. Seriously - who in the hell watching at home gives a crap about seeing anyone on television except the actors. Everyone still gets their awards - but does Joe Public have to sit through every one on television? Seriously?

Anonymous said...

It was when Family Guy started trashing Jesus that the Hollywood crowd finally saw MacFarlane's "genius". Politics as usual.

Anonymous said...

By definition, lowbrow doesn't pander for accolades, which is why one can respect Matt and Trey so much more for their satire. You can't have your cake and eat it, too, Seth. Hypocrisy at it's mightiest.

Steve Hulett said...

It was when Family Guy started trashing Jesus that the Hollywood crowd finally saw MacFarlane's "genius". Politics as usual.

Actually, it was when FG started selling gazillions of DVDS and pulling ratings on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim that Rupert and Co. decided this was the kind of show they could get behind.

One that made lots and lots of money.

You do notice this Godless atrocity is on Fox don't you? The issue isn't trashing religion. The issue is Moo-Lah.

And where there is Moo-Lah, there are also little gold statuettes.

g said...

This new uber-religious poster that has popped up lately is either:

1. A real zealot
2. Having fun

Anonymous said...

I was just making a comment. But boy, let the stereotyping begin! I'm an agnostic, thank you. And I have no prob with the show's success (even though I dislike it) or the fact that it's on Fox. I just find it interesting that, as I understand it, The Simpsons have also tried to enter the best comedy Emmy category in previous years, but that (far superior) show had no luck, despite the fact that it too has poked fun at Christians via its character Ned Flanders. But then, there's a difference between poking fun and being totally jerkass offensive; apparently it's the latter quality that impresses Hollywood nowadays.

Yes, but there's more said...

"...apparently it's the latter quality that impresses Hollywood nowadays."

On the contrary: I think it impresses all of "regular" America, who buy all the DVDs and merchandise. Like Steve said, Hollywood is impressed by the money regular folks give it, whether it's from "Passion of the Christ" or FG.

g said...

I was just making a comment

Jeez, no need to get all offended (again). Maybe you werent the same poster as earlier in the week...

Man, people are so touchy. I didnt even say anything mean, just making an observation

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