What Happened to the Comedy Movie Genre?

[MileHighGrowler]

(04-27-2021, 10:29 PM)Murdock2420 Wrote: So I have a couple thoughts on why this trend is happening.

I may be totally wrong but it is just a guess.

1) Covid in the past two years has made everything suck, so it is hard to judge the most recent years but prior to that....

2) The comedy genre is getting hammered down due to the politically correct movement. Not trying to get political but literally a ton of my favorite movies like Animal House, Revenge of the Nerds, Blazing Saddles, etc... you just couldn't make in today's world. It would get shut down in a split second for being insensitive, not inclusive enough, etc.

3) The diversity of platforms. Netflix, Hulu, Prime Movies, Disney, etc. There are some hidden gems out there amongst these streaming platforms, but they aren't getting the mainstream push like you would see when everything was in the theater years ago. An example is movie 43 on Netflix, it is like a modern day Kentucky Fried Movie.

Finally, is that the landscape shifted. The superhero movies are king right now, and that is where the money is at. Take Deadpool for example, it is a superhero movie but at the same time I would call it a comedy as it makes me laugh still when I watch it.

Anyways, those would be my sort of thoughts on what has happened to the comedy world. 

I'd say this is a pretty good take.  Comedy has taken a beating for probably the last 15 years in all honesty.  It just doesn't generate the revenue the studios want to see.  And a lot of the actors who were doing those movies either tired of them to some extent or just wanted to try something different.  In an age where awards mean so much and actors seem to hate being typecast now more than ever, there is just less appeal from audiences, studios and actors to make it work.  

I'd also say that because the window of appeal is so much smaller, the point about streaming services carries weight as well.  Most of the sitcoms I've seen on Netflix for example are awful.  The combo of action, comedy and drama is where people are putting their attention from a production standpoint.  Whether or not you like Marvel movies, the fact remains that a movie like Guardians of the Galaxy checks all the boxes; funny, action-packed, a little introspective, great soundtrack, etc.  Those actors feel like they're encompassing so much more than Will Farrell forever playing the man-child.