‘SNL’ Alum Laraine Newman, ‘Hacks’ Star Hannah Einbinder’s Mom, Slams Inclusion Of ‘The Bear’ In Comedy Category: “I Can Feel An Ulcer Developing”

Saturday Night Live alumna Laraine Newman, and mother to Hacks star Hannah Einbinder, slammed the inclusion of The Bear in the Emmys comedy category ahead of last night’s ceremony in since-deleted posts made on X.

“Every time I think about ‘The Bear’ being in the comedy category for the Emmys I can feel an ulcer developing,” she wrote ahead of the 76th annual show. She added later during the telecast, once the FX series had broken its own record for most wins in a single season for a comedy (with 11), “F—. THE. BEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” The veteran actress and comedian has since removed these posts.

Despite her impassioned initial writing, Newman is not alone in critiquing the decorated series and Emmys bylaws for The Bear‘s classification as a comedy. Critics and fans alike have engaged in such discourse previously, particularly at January’s delayed Emmys ceremony, which saw The Bear post its original record of ten nods. The discussion, which has sparked much online chatter and numerous think-pieces, even made its way into the Emmys monologue last night, as co-hosts Dan and Eugene Levy joked: “I know some of you might be expecting us to make a joke about whether The Bear is a comedy, but in true spirit of The Bear we will not be making any jokes.”

“I think the Bear is a great show but IMHO it’s not a comedy- not even a dark comedy,” Newman said.

She added, in response to a commenter, “I know. I took it down. Not my best moment,” in reference to her previous posts. Doubling down, she told another, “I regret that post and I think the actress who won is wonderful in that role. But the other people in the various categories that lost to The Bear, In my opinion, we’re robbed.” Liza Colón-Zayas won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, a category she was nominated in against Carol Burnett (Palm Royale), Meryl Streep (Only Murders in the Building), Abbott Elementary‘s Sheryl Lee Ralph and Janelle James, as well as Einbinder.

Newman later added that the categorization “confounds” her and that The Bear “deserves recognition, just not as a comedy,” also agreeing with a commenter that there should be a dramedy category at the Emmys. Previous writing and discussion on the matter has centered on the fact that the few-and-far-between jokes in The Bear — largely a story of overcoming personal and familial trauma through the lens of a young chef’s bid to open up a fine dining establishment as he takes over his late brother’s local sandwich shop in Chicago — are delivered by Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who won the supporting actor category for his portrayal. There is also an understanding that the series is mainly dramatic fare with moments of levity. Notably, the Television Academy did not vote The Bear for Outstanding Comedy Series (a category it won previously), instead giving that distinction to Hacks.