Overview

• Amy Poehler criticized the Academy’s track record with comedies, calling it “some hot bulls---” and arguing that comedy is difficult to do well.
• Poehler made the remarks on her Good Hang podcast during a conversation with Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman about their dark comedy The Roses, which released on August 29, 2025.
• Cumberbatch agreed that comedies rarely get recognition at awards shows, saying, “If you can do comedy, you can do anything.”
• Coverage noted that traditional comedies seldom win top Oscars even as recent Best Picture winners like Anora and Everything Everywhere All at Once included comedic elements, with Olivia Colman’s 2019 Best Actress win for The Favourite cited as a notable exception.
• Outlets framed the exchange differently, with Entertainment Weekly emphasizing industry context and Geo News using sensational language about a “corrupt side,” and there has been no response from the Academy.