Amy Poehler slams the Oscars for overlooking comedies: “Comedy is not easy”
Parks and Recreation actor Amy Poehler has used the latest episode of her podcast, Good Hang, to hit out at the Oscars for snubbing comedies.
Poehler’s latest episode included actor Olivia Colman as part of her press tour for the English actor’s new comedy, The Roses. Colman stars alongside Benedict Cumberbatch; they play a picture-perfect couple whose fierce resentments bubble to the surface when both their careers take different paths.
Cumberbatch dialled into the podcast momentarily and stated, “If you can do comedy, you can do anything. I really do believe that.”
“Of course. You don’t have to tell me, babe,” Poehler replied. “Every single year at the Oscars, everybody gets blanked and all the serious people get up and accept and accept,” Poehler said. “It’s some hot bullshit! Because comedy is not easy. And I got to tell you, both you and Olivia can do both.”
Poehler is known for her work on popular comedy shows like Saturday Night Live and has worked as a producer on many acclaimed shows. She has one Emmy Award to her name, despite being nominated for 28.
Recently, the only comedy to receive high praise from official award bodies was Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, which received eight nominations. It also made headlines as Gerwig did not receive a nomination for ‘Best Director’, nor did Margot Robbie for ‘Best Actress’.
The nominations for the 2026 Oscars, which will take place on March 15th, have not yet been revealed. However, dramatic projects, such as Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia, are dominating much of the conversation.
Poehler has previously discussed the advantages of being snubbed, which is “not always a bad thing at these awards shows because you end up getting a lot of people coming up to you and telling you how great you are.”
Previous guests on Poehler’s podcast include Selena Gomez, Seth Meyers, Dakota Johnson, and Mike Schur. Colman and Cumberbatch star in The Roses, which is available to watch in cinemas now.
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