The Golden Globe for Best Comedy or Musical went to Ridley Scott's "The Martian," starring Matt Damon as a man whose slapstick attempts at communicating with his home planet after he's hilariously stranded on Mars had audiences rolling with laughter.
Rather understandably, Twitter didn't get it.
So, why was "The Martian" classified as a Comedy or Musical?
For the answer, we have to look to the organization that runs the Golden Globe Awards, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. As its name implies, HFPA is made up of foreign journalists who use its influence to gain interview opportunities with actors, directors and other famous people. Fewer than 100 members cast ballots to determine the winners of each Golden Globes show, making it the most unpredictable of the major award shows.
Most simply, "The Martian" was likely categorized as a comedy because the comedy field is less competitive -- it had a better shot at winning. This year, it was up against lighter fare such as "Trainwreck."
Of course, not everyone thinks this is an acceptable practice.
The lines are easily blurred, and this year's Best Picture awards could have easily gone a different way. According to the Los Angeles Times, the HFPA voted to include the film under Best Comedy or Musical by just one vote.
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