The Oscars refuse to acknowledge real-yet-fake comedy songs. In the past several years, a number of comedy films have presented that which can probably best be considered satirical original songs. Examples of such movies include School of Rock, the underrated Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, and Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny.
These are not spoof/parody songs. Many are actually quite decent, both technically and lyrically. A lot can stand alone on their own, without any connection to the movies from whence they came. Yet the Academy Awards never nominates these tunes for Best Original Song, preferring instead to honor Disney themes, additional ditties to “official” musicals, and soulless dirges.
Oddly enough, real-yet-fake dramatic songs often win these awards. Last year, “The Weary Kind” from Crazy Heart beat its opponents and, in 2005, “its Hard Out Here For a Pimp” earned Hustle and Flow a statute. Yet satirical original songs, while often just as representative of their respective genres as the previous two songs, lack similar acclaim.
Although the Academy loves to nominate musicals across all categories, the comedy musical also gets no respect. Admittedly, the comedy musical (or, more aptly the comedy-that-happens-to-be-a-musical) is a rare breed. And South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut received a nod for “Blame Canada” in 1999. (Of course, there was a big public push behind that film getting a nomination.) But six years after the fact, does anyone remember the songs from The Motorcycle Diaries, The Chorus, The Phantom of the Opera, The Polar Express, and Shrek 2 that the Oscars chose in place of every single song from Trey Parker and Matt Stone's excellent 2004 follow-up Team America: World Police? The film responsible for “Everyone Has Aids,” “Freedom Isn't Free,” “I'm So Ronery,” and “America: Fuck Yeah!”
For sake of comparison, this was the winner that year...
Which brings us to 2010. Yes, it has been a terrible year for movies but Get Him To The Greek actually had a decent soundtrack consisting of original songs from Aldous Snow (Russell Brand). One of the movie's centerpieces was the Infant Sorrow frontman's nearly career-killing “African Child.”
Although “African Child” is a funny song, it's not a goofy one; it's a satirical piece mocking self-important musicians. Several Get Him To The Greek songs work on their own, without a blatantly humorous element, with styles ranging from rock
to ballad.
The true scene-stealer in Get Him To The Greek was not Sean Combs (as many claimed), but Rose Byrne as pop princess, Suzie Q. The star of mostly depressing fare like Damages, Sunshine, and 28 Days Later, Rose Byrne showed off her rarely seen (but very impressive) comedic side with songs like “Supertight”
and “Ring 'Round.”
Serving as a take on modern, sexually charged pop music, Q's songs highlight the movie's strengths possibly better than any of Aldous Snow's.
The Oscars have a long-standing tradition of nominating satirical movies and satirical scripts, but not satirical songs. Get Him To The Greek's soundtrack deserves acknowledgment, and hopefully begins a trend towards the Oscars finally recognizing those tunes that combine music, lyrics, and comedy.
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