Awards show season is quickly approaching which means we are about to be in the thick of snubs, hot takes, and satin gowns, which is arguably a very entertaining place to be. But the drama has already kicked off in the comedy department. The hit horror flick Get Out will be competing in the comedy/musical category in the Golden Globes. This has a lot of people scratching their head.

Get Out follows a young black man who goes to visit his white girlfriend’s family for the first time in the New York City suburbs. What at first seems like innocuous discomforts that come along with the meeting the in-laws territory, quickly develops into a much more sinister set of affairs. The white Connecticut family and their neighbors collect and utilize exceptional black bodies for their own amusement and pleasure. It’s a brilliant and horrific satire on the fetishization of the black body. 

To put it into context, this would be like if The Shining were nominated for a comedy because of Jack Nicholson’s demonic laughing. The studio is missing the point with this submission. Though, in a twisted way, Hollywood, an undeniably white-dominated industry, misunderstanding the genre of this movie and viewing the gruesome racism as “funny” furthers the point Get Out was trying to make. The value of black people and black art are superficially misinterpreted and exploited by white viewership.

Lil Rel Howery, who played Rod Williams in the movie, tweeted his discomfort with the submission.

But if I can be honest this is weird to me... Their is nothing funny about racism... Was it that unrealistic lol https://t.co/5xSXBmatfP
— Lil Rel Howery (@LilRel4) November 14, 2017

Wednesday morning, writer and director of the breakout film, Jordan Peele, cleared up any confusion.

‘Get Out’ is a documentary.
— Jordan Peele (@JordanPeele) November 15, 2017

Perhaps this mishap will be the push for better genre categories in these awards shows so we don't end up like we did in 2016, awarding The Martian for best comedy.