The Golden Raspberries (better known as the Razzies) is an award show dedicated to the worst movies of the year. They started in 1980 (awarding “Can’t Stop the Music” as the worst), and they’ve been going strong ever since. Though the show may seem negative, it is absolutely worth watching the Razzies because it gives us a new perspective on movies.
Typically, in award ceremonies, we celebrate the best of what people have to offer. This is a pretty limiting perspective. There is a lot of enjoyment to be found in bad movies, sometimes rivaling or beating actually good movies in entertainment. For instance, one of my favorite movies is The Last Airbender by M. Night Shyamalan (which won the 2011 Razzies). It is a despicably horrific movie: the acting, screenplay, and special effects all do wonders to tarnish the amazing show it’s based on. However, I love it because of these reasons. It’s so utterly stupid and bad that I can’t help but laugh at everything that it did wrong. The Razzies give bad movies the platform to be recognized as extremely entertaining instead of just deferring to good movies as the gold standard of entertainment. It’s important to expand your horizons when it comes to what you’re seeing.
Some might say that giving an award to movies that someone worked hard on is mean and dismissive of their effort. However, in many cases, this is simply not the case. Actors who showed up in Razzies-winning movies like Tom Green, Halle Berry, and Sandra Bullock actually attended and received their awards with smiles on their faces. Highlighting when something is monstrously bad isn’t inherently negative; it can be a positive experience for the audience to find entertainment and for the crew and staff of the movies to either accept and enjoy their product for its flaws or even improve in the future.
Recognizing bad movies is something that should be more common and enjoyed. Some of my best memories have been watching bad movies. It brings people together to laugh at things, and bad movies are easy to laugh at. The Razzies highlight this perfectly with their low-budget yet charming award ceremonies and their overall celebration of bad. The Razzies deserve to be watched and celebrated for years to come.
