The Razzie Awards are given annually to the worst films and actors of the year, chosen by voting members of the public who join the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation. Created in 1980, the awards are a gentle mockery of the Academy Awards and include categories such as Worst Picture, Worst Director, and Worst Acting awards. Some films and actors have suffered the mockery of the Razzie Awards several times, and some nominees were also concurrent Academy Award nominees. While some critics believe that the Razzie Awards are a mean-spirited tradition, others suggest that they are a subtle rebuke to the Hollywood film industry.
The Razzie Awards, also known as the Golden Raspberry Awards, are an ironic “honor” given annually to the worst films and actors of the year. Created in 1980, the awards are chosen by voting members of the public who join the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation (GRAF). The Razzie Awards were created in contrast to the Academy Awards and the recipients are typically announced the day before the Academy Awards show.
Created by publicist John Wilson, the Razzie Awards are a gentle mockery of the more well-known Academy Awards. Categories include Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, and a variety of Worst Acting awards. Special categories are often included to draw attention to particularly heinous films of the year, including the 1997 award for Worst Contempt for Human Life and Public Property, won by Con Air.
Razzie Awards are generally ignored by their recipients, although on a few memorable occasions the “winners” have graciously accepted their awards. In 1995, director Paul Verhoeven accepted the Worst Picture and Worst Director trophies for his work on Showgirls, becoming the first winner to attend the awards ceremony. Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry also graced the 2004 Razzie stage, gleefully taking her Worst Actress award for Catwoman while parodying her 2002 Academy Award acceptance speech.
Some films and actors have suffered the mockery of the Razzie Awards several times, collecting numerous nominations and awards. As of 2008, Sylvester Stallone leads the list of Razzie-nominated actors, receiving 29 separate nominations and 10 “wins.” Gigli, starring Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, is the only film to win all five major categories in a single year. The 2003 film was awarded Razzies for Worst Picture, Worst Actor, Worst Actress, Worst Director and Worst Screenplay. Some nominees were also concurrent Academy Award nominees; in 1994, actress Uma Thurman was simultaneously nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in Pulp Fiction and a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress for Even Cowgirls Get the Blues.
Some critics believe that the Razzie Awards are a mean-spirited tradition that makes fun of the hard work of hundreds of people in the film industry. While there will always be bad movies, some feel that giving awards for the worst unnecessarily weed out some movies for further ridicule. Others suggest that the Razzies are a subtle rebuke to the Hollywood film industry, in hopes that better quality films will be produced instead of those simply trying to make money. Either way, the popularity of the Razzie Awards continues to grow as the ceremony approaches its 30th year and seems to continue as long as Hollywood continues to produce the occasional terrible movie.
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