The nominations for the 2025 Oscars will be announced on Thursday, but before that some stars had to make do with a less prestigious award. Because before the Hollywood elite practice their acceptance speeches and cry at the push of a button, there was still the question: Is their name on the list for a “Golden Raspberry”?
For Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix, the answer was yes, as you can read here. And her musical-like “Joker” sequel “Joker 2” also won a “Golden Raspberry” – among other things as the worst film.
The “Golden Raspberry” – originally “Golden Raspberry Award” or “Razzie” for short – is probably the toughest prize the film industry has to offer. The name of the award comes from the English phrase “to blow a raspberry” in the sense of “making a fart sound with your mouth”. In 1981, after a particularly disappointing Oscar night, publicist John JB Wilson and his friends decided to choose the worst films of the year in their living room. What began as an amusing small-scale event quickly developed into a satirical institution that humorously exposes Hollywood’s missteps.
And the trophy itself? A gold plastic raspberry on a film reel base – the shiny, cheap-looking symbol of the films and actors that have badly screwed up at the box office or on the screen. At the top of the list of Razzie winners is Sylvester Stallone, who has now received twelve of these disgraceful awards and has been nominated a whopping 40 times. Pop icon Madonna and he were even named in 2000 as the two worst actors of the last century.
“Golden Raspberry” in criticism: nomination of a minor
But the “Razzie Awards” are not just a reason to smile: in 2023, the nomination of the twelve-year-old Ryan Kiera Armstrong as “worst actress” caused justified criticism, so that the “Razzies” ultimately withdrew their decision and changed their rules. From now on, children under 18 are excluded from nominations. In a statement, John JB Wilson and co-founder Mo Murphy announced that they were giving themselves an anti-Oscar, saying: “Since our motto is ‘Own Your Bad,’ we know we have to own it ourselves. “
Despite some controversy, the “Golden Raspberry” remains a fun and sharp-tongued part of the awards season. While the Oscars celebrate success, the shameful award shows that failure is also part of it – and sometimes even provides the better show. Hollywood misadventures are rarely as charming as in the form of this berry.
