The Razzie Awards officially stand by their decision to uphold the "Worst Performance by Bruce Willis in 2021" category in the wake of the iconic actor's Aphasia diagnosis announcement. The Golden Raspberry Awards, more commonly dubbed the Razzies, is a humorous awards show acknowledging the worst actor performances in each cinematic category. As founded by John Wilson and Mo Murphy, the Razzie Awards' cutting annual ceremony precedes the Academy Awards and has done so for over four decades. While the Razzies have faced their fair share of criticism, the tradition provides some comic relief during an otherwise tense awards season, including when Tom Green wanted to win a Razzie for his film Freddy Got Fingered. The comedic actor was so excited to win a Razzie that he showed up in person to collect his award and had to be dragged off stage during his acceptance speech for refusing to stop playing the harmonica.
In earlier breaking news, legendary actor Bruce Willis announced retirement from his acting career due to an Aphasia diagnosis. Aphasia is a neurological condition typically affiliated with having a stroke or incurring head trauma, resulting in substantially impaired speech or language. People diagnosed with Aphasia often find it difficult to ascertain words and face considerable challenges when reading or writing.
As reported by TheWrap, Razzie Award co-founders stand by their decision to uphold the "Worst Performance by Bruce Willis in 2021" award. Wilson and Murphy stated that they "stand by" their earlier comments (on Twitter), reiterating that they are "truly sorry to hear about Willis' diagnosis." The duo claimed they were unaware of Willis' Aphasia diagnosis until the story broke earlier and found out alongside everybody else. Wilson and Murphy also shared that whoever was watching over Willis' legacy should have limited the amount of work he did in such a short time. Check out their exact statement below:
Whoever handles Willis' affairs should probably not have permitted him to do such a high volume of work in such a short time, especially if they were aware of his situation. In Willis' defense, his reps should have kept a better eye on his legacy.
The duo subtly added:
It should also be pointed out that the ‘Bruce Willis’ category was specific to 2021. We never intended it to be an on-going category.
The Razzie Awards' original Twitter post read; The Razzies are truly sorry for #BruceWillis diagnosed condition. Perhaps this explains why he wanted to go out with a bang in 2021. Our best wishes to Bruce and family. The social media post did not align with popular opinion on the topic, especially the part about going out with a bang. Several followers on social media even demanded that the Razzies remove the post from their page and release an apology. However, the Razzies remain firm in their aforementioned stance on the matter.
As iconic an actor as Willis is, the entire reason the Razzies exist is to interject some generally light-hearted humor into an otherwise grandiose industry. It is apparent that Wilson and Murphy have no ill-will towards Willis and feel equally as saddened by the news of his diagnosis as the seemingly infinite fans of his work. The bottom line is that Hollywood will undoubtedly feel the absence of Willis in the film industry. Hopefully, Willis and his family can find some peace in the outpouring of support and well-wishes in the wake of their announcement. Nevertheless, the Razzies can always find a way to stir up some controversy.
Source: TheWrap