Neko Case’s Blistering Takedown of Bradley Cooper’s Oscar Ambitions
Singer-songwriter Neko Case made headlines with her scathing remarks about Bradley Cooper and his film 'A Star Is Born,' voicing her strong aversion on social media after an early screening.
There’s a certain spectacle in watching someone chase a prize that always seems just out of reach. In the world of Hollywood accolades, few have pursued the elusive Oscar with quite the same persistence as Bradley Cooper. His name has become almost synonymous with near-misses, as he continues to collect nominations across a range of categories, yet the statuette itself remains stubbornly out of grasp. The numbers are starting to look rather ominous for him, too. Greg P Russell once looked set to claim the dubious honour of most-nominated-never-winner, having been up for the award 17 times before being disqualified for a rule breach. Diane Warren, meanwhile, has matched that tally, though she did eventually receive an honorary award. Cooper, with a dozen nods in just over a decade, is closing in on their record at a pace that’s hard to ignore.
Whenever Cooper’s name is attached to a directorial project, there’s a collective expectation that awards season will come calling. It’s not that his films—be it 'A Star Is Born,' 'Maestro,' or the more recent 'Is This Thing On?'—are universally panned. Far from it. There’s a certain prestige attached to his work, a sense that each new release is engineered for critical acclaim. His first foray behind the camera, a fresh take on a well-worn story, was met with widespread praise and box office success. Yet, not everyone was swept along by the tide of approval. The music world, for the most part, seemed to embrace the film, but there are always exceptions to the rule.
Case’s Unfiltered Critique
Enter Neko Case. With a career spanning three decades, both as a solo artist and with the New Pornographers, she’s no stranger to speaking her mind. Her reaction to Cooper’s directorial debut was anything but muted. After attending a preview screening in 2018, Case took to social media to deliver a verdict that would never make it onto a press release.
“I want to vomit into Bradley Cooper’s dewy man-child eyes,”
she declared, following up with a succinct,
“Fuck. Off.”
Her disdain didn’t stop at the film itself. Cooper, in her eyes, represents a broader issue.
“Bradley Cooper is the beige demon who makes sure very standard white dudes get to be in everything,”
she wrote, not mincing her words.
“He turns a scene into damp sugar quicksand with his treacly fingers, and convinces you his vile incantations are him speaking some adorable French.”
The gloves were well and truly off, with Case even going so far as to threaten a physical confrontation:
“I will fight him”
if ever given the chance. So far, that particular showdown remains hypothetical, and it’s safe to assume her opinion hasn’t softened with his subsequent releases.
Oscar Hopes and Industry Perceptions
Cooper’s relentless pursuit of Academy recognition has become something of an industry in-joke. Each new project is dissected for its awards potential, and the anticipation is almost as much about whether he’ll finally win as it is about the films themselves. The expectation is so ingrained that even before a trailer drops, the conversation turns to nominations and possible snubs. It’s a cycle that feeds itself, with every near-miss only adding to the narrative.
Yet, for all the talk of prestige and critical darlings, there’s a growing sense that not everyone is buying what Cooper is selling. Case’s outburst may have been the most colourful, but she’s unlikely to be alone in her scepticism. The divide between industry acclaim and individual taste is as wide as ever, and Cooper’s journey towards Oscar glory remains as unpredictable as ever.