Bradley Cooper was Hollywood’s golden boy, but after ‘Jewface’ row he’s now sneered at for being ‘desperate’ for an award and spending six years learning to conduct an orchestra

There was a time when putting certain tropes in a movie meant it was almost guaranteed to be nominated for all the top awards.

These tropes—making unfeasibly good-looking Hollywood stars look unattractive, spending an inordinate amount of time on method acting or learning a skill for a movie, or covering certain topics—were known as “Oscar bait.”

However, it seems moviegoers aren’t as naive as they used to be when it comes to what the Academy and other awards bodies are impressed by.

This year, the phrase “Oscarbait” has become a symbol of ridicule, increasingly used to bash nine-time nominee Bradley Cooper – once Hollywood’s golden boy, but suddenly hated and mocked by many as a result of his new career. photo Maestro, a biopic of composer Leonard Bernstein.

The stage actor, whose breakout role came in the 2009 film The Hangover, has become the subject of a vicious online backlash – and the reason appears to be partly in response to losing the Golden Globe trophy for Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama (who went to Cillian Murphy’s for his turn in Oppenheimer).

Bradley Cooper appears as Leonard Bernstein in Maestro. His prosthetic nose caused controversy, with some calling the move “jewface.”

Bradley Cooper at the recent Golden Globes, where his reaction (pictured) to losing the Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama – to Cillian Murphy was mocked

When the winner was announced, Bradley fought bravely to smile kindly as Cillian was rewarded for his excellent performance.

Bradley’s disappointment was clear: and it seems to have infuriated many moviegoers that the actor – who actually directed the film – was desperate to win.

This prompted some to take to X (formerly Twitter) to mock his apparent desire to receive the award.

One said: ‘Man, Bradley Cooper is *really* desperate for that Oscar.’

Another added: ‘I live with the thought of how Bradley Cooper has turned himself into a joke because he is so painfully desperate to win trophies that we need more of this kind of thing.’

Another mocking post read: “I find myself endeared by Bradley Cooper’s desperate pursuit of artistic greatness; as if it could be achieved by sheer force of will.”

Similarly, another It seems clear he was desperate for recognition/awards for his acting, but he probably won’t win much.’

Meanwhile, someone further wrote: “This is going to be a long awards season (Bradley Cooper wants to win an Oscar so bad it’s not even funny anymore).”

Many seemed to dislike Bradley’s desire to win top awards for his creative endeavors – and some mocked him for being ‘desperate’

Similarly, another added: ‘Bradley Cooper is just extremely desperate to win trophies at the moment and it’s so embarrassing.’

While he may have been criticized for what has been described as desperation, the stage actor is no stranger to awards and nominations.

His collection includes a British Academy Film Award and two Grammy Awards, in addition to nominations for nine Academy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award.

But even before the awards ceremony, there was some controversy surrounding the biopic: Bradley had worn a prosthetic nose, a decision that was labeled “problematic” by Daniel Fienberg, the Hollywood Reporter’s chief TV critic.

Other criticisms of the decision included others labeling the prosthetic as “anti-Semitic,” with some calling it “jewface.”

The conductor’s children said they had no problem with prosthetics, and that their father wouldn’t have either.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Defamation League also came out in support, noting, “TThroughout history, Jews have often been depicted in anti-Semitic films and propaganda as evil caricatures with large, hooked noses. This film, a biopic about legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein, is not that.’

Bradley has worked hard to promote the film on the awards circuit, which has also become a subject of ridicule for some – despite this year being considered a difficult year, with the category Best Film with Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, Poor Things and Barbie as well as Maestro.

Among some of his proclamations, Bradley revealed that he had spent six years learning how to conduct for a six-minute scene that shows Bernstein leading the London Symphony Orchestra.

One of the biggest critics of Bradley Cooper by X-users was that he spent six years learning to conduct

This drew mockery on to master it.’

Another added: “I don’t care if it’s not true because it doesn’t mean anything, but I still find it hilarious to imagine Bradley Cooper putting in six years of work to get an award he next will lose to Cillian Murphy and whoever BD will be.”

In another spot post, the writer said: “Bradley Cooper will spend the next six years trying to perfect an Irish accent for his next role.”

Another critic added, “So I watched the actual video of Leonard Bernstein conducting Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 bc I felt like something was off during Bradley Cooper’s version and…Mr. cooper… six years?? and you couldn’t even hit the downbeats???’

In a similar vein, another wrote: ‘Cate Blanchett had the world googling to see if Lydia Tár was a real person with her amazing performance and Bradley Cooper does what toddlers do and imitates… Only it doesn’t last six years for most toddlers .’