• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
The Razzies is being called out for nominating a 12-year-old for Worst Actress

Home> Film & TV

Published 11:23 25 Jan 2023 GMT

The Razzies is being called out for nominating a 12-year-old for Worst Actress

The parody awards have been branded 'mean-spirited'

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

The Razzies have come under fire after nominating a 12-year-old for ‘Worst Actress’.

For those unfamiliar with the ‘Razzies’ or the Golden Raspberry Awards, it’s an annual - and undesirable - award that names the worst performances and movies of the year. A bit like the Anti-Academy-Awards, which are - not-so-coincidentally - handed out the night before the Oscars.

The Razzies, which have run for the last four decades, have previously crowned Hollywood stars such as Sylvester Stallone, Demi Moore, Halle Berry, Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck and Kristen Stewart as the ‘worst actor/actress’ of the year.

Advert

But the parody award ceremony has come under fire this year after 12-year-old Ryan Kiera Armstrong was nominated in the Worst Actress category for her role in Firestarter.

The movie is an adaptation of Stephen King’s 1980 novel of the same name about a young girl Charlie McGee (Armstrong) who has the power of pyrokinesis - the ability to control fire with her mind.

The movie also stars Zac Efron, Kurtwood Smith and Sydney Lemmon.

Firestarter didn’t prove to be a huge hit with critics or audiences and currently has a score of just 4.6 on IMDb, while on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes it has a critics' score of just 10 percent, with a slightly higher - but still disappointing - 47 percent audience score.

Advert

The decision to include a 12-year-old on the Razzies has been branded ‘mean-spirited’.
Universal Pictures

But despite its limited success many movie-lovers still felt it was slightly mean to include its child star on the Razzies list.

Taking to social media, one person said: “Idk, it seems a bit f**ked up to me to nominate a 12-year-old for a worst actress award, but I guess that’s just how the Razzies do things."

Another said: “The Razzies are already mean-spirited & classless, but to nominate a kid is just repulsive & wrong. Why put a kid at risk of increased bullying or worse? Be better.”

Advert

A third added: “​​You can't convince me the Razzies are ‘all in good fun’ when they pull s**t like this. It's bad enough to insult the hard work of artists, but to just straight-up bully a literal child is outright despicable.”

People have spoken out in support of the young actor.
lev radin / Alamy Stock Photo

Former child star Devon Sawa tweeted: "The Razzies are run by soulless people. Nominating a 12-year-old? F**k them. That child could grow to be amazing if you haven’t gotten in their head.”

However, Golden Raspberry Awards co-founder John Wilson has defended Armstrong’s inclusion on the list.

Advert

He told Buzzfeed that around 1,100 members voted to put Armstrong in fifth place, but it had prompted a debate about whether to include her because of her age.

Wilson said they eventually decided to honour the votes and include the youngster.

He said: “I can see how it could be taken that way [as mean]. I don't think that was how it was meant.

“I think people who get upset about it - I don't even know how to say this. The rage is interesting - perhaps somewhat justified, but I think overblown.”

Featured Image Credit: Moviestore Collection Ltd / PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo

Topics: Film and TV, Oscars

Claire Reid
Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at UNILAD who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

5 hours ago
13 hours ago
15 hours ago
  • 5 hours ago

    Netflix subscribers are binge-watching twisty thriller mini series all in one night

    The cast's performances have been highly praised

    Film & TV
  • 13 hours ago

    Apple TV's 'excellent' new film was shot entirely on iPhone and is available to stream for free online

    British musician Stormzy stars in the new Apple TV short film

    Film & TV
  • 13 hours ago

    Antiques Roadshow guest had items worth $26,000 that were so offensive they couldn’t be broadcast

    Robert Needs went along to Antiques Roadshow filming in Cardiff for a valuation on clothing items

    Film & TV
  • 15 hours ago

    New ’10/10’ crime series has Netflix viewers so hooked they’re watching it all in one night

    Created by Kevin Williamson, the new eight-episode crime series dropped on Netflix last week

    Film & TV
  • Volleyball player convicted of raping a 12-year-old qualifies for Paris Olympic Games
  • ‘Absolutely horrific’ drama that used real bullets during filming is being called ‘one of the best WWII films ever made’
  • ‘Proud’ actress defends filming real-life unsimulated sex scenes for controversial film
  • Guilty pleasure Netflix series declared 'gloriously stupid fun' as subscribers binge for 323,000,000 hours