On a dreary evening in January with nothing to do, I sat with two pints of Ben & Jerry's through my first Friends marathon. There were sparks where I would laugh at the buffoonery of some of the characters, but for the most part I was not impressed. It had a "been there, done that" feel to it, because I had, in fact, seen it all before. In a fit of rage, I texted all of my friends to tell them how I couldn't even endure a single episode of this cultural atrocity- until I realized that I had been watching it for about three hours.
It was at this very moment I realized how dangerous the studio sitcom was.
It seems like such an outdated concept. Take familiar scenarios, fill archetypical character roles, choose 3-4 locations to have the characters frequent, and establish vapid relationships. Watching these programs FEELS like I'm stuck in the 80s-90s, and yet they have flourished, trumping gems of comedic television with their familiarity.
Studio Sitcoms are the chain restaurants of the entertainment world. With absolutely no nutritional value and an undeniable trashiness attached to them, you can't help love the taste and respect the reliability attached to them. Sure, there are new, innovative lunch spots opening up, but what if they're more expensive? What if you don't like the food? There's a 95% chance it's better than your chain spot, but why take the risk? And, sure enough, the local competition closes down, and everyone calls you the asshole for choosing the chain over the beloved local new enterprise. The worst part is that you don't even realize the harm you're doing to the community for staying in the comfort zone for your entire life.
This is why studio sitcoms are so dangerous; unlike MTV reality programs like 'Jersey Shore' or '16 & Pregnant', no one takes the time to speak out about how these comfort programs are rotting our brain cells and prohibiting the general public from enjoying something new and refreshing.
It should be apparent what opened up this conversation. With Community, 30 Rock, and Parks & Recreation, 3 phenomenal and innovative comedies getting an expiration date. While 30 Rock is arguably a bit "sitcommy" in the traditional sense, it's approach to humor and wild characterization sets it apart from the rest. Each season, I have idly sat by biting my nails waiting for the impending doom on my beloved programs while "Mike & Molly", "Two and a Half Men", "How I Met Your Mother", and "The Big Bang Theory" are renewed with no conflict.
I expect a lot of flack for this article, particularly in reference to HIMYM. It should be noted that I actually enjoy the program; I'm an avid Jason Segel fan, and appreciate both Alyson Hannigan and Neil Patrick Harris quite a bit. But is it really anything special beyond the superb talent involved? Furthermore, without creative storytelling or humor, what puts them outside of the realm of reality television?
I encourage the reader to take this time to reflect on the nutritional value of the television they intake, and consider a change as the fall schedules are released. Give my NBC comedies a try for something light and fluffy, or consider venturing into the countless new shows that are in production for the next season. And if you are one of the 4 million reasons that "Whitney" and "2 Broke Girls" are back on the air, I would encourage you to consider canceling your cable service.
No comments:
Post a Comment