Non Fiction response #1: Sitcom originality

I can always look forward to watching an episode of my favorite T.V shows a couple times a week, because all I really need is a laugh. My favorites include “The Office”, “Modern Family”, and “Parks and Recreation”, which is why this article which discusses all of them really caught my eye. The author, Emily Nussbaum discusses comedy shows like the ones I listed above starting to turn downhill, all except for “Parks and Rec”. She realized this after actually beginning to take a closer look at the concepts and anatomy’s of the shows. Are they actually as ethical as they seem? And what defines when a T.V show should actually stop running?

            Modern Family “swept the Emmy’s” in September. In the article “I Love Leslie”, Nussbaum says that she was fond of the diverse modern mockumentary, but as it went into more and more seasons, her doubts began to grow. I think that Nussbaum want us to be more critical of the characters starring in the show. For example, she brings up the point that Jay, the oldest father, is really a wealthy old man who just complains about and to his “ trophy wife”.  The author also uses heated, opinionated words in this section; “When I squint and reimagine ‘Modern Family’ as a harsh multi-cam series rather than an urbane mockumentary, its gags tend to shrivel like slugs under salt.” Wow.

            Nussbaum also talks about how “The Office” seemed to go downhill from the point that Steve Carell left. I personally agree with this, and while I have still been following the show in hope that I can get some more laughs after the successful 7 seasons, it just isn’t the same. She believes that “The Office should’ve come to an end there after finding “a fresh idea inside the severe structures of and old.” But while I agree “The Office” will never be the same without him, I don’t think that the show needed to end. In fact, I see it as sort of an insult to the current actors to say that they couldn’t keep the show going without Steve Carell, when they are all comedians themselves.

            When I watch these shows, I really just watch them for pleasure. However, after reading this I think that I should watch through a more critical lens. I have never really thought about analyzing T.V. shows, only just texts. On a different note, Emily Nussbaum wrote an article that caught my attention and kept it, and while I don’t agree with all of her views I think it was well written and thoughtful. 

Source Cited:

Nussbaum, Emily. "I Love Leslie." The New Yorker October 22, 2012. On Television. January 28, 2013 <http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/television/2012/10/22/121022crte_television_nussbaum>.