Some people see the glass half full. Others see the glass half empty. Then, there are the people who see the glass completely empty, even when its full. I think I fall into that last category. I am a cynical individual, full of sarcasm, pessimism and overall cynicism.
I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing, but some people may disagree. However, one thing us cynics can always agree on is how much we love it when our overall cynical view of the world is captured on the television screen. So, in honor of cynical individuals everywhere, here are some of the greatest television shows that capture the essence of what it means to a completely negative, often unlikable and always cynical individual.
1. Curb Your Enthusiasm
Larry David plays possibly the greatest TV cynic of all time in this brilliant HBO series. David, who co-created the series “Seinfeld” plays a semi-fictionalized version of himself as a TV writer living in Los Angeles.
The show focuses on the way that David views the little annoyances of life, and offers brilliantly cynical observations regarding human behavior and modern social conventions. Larry is never afraid to call someone out for doing something obnoxious, even when nobody else around him has the nerve to do so. He is not afraid to disregard social norms, creating a show that is full of cynicism, and also absolutely hilarious.
2. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
This series focuses on a group of self-centered, apathetic, cynical friends who run a bar called Paddy’s Pub in Philadelphia. None of the friends are particularly nice to anyone, especially each other, which makes for hilarious banter and constant criticism from each character.
Sometimes it feels like a show full of people insulting each other in the funniest way possible, a dream come true for individuals who love nothing more than insulting others and destroying their self-confidence.
3. Arrested Development
This show tells the story of the selfish and eccentric Bluth family, who run their own real estate business. When the Bluth patriarch goes to prison, his son Michael (Jason Bateman) must step up to run the business.
The sheer strangeness and selfishness of the many Bluth family members will make viewers question whether there really are any genuinely good people left in the world, a question that those of a more cynical nature would likely answer with “no.”
4. Seinfeld
Before the days of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” Larry David brought his interesting comedic perspective to mainstream audiences with what is probably the greatest sitcom of all time, “Seinfeld.”
This series does not contain the same kind of intensely uncensored cynicism that “Curb Your Enthusiasm” does, but it still offers a somewhat similar type of humor and questions many social rules and conventions, things that many cynical people think about as well. Seinfeld may not be as cynical as “Curb,” but it is just as hilariously brilliant.
5. Community
NBC’s series “Community” is one of the funniest, quirkiest, most unique and most interesting television shows to hit the screen in quite some time. Despite high critical acclaim, it struggled to find its audience and was finally canceled after six seasons, almost having been canceled several times before that.
The fact that a show as good as “Community” has to struggle just to get renewed for a new season every year when a show like “The Bachelor” is incredibly popular and watched by millions and millions of people is enough to make you cynically question the entire human population, which is pretty much what happened to me.
“Community” tells the story of a group of friends at a community college, and consistently makes fun of common pop culture tropes and television cliches, something many cynics would likely appreciate.
Even though we may see the glass half empty most of the time, at least cynical people have these types of TV shows to get us through the more difficult days. All we can do is continue to watch shows like these as we continue to pessimistically and cynically view the world and those who inhabit it.
