5 reasons why Sitcoms are Perfect for Every Situation

The Joy of Sitcoms: 5 reasons why Sitcoms are Perfect for Every Situation

While everyone likes their fair share of gripping drama, scandalous reality TV, and intriguing crime shows, there’s something to be said for the thirty minutes of bliss that come with watching a sitcom.  An abbreviation for “situational comedy,” I can’t think of a more fitting name for the genre, since the sitcom is the perfect fix for absolutely any situation; and here are five reasons why:

1. There’s One for Everyone

 A genre of television featuring characters sharing a common environment, such a set up, it seems, provides some commonality for the viewer as well.  Giving us characters to relate to and scenarios that feel a lot like the workplace, or home we know and love, there’s nothing like a sitcom to make you feel like someone gets it!  And with hundreds to choose from, it seems that there’s a sitcom for just about everyone.  From “The Mindy Project” to “The Big Bang Theory,” I guarantee there’s a sitcom out there telling a story just like yours and addressing issues that sound like the came right out of your diary.  There’s nothing better than feeling like someone out there shares what you’re feeling, like there’s someone to cry with, and more important to laugh with!

2. Smile Guaranteed

At its very roots, sitcoms are comedies, so you know that they’re bound to come with a bucketful of laughs.  The perfect fix for when you’re feeling the least bit down, some relatable humor is usually just what the doctor ordered.  There’s nothing better that watching an episode of “New Girl” to brighten a cloudy day, or an episode of “Friend” when your feeling lonely.  The most relatable therapy, watching someone else deal with the issues your facing and with far less grace than even you could manage never fails to help mend a broken heart or a bruised ego.  After all, haven’t you ever heard the saying, “laughter is the best medicine?”  It’s positively healthy.

3. They’re Fun Sized

Like your favorite candy bar, sometimes less is more.  There’s just something about the little bite-sized bars you get on Halloween that scream excitement.  Maybe it’s because it gives you an excuse to eat more of them, or maybe because you can have more variety, but there’s a reason the little bars are called “fun sized.”  It’s the same with TV shows too.  The fun sized variety of television, one of the reasons sitcoms are so successful is their ideal duration.  Just long enough to satisfy your funny bone, but not long enough to lose your interest; the sitcom is thirty minutes of perfect bliss.  Just the right length for a study break, you don’t have to feel guilty for watching a sitcom between study sessions, since they’re done in 30 minutes or less.  Unlike the hour-long shows, which can drag on and lose your attention, the sitcom is a whole lot of laughs and plot development, all crammed into a little package.  It gives you a whole lot more excitement for your time, and as conveniently little individually wrapped episodes, it’s okay if you haven’t watched the entire season in order and with great concentration, you can pick up from pretty much whenever and still enjoy every episode in isolation.

4. The Eye Candy

Lets be honest, there’s a little part of everyone who watches sitcoms, at least partially to drool over the genetically gifted cast.  With the token hottie, the sweet girl next door, and the cute awkward one, there’s an appealing archetype for everybody.  With characters that are a little more relatable than the unnaturally gorgeous casts of most TV dramas, it’s easy to see why people fall in love with their favorite sitcom’s characters.  Humanized by the nature of the genre, it’s hard not to start crushing on someone so beautiful to look at, especially when they seem so approachable in their roles.  Plus, who can resist someone who’s funny?  There’s simply nothing sexier!  And really, there’s nothing better than a good TV crush.  You can maintain a consistent relationship, watching their antics unfold every week on the small screen, without having to worry about doing something embarrassing to ruin that fantasy relationship, because, lets face it, you will never actually get the chance. 

5. They’re Educational

Whoever said you can’t learn anything from watching TV?  The sitcom, it seems, is the perfect platform to teach those life lessons the American public questions so frequently.  Addressing issues like gay marriage, the struggles of friendship, family dysfunction, and finding love, there’s a little lesson to be learned in every episode.  Infused with meaning, what seems like a mindless break is really a lesson in disguise.  With little nuggets of wisdom hidden between commercial breaks, every episode of “Modern Family,” or “New Girl” leaves you feeling a little better about life after you’ve watched it.  

Relatable to nearly every environment and life predicament, I’d wager to say, everything you need to know about life, you can glean from watching a season of you favorite sitcom.  And it is this very quality of sitcoms that makes it such a popular genre.  It’s much easier to answer the big questions of life by breaking them down and presenting them with some laughter.  After all, “a spoonful of sugar” really does help “the medicine go down.”