# Name and Exemplify Sitcom Syndromes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 16, 2005, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218 "2005-08-16T04:35:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/41 "2005-08-16T16:25:15Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Although _That 70s Show_ is gaining ground on them. > > This one was mentioned in its own thread a while back, but > > \*_The Special Date_ syndrome- a character has a date, often blind, with someone who turns out to be a really great person, but has a noticeable demerit in appearance (either they’re obese or in a \wheelchair\ or have CP or something similar). Invariably the main character, who at first has reservations, goes with the date and ends up having a wonderful time and realizes the person is actually wonderful beneath their difference. After which, the character is never seen or referred to again. Examples: Alex’s date with the obese operator on _Taxi_, Suzanne’s date with the blind guy on _D.W._, Charlene’s date with the really fat guy on _D.W._, Zack’s date with the girl in the \wheelchair\ on _Saved by the Bell_. Will Smith’s date with the fat(!?) Queen Latifa on Fresh Prince. **The Unplanned Conception,Pregnancy, and Birth Syndrome** –Single people routinely get pregnant after one hot encounter, yet no woman is smart enough to realize they are pregnant until someone else points it out to them or during a medical exam. As for birth, nobody ever gets to the hospital in time. Either they go into labor and give birth in 10 minutes, or they get in truck, on an elevator, etc. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/42 "2005-08-16T16:33:27Z")
Yes, on _Just Shoot me_, they were always having staff meetings with just that handful of main characters. Hardly realistic. > [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > **The Unplanned Conception,Pregnancy, and Birth Syndrome** –Single people routinely get pregnant after one hot encounter, yet no woman is smart enough to realize they are pregnant until someone else points it out to them or during a medical exam. Sitcom women find out they’re pregnant in one of two ways: They faint and are whisked off to the hospital, where the ER doc breaks the news to them, or they make an innocuous comment about how they threw up that morning and don’t feel very good, at which point an older female character will smile knowingly and tell her she’s pregnant. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/43 "2005-08-16T16:41:15Z")
**Where’s the Umbilicus?** Related to the odd elevator/taxi-cab/sharktank births on shows, there have been babies born with no umbilical chord (the deliverer [never a doctor] just wraps the baby in a blanket and gives it to the mother) and without any blood or other placental goop covering it and often with clean hair and the looks of a several week old baby. **Transvestites Are Hot! Hot! Hot!** - whenever a male character has to don drag for some convoluted plot reason, he will always be hit on by another man. Often it’s by a regular character who doesn’t recognize him. It’s amazing how many men who have to dress in drag to get away know how to apply foundations, eyeliner, lipstick, etc., and even how to make realistic looking fake boobs. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/44 "2005-08-16T16:48:28Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > \*_The Special Date_ syndrome- … Examples: Alex’s date with the obese operator on _Taxi_, … In taxi’s Defense; in their final year Wallace Shawn played a very low self esteemed character Arnie who was fixed up with Elaine and actually was mentioned again and was the focus of a later episode. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/45 "2005-08-16T16:51:07Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Don’t forget the **George Bailey** syndrome and the **Scrooge** syndrome. I trust I don’t need to explain these. See also the Night Court episode. Harry sees what life would have been like if he hadn’t become a judge. It was so ridiculously stupid, I couldn’t believe it was a Night Court episode. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/46 "2005-08-16T16:54:22Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > It’s amazing how many men who have to dress in drag to get away know how to apply foundations, eyeliner, lipstick, etc., and even how to make realistic looking fake boobs. The exception of course being “Mrs. Featherbottom” on _Arrested Development_. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/47 "2005-08-16T16:57:08Z")
**I KNOW HOW WE CAN RAISE THAT MONEY** : When characters are in need of quick cash, a local talent competition will conveniently offer a prize of the precise sum required, prompting the characters to quickly cobble together a song-and-dance act. **I’M NOT A MUSICIAN (YET), BUT I’M PLAYING ONE ON TV** syndrome: The inverse of the **LINDA LAVIN SYNDROME** , this describes sitcom characters who become musicians because the actors playing them hope to start musical careers outside the show (e.g., the Brady brats). ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/48 "2005-08-16T16:58:39Z")
**The Telephone Number Syndrome** –Whenever a character has to make a call, they immediately pick up the phone and start dialing. Every character appareantly has every phone number on the planet memorized, since nobody ever consults a phone book or dials 411. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/49 "2005-08-16T17:01:29Z")
**THE OFFICE IS MY WORLD** - A corollary to the **Good Neighbour** and **Four Friends Only** syndromes – People who work together become everything in each other’s lives – friends, lovers, family. It just doesn’t happen in real life. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/50 "2005-08-16T17:01:35Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > See also the Night Court episode. Harry sees what life would have been like if he hadn’t become a judge. It was so ridiculously stupid, I couldn’t believe it was a Night Court episode. I just saw it, wasn’t that from the final year when they weren’t even suppose to do the extra season. I thought most of the last few years were garbage. From Phil’s death changing Dan to the Baby, it was barely watchable. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/51 "2005-08-16T17:02:09Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > **The Telephone Number Syndrome** –Whenever a character has to make a call, they immediately pick up the phone and start dialing. Every character appareantly has every phone number on the planet memorized, since nobody ever consults a phone book or dials 411. It’s not that hard to remember numbers when they all start with 555. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/52 "2005-08-16T17:04:41Z")
The Aryan Paradise Syndrome - The fact that prior to about 1970, there were no black, hispanic, or asian people. Mayberry, a town in North Carolina, didn’t have any black people. Shouldn’t somebody have been asking questions? The We Don’t Pay Much Attention Syndrome - The fact that all sitcoms take place in some timeless continuum where there are apparently no current events. Nobody ever mentions who the President is, talks about ongoing national events, or even mentions watching recent movies or TV series. Any news, if mentioned at all, is strictly about local affairs. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/53 "2005-08-16T17:05:20Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > The Aryan Paradise Syndrome - The fact that prior to about 1970, there were no black, hispanic, or asian people. Mayberry, a town in North Carolina, didn’t have any black people. Shouldn’t somebody have been asking questions? See my ‘Monochromatosis’. ---
**Author:** ![Susie\_Derkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Susie\_Derkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susie_Derkins)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/54 "2005-08-16T17:13:48Z")
**Why Do We Even Go On Vacation?** Any planned trip about which all the characters are super-excited will never go as intended. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/55 "2005-08-16T17:14:13Z")
The All Historical Events Happened During The Same Weekend Syndrome - Any sitcom set in a historical era (even if that era was as recent as the 1970’s) will treat all historical events that happened as if they happened simultaneously and in random order. The worst exemplar of this was _Black Adder_, in which during the course of a single season, Edmund lived through the Reign of Terror and the Battle of Waterloo - events which happened 21 years apart. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/56 "2005-08-16T17:14:33Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > … \*\*The We Don’t Pay Much Attention Syndrome \*\* - The fact that all sitcoms take place in some timeless continuum where there are apparently no current events. Nobody ever mentions who the President is, talks about ongoing national events, or even mentions watching recent movies or TV series. Any news, if mentioned at all, is strictly about local affairs. Try finding Barney Miller. They actually included NYC bankruptcy, the bicentennial, Election days with real politicians, Black, white, Hispanic, Jew and Gay interaction without it being preachy. The Gay characters were raging but exceptional for the day. But then this is one of the only sitcoms to never [JTS](http://www.jumptheshark.com/). Click on final item in left hand margin. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/57 "2005-08-16T17:16:50Z")
> [@](#): > > See my ‘Monochromatosis’. I though you were referring to the fact that early sitcoms were recorded in black and white. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/58 "2005-08-16T17:21:19Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > I though you were referring to the fact that early sitcoms were recorded in black and white. You’re kidding, right? Since I contrasted it with the one where the sitcom is OVERLY diverse? ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/59 "2005-08-16T17:25:44Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > On _Becker_, Reggie (and then Chris) runs a diner, also all by herself, and apparently does the same thing as Helen on _Wings_. She cooks, takes orders, cleans, does all the ordering, and whatever else is needed. And she also is neatly dressed - never an apron in sight. To be fair, she also seemed to have grand total of like 10 customers a week, most of whom never ordered anything but coffee… How about **Same Name, Different Face** where you have an actor replaced without explanation by someone else? I’m thinking the Dicks of Bewitched, Becky on **Roseanne** and Eric’s sister on **That 70’s show**. -Joe, one of the few who liked Becker ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/60 "2005-08-16T17:25:57Z")
**Why Hasn’t Anyone Fired You Yet?** In any comedy set in a workplace, there is always one character who is hilariously incompetent, and yet never gets fired, despite constant fuck-ups of collossal proportions. A prime example would be Andy Dick from _NewsRadio_, even though he did get fired at one point for several episodes. But that was only after dozens of disasters that would have gotten anyone in the real world canned in a heart beat. A variant is **Whay Hasn’t Anyone Fired You Yet, Bitch?** in which an employee is hilariously surly and unfriendly to customers, yet never gets fired. Example: Carla from _Cheers_. **The Law of Inverse Sanity** As shows get longer and longer, characters who were once mildly eccentric become wierder and wierder as the writers try to wring more gags out of them, until they entirely lose touch with any sort of reality. No one else on the show seems to notice. Offenders include the aforementioned Andy Dick, and Homer Simpson, who went from not exceptionally smart, basically caring dad with some anger issues, to retarded psychopath. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218.md?page=4)