# 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:** 4
**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, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/61 "2005-08-16T17:34:25Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > **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. Perhaps that could be expanded to **Lovable Moron/Idiot Syndrome** where not once do we get one character saying, “God damn I hate that fucker.” For some reason these idiot manchildren live in a world where everyone smiles with bemused exasperation at these fools. Gilligan, of course, could be considered as part of the **Why hasn’t this guy been chopped up and used for chum, yet?** syndrome. It’s always, ‘But he’s so sweeeeeet’. ‘He has a good heart’. -Joe ---
**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, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/62 "2005-08-16T17:34:30Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > 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. Uh … that kind of monkeying about with history was part of the _premise_ of _Black Adder_, wasn’t it? ---
**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, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/63 "2005-08-16T17:37:48Z")
> [@Fionn](#): > > **Who Knew That College Was There?** Alex and Mallory Keaton of _Family Ties_ also went to Who Knew? colleges. > [@Miller](#): > > **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. Also, Rageaholic George Costanza. ---
**Author:** ![RobuSensei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@RobuSensei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobuSensei)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/64 "2005-08-16T17:53:58Z")
> [@middleman](#): > > Great call. > > Non-sitcom offenders: Mandy Patikan from Chicago Hope and **Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner from ST:TNG.** Okay, I know that Patrick Stewart did a little back-up singing on Brent Spiner’s _Old Yellow Eyes is Back,_ but when did he do a production number on the show? When did Spiner, for that matter? Seriously, I have no memory of them doing this. Unless you’re counting when Picard sang Frere Jacques (sp?) to get those kids to shut up…and I wouldn’t, but then I thought the whole Linda Lavin syndrome required full show-stopping (or show-killing) moments. (I remember when Joel Grey was on _Alice,_ but I wish I didn’t) ---
**Author:** ![Gilligan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Gilligan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gilligan)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/65 "2005-08-16T17:56:22Z")
\*\*Funky Flashback Syndrome \*\* Causes characters, when thinking about their pasts, to imagine themselves in the faddiest fashions of the era they are flashing back to, instead of the normal clothes that most people wore. Leisure suits, huge afros, Miami Vice-wear, leg warmers, rainbow suspenders. Never just jeans and a T-shirt. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/66 "2005-08-16T18:04:34Z")
> [@RobuSensei](#): > > Okay, I know that Patrick Stewart did a little back-up singing on Brent Spiner’s _Old Yellow Eyes is Back,_ but when did he do a production number on the show? When did Spiner, for that matter? It may be a false memory. I DO remember them singing in the movies. That scene in part 9 where Picard is chasing Data in the shuttlecrafts… ---
**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, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/67 "2005-08-16T18:10:33Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > . > > **JUST HOW MUCH RENT CONTROL DO YOU HAVE?** Syndrome- perhaps the most ubiquitous, it occurs when characters live in absurdly huge or lavish apartments for their income. (There are too many that come to mind to name them, but one of the first times I noticed it was on the old primetime Spelling Soap _Hotel_, in which a desk clerk {desk clerks make little more than minimum wage} had a very nice modern high rise apartment that she paid for on her hourly wage. This is actually a sub-catagory of the **DON’T ASK ME TO EXPLAIN HOW THE ECONOMY WORKS SYNDROME** –Minimal wage workers all have extensive wardropes and rarely even wear the same thing twice, all drive flashy cars, all eat out at fancy restaurants, bars, and \ **Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/68 "2005-08-16T18:16:13Z") > [@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? Actually, that’s not entirely inaccurate. Mayberry was based on Andy Griffith’s hometown of Mr. Airy, NC, and it was mostly white. In fact, if you look at the census, you’ll see that African Americans only make up less than 5% of the population of Surry County, where Mt. Airy is located. Pretty much all of western North Carolina is and always has been largely white, in fact. Since the western part of the state is the Appalachian Mountains and their foothills, largescale plantation agriculture was never able to develop there (cotton needing flat, damp soil), so there was never a lot of slavery in the area. Surry County was, however, a slave transshipment point, where slavetraders would buy slaves from Virginia and sell them south to the cotton belt. But you never had a large resident slave population in the area. ---
**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, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/69 "2005-08-16T18:23:12Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Also, Rageaholic George Costanza. He’s addicted to rageahol? ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/70 "2005-08-16T18:30:35Z")
> [@JerH](#): > > **Who Does All The Work?** Syndrome - This is related the the _Who’s Minding The Store?_ Syndrome already discussed; it is when a business manages to operate with a significantly smaller staff than would normally be required. WKRP was a good example of that. They occasionally featured other staff members, such as Bucky Dornster, but this was rarely done. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/71 "2005-08-16T18:37:45Z")
**The Even More Beautiful Sibling** Start with a character who’s beautiful, funny and smart, than add a sibling or co-worker who completely outshines her (it’s almost always a her) in one of those categories, so you end up with crippling shyness and insecurity. Jan Brady, Bailey Quarters, Mary Ann, Rhoda Morganstern (first two years only), Mallory Keaton. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/72 "2005-08-16T18:53:19Z")
**LOOK - WE’RE FILMED ON LOCATION!** TV shows that pretend to be set in a well-known city by showing stock footage of those landmarks, when all other scenes are clearly not filmed there. Ex: **Charmed**. Look - it’s the Golden Gate Bridge! ::cut to six lane boulevard with center parkway covered in palm trees and blue street signs with white lettering:: Corollary **I SHALL PROVE THAT WE’RE ON LOCATION!** Shows set in a specific city that never film on location, except for one or two episodes in which the characters stroll past every well-known landmark possible. Ex: **Frasier** - episodes featuring the monorail, Space Needle, Pike Street fish market, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/73 "2005-08-16T18:57:28Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > **The Very Special Syndrome** : There will be at least one episode where someone is raped, almost raped, offered drugs, hit on by an uncle or suffers some other serious event. This only seems to happen to shows with kids and no matter how traumatic the event, it’s effects will last only one episode. Two, if it’s a two parter. A corollary of **The Very Special Episode** is the **Best Friend Who Never Existed Before**. In which a character suddenly has a bosom buddy who has never before been seen or mentioned on the show and never will again. The classic example of this is the _Family Ties_ ep when Alex must come to grips with the death of a close, lifelong friend who materialized from nowhere just for that episode. You also see lesser examples of this if a kid has to get molested or pregnant (which, of course, can never happen to a _regular_). The pregnant friend who never existed before can be seen in eps of _Family Ties_ and _Different Strokes_. The classic friend who is created just to get molested is “Dudley,” who was famously molested on _Different strokes_. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/74 "2005-08-16T18:58:45Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > **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_, … Are you sure you watched _Taxi_? Angela (Alex’s date) was incredibly unpleasant when he met her in person (very defensive, and suggested that she would put people off with her personality before they could reject her over her weight) and Alex was conflicted about not having a good time with her after getting along so well over the phone. And she came back in a later episode, which revolved partly around her having lost a lot of weight (the actress had too, of course). ---
**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, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/75 "2005-08-16T18:58:58Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > **The Even More Beautiful Sibling** Start with a character who’s beautiful, funny and smart, than add a sibling or co-worker who completely outshines her (it’s almost always a her) in one of those categories, so you end up with crippling shyness and insecurity. > > Jan Brady, Bailey Quarters, Mary Ann, Rhoda Morganstern (first two years only), Mallory Keaton. I don’t get this ones examples: Jan Brady: conceded, this plotline was a major part of the silly show Bailey was a minor charactor, her role grew. (I liked her better anyway) Mary Ann: in surveys I’ve seen everyone liked her better and slightly more guys thought she looked better, so is this valid? Poor Ginger, she was suppose to be the beautiful one and got beat out by a supporting character, (Reference to Original Theme Song) Rhoda was only a supporting character to the Title character, so why the big deal? Mallory was drop dead beatiful and never shy. Maybe a little insecure compared to Alex intectually. ---
**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, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/76 "2005-08-16T19:02:24Z")
**The NOW-I-GOT-RELIGION-I’M-A-JERK SYNDROME** –A major character will get religion and sometimes join a cult, then become a major pain in the ass until the others rescue them. The incident and religion are never mentioned again. ---
**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, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/77 "2005-08-16T19:05:58Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > **The NOW-I-GOT-RELIGION-I’M-A-JERK SYNDROME** –A major character will get religion and sometimes join a cult, then become a major pain in the ass until the others rescue them. The incident and religion are never mentioned again. Never seen this one, which show(s)? ---
**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, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/78 "2005-08-16T19:06:18Z")
**Where’s the Baby?** - a character with a baby or small children still can take off and go on a spur of the moment trip with it taken for granted that babycare isn’t an issue. (While it’s appeared on some sit-coms [_Frasier, Family Ties_] this one is pandemic on Soap Operas.) **Time Its Changes Bring** a character is going to be meeting an old friend or enemy from High School/College and in the 20 years that have passed said character has put on weight. S/he must diet to get back to his/her old look before meeting the friend who, as fate would have it, is even fatter! ( **Family Matters** and others, but never better done than on **Absolutely Fabulous** , when instead of the other character being fat it turns out that She’s blind). ---
**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, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/79 "2005-08-16T19:07:45Z")
> [@jrfranchi](#): > > Never seen this one, which show(s)? I know this happened on **Roseanne** (with the son) and **Facts of Life** (Jo decided to become a nun and became judgmental [special guest star: Eve Plumb as Blair’s half-sister, a nun]). ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218/80 "2005-08-16T19:08:18Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > **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_. The syndrome is valid but two of the examples are not. The operator turned up on a later episode, having lost weight, and Alex decided he wanted to date her now that she wasn’t fat anymore (she refused). And Mason (Charlene’s fat date) didn’t appear on the show again but he was mentioned again. He moved to Japan (a nation which served as something of a repository for off-screen DW characters, as Julia and Suzanne’s mother lived there and when Suzanne was written out it was to move to Japan to be with Mother). Two subsets of this syndrome are the **Special Hot Date** Syndrome, in which a central character is roped into a blind date with someone formerly ugly who has grown up and become gorgeous, and the rarer **Special Ugly Date** Syndrome, in which a central character eagerly agrees to date a hottie who has become “ugly” either by gaining weight, donning glasses, or in the case of _Bosom Buddies_, gone 80s TV-verion of punk. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-and-exemplify-sitcom-syndromes/317218.md?page=5)