# Television Comedy is pissing me off **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 13, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-comedy-is-pissing-me-off/181663 "2003-06-13T20:48:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-comedy-is-pissing-me-off/181663/41 "2003-06-15T17:33:33Z")
For a long time my favorite commedy was the Marx Brothers. There was a razor wit there (and I’m not talking just the movies.) Really something. I thought that level of intelligent humor was gone. But you can still find it if you know where to look. Might I suggest ‘Sports Night’? Finally out on DVD, great writing, very fun stuff. Nothing -overly- offensive, IIRC. For me, give me good wit, and intelligent writing. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-comedy-is-pissing-me-off/181663/42 "2003-06-15T22:38:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by eman77 \* > **To me this is something a child would find funny.** (pointing to the tip of my nose) Don’t find “Friends” funny? Does SNL just seem lame? Welcome to adulthood and your first steps out of the target demographic. Much of TV is aimed at people younger than you, people who marketers believe have more disposable income and that they are just itching to dispose of it. You know, Suckers. Not everybody leaves that group at the same age. I’m going to jump to the (probably false) conclusion that you got your user name in part from the year in which you were born, which would put you in your mid twenties, and that is about when many people have begun the transition into cranks and subscribers to _Consumer Reports._ “Friends” is funny for children because it is aimed at children. Nobody else would think those losers were worldly and sophisticated. Adults react to their antics by thinking, “Aren’t they a little old to be acting like that?” ---
**Author:** ![eman77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f04885/32.png) [@eman77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eman77)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-comedy-is-pissing-me-off/181663/43 "2003-06-15T23:19:59Z")
Well you are right **dropzone** about the things you mentioned (except my age but pretty close since i was born in '75). The thing that bothers me most is the adults who enjoy this, which is a pretty hefty number too I might add. Which is maybe why there is a lack of quality comedians. So I think you’re right about what you said but there’s still a large amount of grown men and women that are very entertained by this. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Harrison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5ac83/32.png) [@John\_Harrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Harrison)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-comedy-is-pissing-me-off/181663/44 "2003-06-16T02:20:23Z")
I was kind of with you on the Friends part, and then you wrote this nugget: > [@](#): > > I watch the standup Seinfield does before every show, compare it to George Carlin and I think I could write funnier, more original things. Why isn’t humor more intelligent nowadays? Is it because more uneducated people watch these shows instead of middle class people? My guess is that both Seinfeld and Carlin could write circles around you, and that your taste really isn’t that much superior to the rest of us. Or you could post some of your funnier, more original material so we could better understand how those with better taste enjoy comedy. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-comedy-is-pissing-me-off/181663/45 "2003-06-16T03:39:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by eman77 \* > \*\*but there’s still a large amount of grown men and women that are very entertained by this. \*\* (Lemme see…he’s new. I’ve been gone. Therefore, I can recycle my anecdotes!) My wife asked a salesman friend the secret of his success. “I realized that half of the world is of below-average intelligence. I modified my pitch so that more of them could understand it and now I’m top salesman.” Not everybody has your “sophisticated” tastes. To be honest, I don’t, either, entirely. Haven’t found Carlin funny in decades, for instance. But enough of the population thinks, for some unfathomable reason, that Friends is funny to make it very successful. (shrugging my shoulders) ---
**Author:** ![red\_dragon60](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@red\_dragon60](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/red_dragon60)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-comedy-is-pissing-me-off/181663/46 "2003-06-16T03:57:24Z")
I reccommend The Daily Show for topical humor. Although I don’t like some of their reporters, Jon Stewart has consistently funny desk banter, as well as being able to discuss serious issues with actual intelligent guests, and not only keep up, but crack a few jokes along the way. When was the last time Leno or Letterman had Newt Gingrich on to talk about what’s going on in the world? On top of that, Lewis Black is downright hilarious in just about everything he does in that show. If that doesn’t wet your whistle, go for Futurama. It is everything that the recent Simpsons isn’t. You won’t be dismayed. On top of all that, it’s a good idea to stay the hell away from Will and Grace, Friends, et. al. who resort to incredibly crude humor to get laughs. It’s all just written by talentless hacks. ---
**Author:** ![eman77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f04885/32.png) [@eman77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eman77)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-comedy-is-pissing-me-off/181663/47 "2003-06-16T20:53:31Z")
Maybe you guys misunderstood me, Nothing about my humor is sophisticated, all I’m complaining about is shows such as Will and Grace and Seinfield that use such childish humor to win over their fans. My humor isn’t any more sophisticated than yours, sorry if I came off as a bit snobbish. I just prefer more “intelligent” humor such as Carlin, maybe that’s the problem. ---
**Author:** ![eman77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f04885/32.png) [@eman77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eman77)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-comedy-is-pissing-me-off/181663/48 "2003-06-16T20:54:50Z")
But I must say Carlin will write circles around Seinfield before Seinfield will get a chance to pick up a pen. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-comedy-is-pissing-me-off/181663/49 "2003-06-16T21:08:16Z")
I like the old AbFab reruns, that stuff is funnier than any show on right now. However, I enjoy Scrubs, The Simpsons, King of the Hill, Frasier, and a few other sitcoms. It’s just tv, if you don’t find it funny, don’t watch. It’s just as easy to pick up a book or turn on the stereo. ---
**Author:** ![Meros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Meros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meros)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-comedy-is-pissing-me-off/181663/50 "2003-06-16T23:24:53Z")
As far as comedy goes I will have to say one of my favorites as been the now cancelled “Family Guy” that you can catch on the Cartoon Network. As far as intelligence goes I will say that it’s decidedly lacking but I have yet to see an episode that doesn’t leave me heartily laughing at least once. Plus there are some points where it’s just so bizarre that it is virtually guaranteed to catch you off-guard ---
**Author:** ![mallocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f4b2a3/32.png) [@mallocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mallocks)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-comedy-is-pissing-me-off/181663/51 "2003-06-17T13:26:39Z")
Watch series 1 and/or 2 of “The League Of Gentlemen” and then tell me TV comedy is dead. Or it could be that that’s only amusing to off the wall english types ---
**Author:** ![byter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@byter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/byter)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2003, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-comedy-is-pissing-me-off/181663/52 "2003-06-18T12:05:45Z")
How/why would they cancel “Just Shoot Me”? Consistently funny and interesting characters. “Friends” should have been canceled before the first marriage. Most “comedies” I just don’t bother with. Thank god for TLC, Discovery Channel, History Channel, et al. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/television-comedy-is-pissing-me-off/181663.md?page=2)