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Ricardo Jaimes
Instructor: Malcolm Campbell
English 1101
September 13th, 2014
Modern Day Sitcomsthe Shows about Nothing
The sitcom has become a prevalent genre within the past few decades. Theyre
everywhere. Shows like Seinfeld, Friends, The Big Bang Theory, and The King of Queens appear
on various television networks to this day despite some of them airing many years ago. So what
makes sitcoms so special? What is a sitcom? Its actually a shortened version of the phrase
situation comedy. They are comedies that take place in familiar settings like a house, a
workplace, or a store. These setting are usually occupied by familiar, comedic characters
usually the same group of characters every episode. The genre itself is a sub-genre of comedy.
More specifically, this analysis will study the genre by taking an in depth look at the popular
television show Seinfeld, and it will outline various conventions and restraints to define the genre
as a whole.
Seinfeld has a lot of good examples for the core values of a sitcom. The familiar settings
are there: Jerrys apartment, the coffee shop, etc.; the group of friends: Jerry, Elaine, Kramer,
and George; and the relatively mundane plotline. This is, in fact, the very concept of Seinfeld. A
basic synopsis of one the most popular episodes is the following: Jerry and his friends wait for
their table at a restaurant. That is what makes the sitcom genre unique. Most of the time, these
shows have a very ordinary plot. The script writers are the ones who have the difficult job. They
need to take an ordinary situation, such as waiting at a restaurant for your table, and make it

Comment [JM1]: You could explain how the

personalities of these specific characters are a
similar trend in sitcom tv show casts

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funny and interesting. The show relies heavily on a funny script and well written characters. The
concepts and situations are made to be simple and relatable. For example, everyone has had to
wait for a table at a restaurant before. What makes the show interesting is the dialogue that
occurs during the situationthe actions, the causes and effects. Often times sitcoms take an
embarrassing situation that is relatable, and imposes it on the group of common characters.
Normally, when these embarrassing situations happen to us, were not happy, but it can be funny
to watch it happen to someone else. Sitcoms use the group of characters unique personalities to
create a funny reaction to these embarrassing situations. In fact, one episode of Seinfeld even
pokes fun at the very idea of making a show about virtually nothing. Most episode storylines are
so basic to the point where they happen every day to all of us.
Now on to the charactersSeinfeld has four core characters in the show: Jerry, the laid
back comedian; George: the portly, pusillanimous, and very stereotypical Jewish man; Elaine:
the superficial female member who appears to be a normal and decent member of society, but
really isnt; and Kramer: the crazy, strange and often random group member. The main group of
characters are often portrayed as poor, indecent members of society which is partly what adds to
their comedic value. Seeing these specific characters react to everyday situations is what makes
the show funny. The characters truly define the genre. Going back to what was said earlier, since
the plot is so basic, the characters need to be interesting. Good main characters add to the sitcom
genre because it develops a connection with the audience. Writers take funny or embarrassing
characteristics that we all have and they put an ample amount of them into the main characters.
Then, with those crazy, amplified characteristics, they turn a boring situation into something fun
to watch.

Comment [JM2]: This is a possible reason why

sitcoms are popular and why new ones are still
being created

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All of these are common conventions that define the show and the genre that it is in.
Another common convention that is present in the older sitcoms would be the laugh track. The
laugh track was originally put in to assist the audience in laughter. This correlates with the
concept that its easier to laugh at something once everyone else is. It can sometimes seem out of
place to be the only laughing at something, so the laugh track helps encourage laughter of the
current situation. This also shows how the genre has greatly changed throughout the years. At
first, the laugh track was a commonly placed convention in sitcoms but, more recently, the laugh
track is not nearly as commonly placed. More modern shows like The Office and Its Always
Sunny in Philadelphia are great examples of this. In our specific show example, Seinfeld, the
laugh track is used. In most cases, its used to highlight the absurdity of the characters dialogue
and actions because that is what the show is about.
The audience of a sitcom is widely varied. Most of the time the television network the
show is aired on determines the audience. There are more family friendly networks like Disney
channel that focuses on less provocative content. Then there are television networks that are
centered on a more vulgar, darker sense of humor meant for a more mature audienceironic.
This ties in to the overall purpose of the sitcom. They are shows designed to make us laugh. And
since comedy has a very selective audience, there is a small target audience for a specific show.
However, the sitcom genre in general has a large target audience. It became so popular because it
appealed to a large audience. It just all depends on how specific the sub-genre is. Sitcom itself is
a specific genre; however, it can be broken down even more into a very specific target audience.
The main audience would be anyone who is looking to laugh. There is a sitcom to match
many different types of humor, whether it be a horribly clichd and obvious humor, or a laid

Comment [JM3]: Why is this? Because it is an

older show like That 70s Show that also uses a
laugh track

Comment [JM4]: Are there an stats about

demographics that relate to this? Is it older or
younger people who like these shows?

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back, dark, sarcastic humor, there are plenty of shows around now to satisfy a multitude of
people.
In general, sitcoms are known for relating to cultural and social trends. A lot of them
attempt to stay relative in their humor during their date of airing. For example, Seinfeld would
often make good use of its setting to contribute towards the comedy. The show took place in
New York City. A lot of the times Seinfeld would create relatable situations to fellow New York
residents who also had to deal with the same circumstances. This could include anything from
parking on the side of the road of you apartment complex to constantly having to utilize the taxi
service. Another sitcom called South Park is known for incorporating very recent events in their
episodes. The show itself is created the week that it airs. They use that as an opportunity to make
the episodes relevant to current events that sometimes occur within the same week. Not many
other genres can do that.
Changing the sitcom genre to another comedy genre wouldnt be a difficult task since the
sitcom genre is so versatile. But since comedy is so selective, if we used a more specific example
of a sitcom, it would be a big transition. For instance, if the genre had to be changed to a
romantic comedylet the television show Seinfeld and the romantic comedy My 50 First Dates
be used as examplesthere would be a lot of changes. The target audience would change
drastically. The romantic comedy genre would appeal more to females opposed to males. The
audience would typically be of an older age since romance is a factor. Ultimately, the show
would lose a specific group of audience but gain another different group.
The audience wouldnt be the only thing that would change, however. The content would
drastically change too. As stated earlier, sitcoms jokes primarily come from their descriptive
characters and their reactions to mundane situations. However, in a romantic comedy movie, the

Comment [JM5]: What is the target audience?

More specific

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jokes would center on misunderstandings, and the plot would follow a more descriptive
unfolding. Instead of an ordinary plot lines that most of us have experienced before, a romantic
comedy would tell the story of a slightly less realistic situation. And instead of a funny ending,
most romantic comedies involve some sort of touching scene where the girl and guy get back
together to satisfy the audience for an ending.
All of these aspectsconventions, target audience, restraintscontribute to the
main purpose: to make us laugh. The sitcom genre uses all of these in a wide variety to cater to a
large audience. The genre can be specifics, yet broad. Even today the genre is prevalent
compared to its popularity in the past and its continuing to grow.

"Sitcom." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 09 Nov. 2014. Web. 13 Sept. 2014.

Comment [JM6]: Possibly refer back to Seinfeld