Genre Analysis Peer Review By Me

8/10/2019 Genre Analysis Peer Review By Me

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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 Queensappear

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.

Seinfeldhas 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 h

personalities of these specific characters

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 Seinfeldeven

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 charactersSeinfeldhas 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 re

sitcoms are popular and why new ones a

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 OfficeandIts Always

Sunny in Philadelphiaare 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? Becaus

older show like That 70s Show that also

laugh track

Comment [JM4]: Are there an stats a

demographics that relate to this? Is it old

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 Seinfeldwould 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 comedyMy 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 a

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

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