Sitcoms are awesome. 6 or 7 seasons of fun, 20-minute-long episodes that don’t revolve too strongly around a specific topic, often paired with loveable characters and a satirical take on real-life situations - what’s not to love? They’re the perfect length for our fast-paced lives and short-lived attention spans. We can relate to them on a personal level - there are sitcoms for everyone!
In the wake of many political and humanitarian issues being brought to light, you might be rewatching your favourite sitcom only to find that it’s filled with inappropriate jokes, a disturbing lack of representation, or even slurs. So, here’s this listicle of 4 sitcoms you can watch without getting mad at every other joke.
1- The Good Place
The good place is, in typical religious terms, heaven - or is it? In Eleanor, Tahani, Jason and Chidi’s journey to the real good place, they see everything: evil leaders, deep-rooted corruption and blunt existentialism, which leads them to indirectly analyse and redefine the morality of their lives.
If you’re constantly wondering if you’re living your life the “right” way or whether you’re a good person, The Good Place is a must-watch. After all, what’s a better watch than a bunch of (very real) people having existential crises when you’re in the middle of your own existential crisis?
2- New Girl
4 friends in a loft are trying to make it work in post-recession 2011 LA. With 3-dimensional characters and logical events, this sitcom is set apart from others (*cough* Friends *cough*) by its realness, and therefore its relatability. The sitcom follows them in their late 20s through 30s, in and out of jobs, relationships and, eventually, the loft.
While there isn’t a very fictional story-line to this show, it’s its realness that truly sets it apart. It’s also really funny (no laugh track included).
3- Brooklyn Nine Nine
Despite being set in an NYPD precinct, this show is surprisingly unproblematic. It follows the team through their personal as well as professional lives as they try to actually decrease crime rates and keep the city safe, even if it doesn’t really fit with their mother institution’s vision.
On multiple occasions, the team finds themselves in positions where they have to choose between doing what is right or doing what is safe for their jobs, which often puts into perspective the corruption behind the police force and political regimes. This show, contrary to what many may say, does the exact opposite of idolizing the police force; it rather holds it accountable using the contrast between fictional cops and real ones.
4- Bojack Horseman
This satirical show filled with “woke”, edgy and sarcastic jokes will make you question the absurdity of our world in the worst way possible; is the world we live in so ridiculous that a show with humanoid animals can portray it perfectly? Apparently yes. This show is perfect for those who say that dark humor can’t exist without offending the majority of a minority. In its hyper-realistic and unlikeable characters, you’ll find the ugly parts of yourself. You’ll end up self-aware, filled to the brim with self-hatred, and oddly enough, you’ll be okay with it.
To us, time spent educating yourself, in whatever way you’d like, is time well-spent. This is why we spent hours binging these 4 special shows - it’s a new kind of growth. However, it is definitely disappointing that there are no Egyptian, or Arab, shows on this list, despite how developed Egyptian cinema claims to be. We’re holding on, though, for the new generation of upcoming filmmakers to provide us with the politically correct content we need.
gamed 🥀