i dont watch a lot of tv, let me get that out. i sometimes watch reruns of a couple old sitcoms, like reba, but that's about it.

theres this one newer sitcom that's currently airing, called the goldbergs. inspired by the creators own experiences growing up in the eighties. after watching it for several hours last night, i pinpointed just why i liked it so much.

comedy shows these days just feel so...mean spirited. im ok with black comedy, it has its uses, but i despise the "cast of jerks are mean to each other" set up for a show. it just feels...uncomfortable.

i love shows with big quirky casts, but its hard for me to be at ease and enjoy the show fully when the characters just seem to hate each other! especially in a show about a family. it feels uncomfortable and not quite as appealing. take shows like the big bang theory, where the characters act mean and that conflict is only strung out for comedy and isnt that resolved.

the goldbergs is the clear opposite of this. every episode is pretty formulaic- there's usually two plots, one involving the main character adam and a b plot involving another member of the family. the goldbergs are rather dysfunctional, with a neurotic mom, lazy dad, stupid brother, mean sister, silly grandpa, etc, so naturally they butt heads and get into trouble.

however, every episode also ends the same way as well- after reaching a climax (usually a member of the family doing something mean or exposed as lying), the jerk character realizes just how mean they've been.

and then they apologize. earnestly. make up. talk it out. one episode involved the mother getting angry that the family liked eating at a restaurant instead of her cooking. as she felt unneeded and unloved, she started getting a little crazy. she finally snaps and tells her husband that she feels like they dont need her.

and the dads response? "thats how you felt?! of course we need you! we'd all be living in in box on the side of the road without you! we love you, barb!" the mom is assured that she is loved, and they start a new tradition- going to that nice restaurant once a week.

every conflict is resolved in such a feel-good, loving fashion with no bitter jabs in the end to get a cheap laugh. if someone hurts someone, they make up. they come to a new understanding of each other. usually to an eighties pop song playing in the background (alone by heart almost brought me to tender tears. how dare they)

and that's just...such a nice thing. yall now im some bleeding-heart-love-and-forgiveness-feel-good-christian dude. this is what i thrive off of.

its cathartic, man. seeing all that (comedic) conflict is great, but that last five minutes of earnest love is what makes the show for me. these characters feel like a real family!

thats another thing i found notable about this obscure anime called tanaka-kun is always listless- it was the opposite of mean-spirited, but still funny.

that show was the perfect set up for a mean comedy. it had a main character with an inconvenient quirk (he was chronically lazy and always slept) and his friend, who was the clear opposite.

it kinda reminded me of sheldon and leonard from the big bang theory- they had a similar dynamic (with sheldon being smart than lazy). these two never felt like earnest friends, it always had this biting meanness to it that just...didn't make it work.

however, tanaka and ohta completely averted this. tanaka inconvenienced ohta a lot in the show, but he also was kind and loving to him?

he never did anything to hurt or offend him, even trying to help him in his own lazy way. like, when ohta faints bc he thought he saw a ghost (long story), tanaka is like "well, i can't carry him, and i dont want to leave him, so ill just sit with him until he wakes up"

the show just oozed love between the main characters, holy crap. it was one of the most genuine feeling friendships ive ever seen.

and that's how a show focused on friends should be! not that there's anything wrong with cynical comedies, but if its a show about friends, make them feel like friends!

if you want some good comedy, check out both the goldbergs and tanaka-kun is always listless.