I've always been a fan, stemming from 7th grade when I got a TV in my room and didn't have cable. I'd watch endless episodes of Friends, Seinfeld, and golden age Simpsons. Back then I thought they were all awesome, but especially Friends because they were so hip and trendy and sat in coffee shops all day. Over the years I'd watch less and less because I've seen every single episode of these classics to the point of not being able to stomach them anymore because I still remembered every single joke. Well recently, I started re-watching a lot of these gems as my memory has been sufficiently dulled from college that I no longer remember enough about Seinfeld etc. that they're enjoyable again. So after a comprehensive study of Seinfeld v. Friends v. The Nanny, I've come to the conclusion that Seinfeld is the best sitcom ever.
Friends gets ruled out completely from the sitcom running because upon rewatch, it's mostly about them being trendy and hip and cool and isn't really that funny. Too much emphasis on Rachel's hair and how fabulous they all look. Also, the characters are way too one dimensional. Joey is the stupid actor who really just wants love. Monica is the controlling type A who really wants love, Pheobe is the eccentic hippy who reluctantly really wants love and then has to chose between two great guys. Etc. etc. etc. Also, much like EVERY SINGLE SHOW EVER, once all the characters started shacking up, it lost the same level of humor that was there when sexual tension was abundant. Also, they didn't leave any good lasting pop cultural legacies. Sureeee Smelly Cat was amusing, and everyone and their mom has pondered what to do while on a break, but that's about it. Next.
I'm not in the mood to go over the pros and cons of The Nanny and The Simpsons because The Nanny was amazing until Fran and Maxwell started shacking up, after that, I pretend it didn't exist. Much like many people pretend there was only one Matrix film. The Simpsons gets knocked out completely because anything after season 8 is just preposterous sad attempts to grasp onto contemporary issues at the expense of the sad buffoon shell of a character that they turned Homer into. They also reduced all the other characters to exaggerated versions of themselves that only exist to support Homer's increasingly ludicrous plot lines.
Thus leaving Seinfeld as the stand alone genius of the 1990s. Despite recent questionable judgement calls, Jerry Seinfeld knew what he was doing. He turned down getting 5 million dollars an episode to do a 10th season because he knew he was running out of material. He quit when the show was #1 on the ratings. Better to burn out than to fade away. Similarly, Seinfeld never committed the cardinal sin of having an inter-cast romance. Yes, Jerry and Elaine did go out, but it was so long ago, and while sometimes they'll make a comment or there will be a glimmer of tension or romance, it never fully re blossoms. If Jerry and Elaine ever got back to together for real it would just be comedic suicide, and he knew that! Kudos Jerry Seinfeld. Also, Seinfeld makes no attempts to seem cool. They hang out in a diner and Jerry's apartment. No one gets decked out to go hang out in a bar or even a coffee shop. They wear jeans and sneakers and sit in Jerry's place and rarely-if ever-booze. Also, the characters are just so much more relateable, at least to my life.
I'd like to think I'm somewhere between being a George and an Elaine. I'm Elaine because 90% of my best friends are guys, and i've probably hooked up with half of them; also I can't dance to save my life. I'm George because I'm living at home with my crazy parents and don't have a job. Also, I probably would have a huge crush on Kramer-if he existed in real life. Kramer always wore vintage pre-hipster clothes and was probably the nicest of the group. While Jerry and George were too busy being shallow, Kramer was far more interested in other schemes. He was also a pretty equal opportunity tail chaser. Skinny, fat, black, white, Kramer loves them all. So I'd probably have a chance with him too. Also, Seinfeld stands the test of time. You never think "wow this is REALLY outdated" when watching it.
So in conclusion
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