Sitcoms have been a part of American culture for a long time. Since the 1940s, Hollywood has produced hundreds of thousands of them, each one unique and reflective of its time.
The debate between the shows “Friends” vs. “Seinfeld”, both popular sitcoms from the 90s, has been a topic for decades. Seinfeld was first released in 1989 and is referred to as “the show about nothing”. The series finale was watched by 76.3 million people in the US, making it one of the top three most-watched TV finales of all time. Ad spots during the finale cost almost $2 million per 30 seconds, on par with Super Bowl rates.
During its original broadcast, Friends was one of the most popular shows on the air, consistently averaging tens of millions of viewers per episode. It was the top-rated comedy series for six years back-to-back during its original run. The Friends series finale was also a massive event, drawing in 52.5 million viewers in the US, making it the fifth most-watched series finale ever.
The reason why people enjoy TV sitcoms may vary. Some are comforted by the humor and find the shows easy to watch. “[It’s] a good background show,” says a junior at Ida. B Wells High School about the show “Modern Family.”
Reesa Kelley, a sophomore at IBW, says she enjoys sitcoms because “they’re funny, and I like to watch them with my family.” In terms of the Seinfeld V Friends battle, Kelley says she prefers “Friends, “‘cause Seinfeld is for old people.”
Others love sitcoms for their cast. Sterling Banbury, a junior at IBW, says he loves “Friends” because, “David Schwimmer is in it and he is so hot. Nothing with him in it is bad.” His opinion on Seinfeld V Friends is “Friends. David Schwimmer is in it, simple as that, he is a baddie. [I dislike] anything without David Schwimmer.”
Some students are selective about the sitcoms they watch. Lucy Falk, a senior at IBW, says she isn’t too big on sitcoms, but loves “Reba.” “I think I just enjoy that show, maybe a couple other sitcoms, but I’m not a regular sitcom enjoyer,” says Falk.
Her opinion on the Seinfeld V Friends is quite frank. “Friends is annoying as hell. I hate the storylines because they’re so repetitive. Everyone marries each other in their friend group and then sometimes they get divorced and then they get married again, it’s just not a funny show. Seinfeld is funny. If there’s a rerun on cable when I’m at a hotel, then I’ll watch it. If there’s a Friends rerun, I’ll skip it,” says Falk.
Another sophomore at IBW says, “I specifically enjoyed [the show] ‘Mr Iglesias’ because it had a lot of humor that someone from the Latino community would understand. And, it had an equal amount of commentary about Latino culture and the issues in that community.”
While some sitcoms have provided positive impacts, they can also have negative ones. “I despise the sitcom ‘George Lopez,’ as it enforces many stereotypes that damage Latinos in the United States,” says the same sophomore.
“[I don’t like] Young Sheldon.” Falk says, “That little kid has got to be the most annoying little s*** that I’ve ever seen. Ok, so he’s smart, but you know what else he is? A smart a** whose parents worship him while neglecting their other kids. So much so, their 17-year-old son gets an older woman pregnant and has to marry her—and their daughter is lowkey depressed,” says Falk.
Despite differing opinions and preferences on sitcoms, they continue to thrive and have a lasting impact on American society, good or bad.
