Back when TV was free, it was better. Sitcoms ruled network television through the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s, and the world was better for it. Most sitcom actors weren’t celebrities, they were working theater actors, character actors, and unknown comedians who served the script instead of themselves.
By the mid-‘80s and throughout the ‘90s, stand-up comedians started dominating sitcoms. Most weren’t famous beforehand, and that was fine, but once celebrity culture wanted in, the decline began. It stopped being about sharp writing, great timing, and memorable characters. It became about personality worship.
The attitude shifted from “Here’s a funny story” to “Look at me, I’m funny.”
Now we have streaming, twenty minutes of scrolling just to find something you won’t shut off after the first ten minutes. Endless options, endless content, yet somehow nothing memorable. Back then, networks had to earn your attention with strong writing, solid characters, and timing. Now it feels like quantity replaced quality, and algorithms replaced creativity.
And what do most people end up watching on these streaming services? Repeats of old sitcoms like Seinfeld, The Office, and Cheers.
When we had less, we actually had more. Now that we have more, we somehow ended up with less. And with the less comes regular price increases, where once it was just the price of electricity.
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