Everything I know about navigating the real world as a fully-fledged adult I have learnt from sitcoms (sorry Mum and Dad, you did keep me in TVs though).
Sitcoms have been my equivalent to an older, wiser woman imparting her pearls of wisdom onto me. I can just imagine me and sitcoms sitting on a sprawling, old veranda, sipping on ice tea, the sun setting behind us, as sitcoms throws down some real home truths about life.
(BTW in this fantasy, sitcoms is Betty White and I’m a young Tina Fey. And we’re the best of friends).
I love, love, LOVE sitcoms for three reasons.
One, they take everyday situations that we can all relate to and make them funny AF. Shitty workplaces? Tick. Awkward family events? Tick. Cringe-worthy dates? Tick.
And two, they create hilarious, flawed characters that we grow to love – even the real stinkers who would make our skin crawl in real life (I’m looking at you, Newman).
Finally, they stand the test of time. The sitcoms I watched in my teenage years are still guiding me through my thirties. And I know that no matter what situation I’m facing, one of my favourite sitcom characters has been there before.
So indulge me for a minute and imagine that I’m your Betty White and you’re a young Tina, while I walk you through these totally legit (and useful) life lessons.