It’s that time of year again; the time of year where I start compiling my dream Emmy ballots for the comedy category. This year, instead of making one master post, I decided to make a bit of a thing of it — five weeks leading up to nominations, five categories, five columns detailing my thoughts on each race. Great, right? I thought so. I think you’ll all enjoy the ride.
As part of being a conscientious TV blogger, I made a point of researching other people’s picks. Because while I watch almost every sitcom, I don’t actually watch all of them, and I like to be thorough. But what I found in all the predictive blogs both shocked and appalled me. What on earth were these people smoking? Did they really think that the Emmys would reward these performances and ignore so many other great ones? Why is The Big Bang Theory even a thing?! And then I remembered, this happens every year. Every year, the Emmys make terrible, terrible choices. (As Ron Swanson says, I’d like awards shows better if awards went to the right people.) And while I want to blame this just on the Emmy organization, I can’t, really. Because the fact is, as someone who unabashedly adores and follows comedy closely, I’ve noticed something: America has an addiction for outright bad comedy television. (This, frankly, is the only explanation I have come up with for the continued existence of 2 1/2 Men.) So America, I am here to tell you — you should do better. You can do better. There are many better fish in the sea, and it is your patriotic duty to be watching them. And I like to think that my Emmy ballots just may be the start of something beautiful, like you gaining the self-esteem to love sitcoms who can love you back the way you deserve.
And so, before we start on the grand journey of what I have picked as deserving this year’s comedy Emmys, I feel there are a few problems we should address about what’s wrong with how we normally choose who gets those ever-so-coveted awards.
1. People don’t actually know what comedy is.
Here’s the thing about comedy. It’s supposed to be funny. It’s supposed to make you laugh, or smile, or be touched, or just have a lot of good feelings. The classic comedy/drama division came from the Greeks, who didn’t even have the funny requirement — their differentiation was that comedies had happy endings and tragedies or dramas had sad ones. Over the years, we’ve evolved and the definition has gotten more convoluted, but the basic idea that comedies should make you happy remains. That’s what they’re there for.
But you know what’s not and never has been a qualifier for what a comedy is? Any show that just happens to be a half hour long. I’m sure both Nurse Jackie and Enlightened are great shows, but you know what? They’re not funny. They’re not happy. There is no joy in them. They’re bleak and sad and depressing, and they don’t even try to be funny.
Clacked by Julia Hass 
on Jun 07, 2012 @ 16:06 EST5EDT
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I’m all for a little recursion to the classics, but the fact is that the words comedy and drama have had a very different meaning from the original one for at least a few decades now. I feel it’s pointless to recategorize those genres.
And then it is of course one of the main funtions of humor to be different from the normal. Good humor does not only have to test the boundaries of the day-to-day, it has to outright hurt sometimes, it has to be black, sexist, racist and homophobic. That’s not bad humor, that is the very function of humor. Where there is no such humor there is thought crime.
Read 1984 or watch Serenity.
Now I’m not saying that 2.5 men ecxels at being the forerunner of fine humor, but the first few seasons were fun (I stopped wathcing it a long time ago because it got old though) and wishing this show purged for toying with the political incorrect is, well, not a sign of progressiveness. Charlie would probably use the word cockblocker…
And more direct to the topic: While How I met your Mother is not as good as it used to be, it’s best episodes are still among the best written and executed tv one can find.
I agree with what you are saying here, but I have issue with your major gripe regarding Modern Family.
You started out this rant on the fact that at it’s base, comedy is meant to make you feel good. And, despite being somewhat saccharine, is exactly what Modern Family excels at above many, many other comedies out there. I’d say that in the “feel good” category of comedies, perhaps only Parks and Recreation tops it week to week. Are the stereotypes of the characters a little on-the-nose? Sure, but I think the actor’s portraying them make up for the shortcomings of shallow character development.
This was a good article overall, but I think you could/should have used your space in point 3 to talk about the comedies that transcend the typical sitcom America is still so hung up on. Shows like Louie, Parks, 30 Rock, Archer, Curb, Community, and Louie!!! (yes, I know I listed it twice…it’s that damn good) all take risks in their storytelling and style. And all are critical darlings that are watched by a mere fraction of the CBS zombies who adhere to crap. A better case could have been made for what is inherently wrong that Americans would prefer to mindlessly watch laugh-track drivel and reality show regurgitation than something that makes them think a bit and reflect on their own lives how just tragic and comedic they truly are.
Julia’s writing a series of posts about this … something tells me she’ll get to where you want her to go. :-)
The reason Glee and Desperate Housewives have always been nominated in the Best Comedy category is simple — they stand a better chance at winning there than they do in the Best Drama category.
If I was nominating five comedies for Emmy consideration, I’d have to pick Community, 30 Rock, Parks & Recreation, Suburgatory, and Raising Hope. I do have a CBS guilty pleasure though — 2 Broke Girls.