Was investigating my memories, and I've noticed a pattern. In (animated?) sitcoms, if there is a character that is physically disabled, this formula will eventually arise.
Long post, so I'll leave it under the cut (incase this appears in your feed several times.)
They will do an episode where they explore "What if they weren't?"
That episode will make them un-disabled
That person not being disabled is portrayed as a bad thing
Specifically, I've noticed this in two shows:
American Dad: S9E19, "Da Flippity Flop", Klaus (fish) gets Stan's body and immediately starts abusing it: smoking, doing drugs, etc.
Family Guy: S6E3, "Believe It or Not, Joe's Walking on Air". Joe gets legs, is portrayed as an asshole, and then is re-crippled.
I don't watch a lot of shows though, so I'm curious if it's sample size bias or not.
For what it's worth: There's a few ways to do this without portraying "they're disabled, but that's a good thing." Futurama did. (bender was made human, but A it was a "what if" scenario + B he killed himself gorging on too much food/becoming morbidly obese)
You can also just treat it as a "fixed point in time" type of thing. The family guy episode could've ended with them having a great time skiing, mountain climbing, or even just fixing a roof, where Joe gets hurt again in the process.
It's not ideal to send the message "you're disabled in every timeline no matter what you do", but it's better than "actually it's a good thing you don't have legs" and I understand the necessities of sitcoms.
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When you picture Bobs Burgers, what is the penultimate scene for you? What says “Ah yes, this is what the show is about and why I love it.” Totally fair if you want to list more than one!
It's cliche, I'm sure, but the scene where Bob frees himself from the toilet is the one scene that keeps coming to mind when I think about this question. "Glued, Where's My Bob?" is just so good and so quintessential "Bob's Burgers." The music is perfect, the ending is perfect, the characterizations are perfect.
Bob freeing himself and everyone--even his enemies--cheering is a beautiful encapsulation of the series's heart. Even at their lowest, the Belchers don't give up on each other or themselves. The core conceit of the show is that love (in all forms, but especially familial) can overcome almost anything and that love can soothe even the worst failures and hurts.
Bob "fails" in that he doesn't get his perfect interview. However, he still wins because he frees himself and the whole town celebrates. Everyone loves a good underdog story and the Belchers are beloved citizens, both in-universe and out.
"Glued" is one of my favorite episodes of the series, period. That scene in particular is especially poignant and sweet. I love the Mustache Man and his family, even when he's stuck to a toilet--and I know that he'll be free by next week.
I (obviously) love then & now posts. I decided to aim this one at the first (or pilot) and last episodes of animated sitcoms. Apparently Hank Hill is Hank Hill no matter the year 🤣
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I would try and rank all the animated adult sitcoms I've seen, but it's quite hard to know for sure what order I'd put them in. I know Bob's Burgers is in the top slot, but I don't know after that. Most of the other shows are good, but have episodes I don't like enough to make it hard to rank them. But maybe I'll try sometime. Idk.
Have you ever been in Springfield & Quahog before?
Never. I don't care for the Simpsons or Family Guy n’ their liberal bullshit, so I steer clear o' their worlds. I did like Drawn Together, though. I visited their little corner o' the animated universe a few times n' hung out with the cast. Spanky Ham n' Toot are assholes, but the rest o' the cast are solid. Captain Hero is a bro, n' Princess Clara & Foxy Love, well, I can't get inna much detail what with Tumblr's new restrictions an' all.