Ben Wyatt the sitcom character ever. He became mayor of his town at 18 and bankrupt it making a winter sports complex. He’s terrified of cops. “Who hasn’t had gay thoughts.” He’s played by Adam Scott. He has a rollerskating kink. He writes Star Trek slashfic. He loves calzones. His knee jerk, subconscious reaction to someone calling Leslie a bitch was to punch him in the face. He buckled in his briefcase. Even he’s dancing. He named his calculator. He thought the idea of Leslie being a dictator was hot. He makes claymation. He’s like a milf. He made a board game. He’s a human disaster.

More tabletop RPGs need to be open to the old-school sitcom method of introducing new characters. Just insist against all evidence to the contrary that that guy has been here all along. Dismiss any argument otherwise as pedantry. We're celebrating their birthday next week.

Adults and Not Suitable For Work deserve 5-7 seasons with 18-22 episodes. These sitcoms could be so good on a network.

David Bowie on the anti-intellectualism of American media:

In American media, particularly sitcoms and animated series, there is a persistent trend that elevates ignorance as a virtue while mocking intellectual curiosity. The ideology of “ignorance is bliss” is woven into the cultural fabric of entertainment, shaping generations of viewers to equate intelligence with alienation and foolishness with belonging. While comedy has long relied on exaggeration and absurdity, the steady glorification of stupidity goes beyond humor and enters the realm of subtle propaganda.

Sitcoms such as Married… with Children, According to Jim, and Two and a Half Men construct entire narratives around the bumbling, clueless father or male lead who succeeds despite laziness, arrogance, or sheer idiocy. These men are not punished for their lack of insight but rewarded with acceptance, family loyalty, and steady laughs. Their smarter counterparts - wives, neighbors, or children - are depicted as uptight nags or outsiders, undermining the value of critical thought. This formula quietly reinforces the idea that intelligence is undesirable, even socially corrosive, while ignorance is charming and relatable.

Animated series often push this further. The Simpsons’ Homer, Family Guy’s Peter Griffin, and Beavis and Butt-Head all became cultural icons precisely because of their stupidity. Their ignorance is framed as endearing, humorous, and quintessentially American. In contrast, characters who display knowledge - Lisa Simpson, Brian Griffin, or teachers and authority figures - are mocked, sidelined, or portrayed as pretentious and ineffective. This dynamic ensures that intelligence is not something to admire but something to ridicule.

The cumulative effect of these portrayals is not neutral. In a society where media shapes identity and aspiration, constant reinforcement of “it’s cool to be dumb” nurtures an anti-intellectual culture. At best, it conditions audiences to distrust expertise and prefer gut instinct over critical reasoning. At worst, it serves as cultural anesthesia, dulling the drive for education and reflection. The laughter becomes a mechanism to normalize mediocrity.

Whether intentional or not, this trend aligns neatly with the interests of power. A population trained to laugh at intellect and idolize ignorance is less likely to question authority, resist manipulation, or cultivate independent thought. The ideology of celebrated stupidity, packaged as harmless comedy, functions as soft propaganda: it perpetuates a culture of complacency where critical thinking is not only unnecessary but uncool. In this way, television comedy quietly reinforces the oldest control mechanism of all—keeping people entertained enough to stop asking questions.

something that makes me tear up all the damned time is the way captain holt always was a father figure for them. he appreciated charles' food blog when everyone made fun of it, he defended terry whenever zeke was being mean to him, he taught jake not only to be a better detective, but a better person, he was always rosa's first choice whenever she needed a guardian, he knew how much amy admired him and never, ever made fun of her for her ambitions and quirks, he always listened to gina's rants and always knew about her whereabouts. the amount of love i hold for this man is insane. he never once berated them for their fragilities, but he always tried his best to relate to them or humanise them, or help them resolve the issue. I love this show so much.

Red Hood Incorrect Quotes Pt 110