3 Reasons You Should Watch This One Show I Like

Last night I watched the first two episodes of the new season of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and it made me so very happy. Why am I watching it three weeks late? I have children, they've had strep … and as the title of this blog suggests, I am lazy.

But I laughed, out loud, like childless well-rested person. If you are not a fan of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, that's fine; but you are wrong and here is why:

1. It's like Seinfeld.

EVERYONE liked Seinfeld. Well, maybe not everyone (my mom didn't get it), but it's one of the most highly rated TV comedies of all time. One reason for Seinfeld's popularity was that the characters weren't like any we'd seen before; because they weren't good people. They didn't have softer side, like Archie Bunker or Homer Simpson, they were actually selfish and delusional all the way down to the core -- and we loved it. We loved it when George pushed past all the little children to evacuate during a fire drill. We loved it when Jerry dates the masseuse just to get free massages. It was funny.

So where Seinfeld opened the door to unlikeable characters, "It's Always Sunny" walked through that door and then sat down on the couch and was like "bring me a sandwich now." These characters are TERRIBLE -- all-caps necessary. In one episode they find a baby and, instead of bringing it to the proper authorities, try to get it in television commercials to make money. When a casting agent tells them white babies aren't "in," they paint the baby's face brown.

I'm telling you it's bad.

But it's also great because that episode had a point. It was about exploiting children for fame and money, like Honey Boo Boo, or something. I mean I assume it was. I mean that's what I got out of it. Which brings me to my second point:


2. It's smart.

The episode I watched last night was about gun control, and it was probably one of the more thoughtful arguments about gun control that I've seen in a while. Even though many of the jokes were politically incorrect (middle schoolers attacking each other with pencils, compasses, and piano wire), after I watched it, I actually felt a little bit smarter. Absurd satire is my learning style.


3. The people who created the show also star in it and write the episodes.

Isn't that cool? I think you can tell the difference between this and other shows. The actors are more in-sync or something, and more hilarious. I don't know much about TV bureaucracy (I also don't know much about using the word bureaucracy in a sentence) but I'm guessing this show is less subjected to corporate . . . stuff. For example I have never seen any of the characters stop and have a conversation about Jenni-O turkey products.

It's basically my own personal fantasy world to have my funny friends and I write and star in our own successful TV show, so maybe that is the real reason I love It's Always Sunny. But really, it's good. If you are looking for some episodes to get you started, might I recommend:

Season 2: The Gang Exploits A Miracle
Season 3: The Gang Gets Invincible
Season 4: The Nightman Cometh ***

Current episodes are on FXX (different from FX) on Thursday night. I think many of you could like this show, but definitely not if you are my mom. And if you know my mom, and you feel like you have a lot in common with my mom, you should probably pass as well.

Everyone else, enjoy!


***My all-time favorite as it involves musical theater