Whenever Uncle Fester makes an unsuccessful attempt to scare away the neighbours in The Addams Family, we can't stop admiring his characteristic inability to get it right.
And, it is a sight to behold when Brian, the smart-talking dog, walks on two legs, drinks martinis, smokes cigarettes and engages in human conversation. If this is not enough to tickle your funny bone, try out the working class Stone Age man's antics with his family and his next door neighbour and best friend in Flintstones. Animated television sitcoms are not only popular with the kids, but have a huge fan following among adults, too. Shows like Family Guy, The Simpsons, South Park and the recent King of the Hill are some of the current favourites. And with a reason.
The show South Park talks about a four friends and a frequent death of a character called Kenny, who keeps appearing in the next show. Because of their brilliant animation and clearly delineated character sketches, many viewers feel that these shows can make a person laugh in a grave situation as well. "The animation in these sitcoms is really done up well. Each character has its significance and blends well with the others. For instance, a character named Eric Cartman in South Park is a racist, but he makes you laugh because of his silliness," asserts a sitcom follower, Rahul Hegde.
Another show, Family Guy, features the adventure of the Griffin family and their three kids. The youngest is a brilliant and sadistic baby hell-bent on killing his mother. Another son has a low IQ. Their daughter tries to be a part of the crowd without being able to do so. Their talking dog Brian keeps baby Stewie in check while sipping martinis and sorting out his own life issues. "These shows don't have any context with reality which makes them hilarious. I mean, think of a dog talking and making sense! The dark humour really cracks me up," says Veera Singh, a commercial artist and a big fan of Family Guy.
While Veera feels that shows like these are a light and a stark contrast to the ongoing repetitive sitcoms, Krishna Makhija begs to differ. "Animated sitcoms are definitely entertaining, and I like The Simpsons because of the pop culture, although I didn't like the movie, as it was in the slapstick format. I am not a big fan of Family Guy and South Park because of their contrarian use of language," explains Krishna.
All of us love to laugh out loud and the animated sitcoms are the best way to do that. Isn't it?