By Amalia Theocharidou,
Everyone has watched a sitcom at least once in their life time. This specific kind of genre, meaning “situational comedies”, series where the same cast appears on the show, but each time with a different daily storyline, have become a massive success since a long time ago, including some of the most famous series of all time, like “Friends“, “The Big Bang Theory“, “The Office“, and many more. As a viewer and a series lover rather than movies, I’ve cried, got mad, and resonated with the characters. But mostly, I’ve laughed since the purpose of these sitcomes is to be a source of laughter and enjoyment in our daily lives. Therefore, I present to you the funniest –in my opinion– “silly” characters that have passed from our screens.
Joey Tribbiani
This article would not have a purpose without referring to Joey Tribbiani, the Italian heartthrob, who definitely stole the spotlight in “Friends“. Portayed by Matt le Blanc, Joey appears as a womanizer, struggling to make ends meet. Even though he faces many life and work problems, he always kept a positive life perspective, whose light way of thinking and unique nature made him stand out. Joey is pictured as a “silly” man, definitely popular with the ladies, but lacking in the educational domain. Throughout Joey, the viewer gets to laugh with his unexpected lines and risked actions, but also resonate with the strong emotions of love and friendship he experiences, during the entire show.
Phil Dunphy
Phil Dunphy is without a doubt one of the most beloved characters of “Modern family“. A father of three and a real estate seller, Phil offers the audience endless laughter with his shenanigans, in comparison to his logical and reserved wife, Claire. He is more like a friend than a dad to his kids and always manages to get in trouble due to his special way of thinking and acting. The combination of Phil’s character along with the other members of the family, such as his strict father in-law, Jay, or his copy-like son, Luke, with whom he always ends up in a huge adventure. Ty Burrell has managed to give the role all the best screening, but also pass on some important life messages, always in the funny spirit of Phil. “When life gives you lemonade, make lemons. Life will be all like ‘whaaaaat? ‘“.
Captain Holt
Andre Braugher in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” embodied perfectly the role of Captain Holt, a role defying many stereotypes at once. The black chief, also a member of the LGBTQ+ community, who also accepts himself for who he is, openly, is known as a stern man, who never laughs or shows any emotions. Through simple, yet, laugh-cracking lines, the Captain has become an iconic symbol of humor. As serious as he seems, he manages to get to the viewers through his emotionless face, but disarming responses.
Homer Simpson
Everybody knows “The Simpsons“. This is partly due to the popularity of the father of the family, Homer. Homer is portrayed and widely perceived as an idiotic guy, a characteristic often highlighted by his entourage. Homer serves as an escape from the modern world and all the difficulties of our life, letting the audience see life through a different perspective. Totally carefree, Homer acts before thinking, taking impulsive decisions, which sometimes even make no sense. The uniqueness of the character is what contributed to his popularity as well as his impossibility to comprehend.
Sitcoms have played a major part in our lives, an indispensable one, creating many memories connected to them. So, I urge all of you to take some time off this weekend in order to sit back and relax watching your favorite sitcom. And who knows, it might be one of these!
In the loving memory of Andre Braugher.
Reference
- Funniest Sitcom Characters of All Time, Ranked. MovieWeb. Available here
