Seinfeld vs. Friends?

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BDawg

Lifer
Oct 31, 2000
11,631
2
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Seinfeld is TV history. Friends is an attempt to mix comedy and lame soap operas to attact middle-aged women.
 
mugs

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: BDawg
Seinfeld is TV history. Friends is an attempt to mix comedy and lame soap operas to attact middle-aged women.
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I agree on Seinfeld being TV history. It's unlike any other show. Friends is not unique, but it was funny.
 
F

Futher

Golden Member
Jan 18, 2002
1,362
0
0
Originally posted by: DonVito
Originally posted by: BrokenVisage
The thing about Seinfeld is that it was a pure comedy. Even Married With Children had episodes with sentimental notations in it, I can't remember a Seinfeld episode that had any emotional value attached to it and that how I like my comedies to be.
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I agree 100%. There's nothing worse than "A very special" episode of Frazier, or Friends, or any of the other run-of-the-mill sitcoms. I remember reading that Larry David and Seinfeld laid out ground rules when they started: essentially, the characters would never improve or mature as people, or learn anything from their negative experiences. To me Seinfeld was a "pure" comedy in that respect - it wasn't meant to be touching, or sad, or melancholy - it was meant to be funny, and it succeeded.
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You're right, but that's not what Friends is at all. Friends was supposed to be told like a story where the people progressed and adjusted to certain events. And I personally think it was successful in doing that just as Seinfeld was in it's own way.
 
B

BDawg

Lifer
Oct 31, 2000
11,631
2
0
Originally posted by: Futher
Originally posted by: DonVito
Originally posted by: BrokenVisage
The thing about Seinfeld is that it was a pure comedy. Even Married With Children had episodes with sentimental notations in it, I can't remember a Seinfeld episode that had any emotional value attached to it and that how I like my comedies to be.
Click to expand...

I agree 100%. There's nothing worse than "A very special" episode of Frazier, or Friends, or any of the other run-of-the-mill sitcoms. I remember reading that Larry David and Seinfeld laid out ground rules when they started: essentially, the characters would never improve or mature as people, or learn anything from their negative experiences. To me Seinfeld was a "pure" comedy in that respect - it wasn't meant to be touching, or sad, or melancholy - it was meant to be funny, and it succeeded.
Click to expand...


You're right, but that's not what Friends is at all. Friends was supposed to be told like a story where the people progressed and adjusted to certain events. And I personally think it was successful in doing that just as Seinfeld was in it's own way.
Click to expand...

George learned! He learned to do the opposite of what he thought he should do. :D
 
M

Mr N8

Diamond Member
Dec 3, 2001
8,793
0
76
I didn't really get into Seinfeld until it was in it's last season, but now I love it. Once you start to understand the characters, it's hilarious.

Friends is ok for watching mindlessly, but not nearly as funny.
 
I

igowerf

Diamond Member
Jun 27, 2000
7,697
1
76
I voted for Seinfeld, but why does Friends represent "what was achingly wrong with network television?" I thought Friends was a good show too.
 
jamesbond007

jamesbond007

Diamond Member
Dec 21, 2000
5,280
0
71
I think a lot of guys like Seinfeld more because it's meaningless in each episode, while yet very funny; I really like the show. Although, you never really had to follow any character or know the previous happenings to understand it. It's the same reason I like FPS games and not strategy or MMORPG. I just like to run a muck, shoot the sh!t out of people, and have a hayday; not micro-manage each unit of battalions, send a fleet this way or that, etc.

Friends, after watching every episode this summer, means a lot to me. It had an AWESOME story to it and if you miss one episode, you may or may not enjoy what was going on, but it'd make a HELLUVA lot more sense if you understood each character's past and history, and what was going on in previous episodes.

Further, I agree with your posts and back you up! :D

Cheers! :beer:
 
E

EatSpam

Diamond Member
May 1, 2005
6,423
0
0
Originally posted by: mwtgg
Neither show, but if I had to choose, it would be Seinfeld.
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Same here. I never found Seinfeld to be that funny, but it had its moments. Friends is just television for idiots.
 
F

Futher

Golden Member
Jan 18, 2002
1,362
0
0
Originally posted by: jamesbond007
I think a lot of guys like Seinfeld more because it's meaningless in each episode, while yet very funny; I really like the show. Although, you never really had to follow any character or know the previous happenings to understand it. It's the same reason I like FPS games and not strategy or MMORPG. I just like to run a muck, shoot the sh!t out of people, and have a hayday; not micro-manage each unit of battalions, send a fleet this way or that, etc.

Friends, after watching every episode this summer, means a lot to me. It had an AWESOME story to it and if you miss one episode, you may or may not enjoy what was going on, but it'd make a HELLUVA lot more sense if you understood each character's past and history, and what was going on in previous episodes.

Further, I agree with your posts and back you up! :D

Cheers! :beer:
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Thanks =) At least someone understands... Two different shows. Kinda like comparing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the OC.
 
P

Parrotheader

Diamond Member
Dec 22, 1999
3,434
2
0
Friends was good, but if the people aren't attractive, nobody's watching. You could say the same thing for a lot of shows I realize. But it was especially critical for Friends in building a big audience early on.

Seinfeld was a truly great and revolutionary show. That being said, I'm not sure if it'll age as well over the long term given how topical some of its humor was. But it's definitely one of the all-time great sitcoms.

Cheers is still my all-time favorite though.
 
D

Dean

Platinum Member
Oct 10, 1999
2,757
0
76
Seinfeld by far. How anyone can include Friends in the same poll makes me spit out broccoli and scream "vile weeds" just like Newman!
 
jamesbond007

jamesbond007

Diamond Member
Dec 21, 2000
5,280
0
71
Originally posted by: Futher
Thanks =) At least someone understands... Two different shows. Kinda like comparing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the OC.
Click to expand...

The OC? I hope you don't like that show. If you do, I don't have your back any longer and I don't know you...

:p
 
F

Futher

Golden Member
Jan 18, 2002
1,362
0
0
Originally posted by: jamesbond007
Originally posted by: Futher
Thanks =) At least someone understands... Two different shows. Kinda like comparing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the OC.
Click to expand...

The OC? I hope you don't like that show. If you do, I don't have your back any longer and I don't know you...

:p
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Heh, no not at all. I actually feel the same way about the OC as most people around here feel about Friends... Now TMNT on the other hand ;)
 
A

Al Neri

Diamond Member
Jan 12, 2002
5,680
1
81
Friends is horrid.

Rarely does it make me laugh.

Seinfeld on the other hand is *brilliant*
 
Gamingphreek

Gamingphreek

Lifer
Mar 31, 2003
11,679
0
81
Male: Friends hands down for me. I haven't watched much Seinfeld, but what i have seen was very good.

-Kevin

(Jennifer Aniston, and the others are still easier on the eyes than Elaine (not sure how to spell it, and dont know her real name) IMO)

Edit: I do agree with the comments mad early about how they really have 2 different objectives they were trying to achieve.
 
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