by Brett DeAugustine

Created on: December 12, 2009

When thinking of old sitcoms where I reminisce when life was a bit simpler I can’t help but wanna go where everybody knows my name. At number five on the list of funniest sitcom characters, George Wendt’s Norm Peterson from Cheers reflected a worn down, beat up by life mentality that the every man could relate to.   His quips and pessimistic observations put a spin on his mundane and ordinary life that was so pathetic you couldn’t help but laugh.  Who couldn’t empathize with a man who looks to escape his troubles at the bottom of a beer glass?

 Coming in at number four, Dr. J.D. Dorian of Scrubs, played by Zack Braff, expresses the inner child in all of us struggling to grow up while maintaining a youthful idealism in an imperfect world.  Braff’s bewilderment as he daydreams the impossible and absurd help keep everyday life in perspective with the understanding that if you take it too seriously it will eat you up.

 Keeping with true to life characters, number three is the epitome of a big mouth.  Roseanne Barr says what is on her mind without a filter.  Her blunt portrayal of middle class housewife Roseanne Conner makes for hilarity as she interacts with her children, husband, and community.  Never one not to get in the last word, Roseanne toes the line of obnoxious to make her point exploiting everyone’s inner desire to belittle his or her opponent in a controversy.  Using the right mixture of sarcasm and timing, Roseanne says what we all wish we could say.

 It is interesting how a show about nothing can be so funny and come in at number two.  Jerry Seinfeld in his semi-autobiographical sitcom makes fun of the everyday happenings most of us tend to ignore.  Seinfeld’s ability to dedicate a half an hour a week to things like soup, keys or pretzels have us viewers baffled as to why all of us make issues out of such small and asinine issues.  Unlike the others on this list, Seinfeld could not be as funny without his supporting cast; however, at the end of the day, Jerry is the undisputed leader of this particular gang of misfits.

 At number one is everyman’s man.  The washed up high school football player shoe sales man whose glass is always half empty, Al Bundy of Married with Children fame.  Ed O’Neil captured the quintessence of settling for mediocrity.  The man wants nothing more than a little satisfaction which makes for comic genius as we watch him come with inches of a break to have it snatched away by life.  O’Neil’s willingness to let it all out regardless if everyone is listening or if no one is in ear shot makes for laughs.  Al Bundy is the opposite of “don’t sweat the small stuff” which causes everyone to route for this underdog of underdogs.  Al Bundy follows in the tradition of the great Greek tragedies of old to help us all feel better about ourselves as we take pleasure in his pain.

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