Why you need to watch Community

As this lovely lady suggests without saying a word:
You should get your hands on this DVD. Now. Then you should watch the show on NBC tomorrow night. It has Betty White on it this week, and she's like catnip for old people and hipsters, two groups who formerly only shared a love of pants that don't fit right.

I have had several in-depth discussions with people who "just don't get Community," as well as those who do "like it" but don't recognize it's truly exceptional brilliance. I will not settle for either. You must love this show. You must never compare it to "Modern Family" because that's like saying your doodles during an office meeting should be hung besides a Picasso painting. I am prone to hyperbole, yes. I'm also right. So in the hopes of getting you to (A) buy the DVD and (B) watch the show tomorrow, I give you:

The Top 5 Reasons "Community" is Brilliant (and is way, way better than "Modern Family)

1.) Troy and Abed in the morning - It starts and ends for me with this.


If you don't love this and love these two, tell the crow that ate your heart and now lives inside your chest that I said hi. Donald Glover is as brilliant and smart a young comedian as has come along in the better part of a decade. Period. I dare you to find someone to compare him to on any other network show. Combine him with Danny Pudi, whose semi-autistic character is a one-man pop culture reference, and you have the best comedic duo on television. Again, don't talk to me about the "wacky gay dudes" on "Modern Family." They both are talented actors, but the writing is so obvious and pedestrian for them that I can literally make the jokes they're about to say before they say them. Troy and Abed can even challenge Liz and Jack on "30 Rock." Yeah, I said it.

2.) It's a sitcom about sitcoms that IS a sitcom - What makes the show inspired is how they play with themselves...that didn't come out right. What I mean is that they know what they are, they know the genre conventions of television, and while they conform to it they also mock it. It's that self-depreciating self-awareness that "30 Rock" does so obviously done a little more coyly. The most common complaint I hear is that people can't relate to the environment and setting. That somehow placing it in a college means only people involved in academia can appreciate it. Malarky! Hogwash! Bullpuckey! Anyone who has ever watched TELEVISION can relate to the show, as it is more about television than anything else.

3.) It's a family affair - You know why I love this show above all else. Troy and Abed.


You know the second reason I love it more than anything else? The family nature of it. It's a feel-good show. Sometimes to a fault, yes, but it's never ABOUT anything else. I'm lucky enough to have a great family, but this is basically a love song to makeshift families out there, with each episode driving home the message that we make our own families. It's actually really sweet. Is the message simple? Sure. But in an age when single-camera mockumentaries are the rage, it's nice to see an embracing of the sweetness of the past. Again, even if you don't like the college setting or have a great family, this show will make your happy parts happy.

4.) This chain ain't got no weak links - The cast is absolutely perfect. From Chevy Chase to Joel McHale to the criminally underrated Allison Brie.

All of them are hilarious and play their role. The biggest complaints on shows that involve romance are that the partnering up (A) takes forever and (B) are totally predictable. The cast here has made the bizarre love triangling (and rectangling) hilarious. They sell everything so hard, that you can tell they love working together. The chemistry of a cast can't be faked, and they have the best chemistry on TV right now.

5.) The Paintball Episode - I have one last pitch for you. Go here and watch the episode "Modern Warfare." If the pop culture references, the sheer glee of the show, the perfection of the cast doesn't overwhelm you, I've got nothing.

"30 Rock" is a damn close second to "Community" for me, but the schtick there is wearing just a bit thin. Everything else from "Big Bang Theory" to "How I Met Your Mother" is at best cute and charming, when "Community" gets those same feelings along with cleverness, ingenuity, and sheer perfection.

I don't have a better time watching TV all week (unless the Bears win) than I do watching this show. I urge you to watch it. I beg you to catch up with it on DVD if you're behind. Enjoy this with me, you won't regret it.

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