Comedy Showdown: ‘Community’ vs. ‘Modern Family’

Compelling soap opera it was not.

This season has brought us some amazing new shows as well as some lackluster ones (sorry, Jamie Oliver, but I hope to God this is the last time I will bring up your lame-ass Food Revolution.)  Through it all, two sitcoms have outshone the rest, and it is those two sitcoms we sit down and dissect.  Enjoy!

Michael: For you, which has been the better new comedy this season: Community or Modern Family?

Kiki: I’m going to have to go with Modern Family on this one, although I do enjoy Community a lot. Modern Family for one is more consistent. I know when I watch I’m going to lol at least once. (Which for me is saying something. I usually watch it on Hulu by myself at 7:30 am so there isn’t a need to outwardly display how much I’m enjoying the show. But I do. I lol every episode.) I also enjoy more of the characters on Modern Family. Cameron is of course my favorite with his broad comedic bits and flare for the theatrical. He’s every theatre person I’ve ever known all balled up into one giant lovable lug. And his melodrama is always perfectly juxtaposed to Lily’s adorable dead pan.

Michael: Can a baby really be credited with a deadpan?  I mean, she’s probably staring at a Beanie Baby off camera…

Suicide: “Cerenberg and the City”

Christ, kid, take it easy on the Mountain Dew!

Remember when you were a little kid and you’d go to a gas station and get a pop and much to your mom’s chagrin you’d mix all of the flavors together until what was in your cup was a brown cacophony of syrupy sweetness that you wouldn’t dream of drinking now that you’re all *cough*mature*cough*?  Well, that’s kind of what it’s like going into a conversation between Kiki and me.  We start out talking about one thing but quickly add in so many other topics that by the end we’re not really sure what we’ve wound up talking about… just that it was insightful, revelatory gold (even if only to us.)  From time to time, we hope you will indulge us (and let’s face it, if you’re reading this, you probably already are) as we share with you our “Conversational Suicides” such as this one, which stems from my recent conversation with Ms. Abba regarding her negative feelings toward Jesse Eisenberg.

MICHAEL: So, the cat’s out of the bag: you’re not a Jesse Eisenberg fan.  Why, Kiki?  What gives?

KIKI: When will the tabloids stop printing these vicious lies? For the record I would like to publicly state that I do not dislike Jesse Eisenberg.  Anyone that likes Michael Cera (which I do and you don’t, Mr. Trenary) can’t possibly dislike Jesse Eisenberg. They are basically the same person. Except Jesse can probably open his mouth all the way.

M: Where would you say this ‘vicious’ rumor stems from?  There has to be a reason people think you like Jesse Eisenberg even less than you like Kirsten Dunst.

K: A of all, let’s not even bring up that bland piece of boring, Kirsten Dunst or I might have to become violent. B of all, here’s the truth of the matter: I didn’t like Adventureland or Zombieland. Granted, my expectations for Adventureland were way too high. I thought it would be more Superbad and less Nick & Nora. (See? I even had to use Michael Cera movies to make an accurate comparison.) It just wasn’t funny. Although I don’t think it was meant to be. It was probably meant to be more poignant and a coming of age story and… I’m getting bored just typing this. And why Bill Hader and Kristin Wiig bothered to be in it is beyond me.