Battle of the Sitcoms | Teen Ink

Battle of the Sitcoms

October 26, 2017
By e.lam20 BRONZE, Wyckoff, New Jersey
e.lam20 BRONZE, Wyckoff, New Jersey
4 articles 0 photos 0 comments

When thinking about the life of an office worker or even a manager at a recreational department, the lives of the workers does not seem interesting or entertaining at all! Despite this belief, there is an exception with two comical tv shows that proves this idea wrong. The Office, one of the most well known sitcoms, is a classic to watch and is a very enjoyable show as well. The Office stars Steve Carell, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski, and Rainn Wilson, who are some of the most memorable characters on set and are a few of the key actors and actresses that makes the show so great. Although The Office is a favorite amongst many teens and adults, there is often a misconception between this show and its sister show, Parks and Recreation. Parks and Recreation is yet another sitcom that is considered to be a spin-off of The Office. Parks and Recreation, or otherwise known as Parks and Rec, as well stars some of the most well known actors and actresses today including Chris Pratt, Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, and Rob Lowe. Although both shows seem to be very similar considering that the same producers created them, The Office and Parks and Rec each have their own personality that differentiates their content from each other.
     

When watching both sitcoms, there are some noticeable similarities between the two including their witty humor and their style of a “mockumentaries”. Both television series begin in a small town and they all star a company or central group where the show is then based around the member’s lives. While The Office takes place in Scranton, Pennsylvania and is interpreted as a very small, banal like town, Parks and Rec is set in a very small made up town of Pawnee, Indiana that is buzzing with many local governmental problems. Although they both seem to be similar considering that they are both based in a small town, The Office is mainly filmed and set in their physical building while Parks and Rec is filmed all around the town of Pawnee. With Parks and Rec being mainly filmed outside of their government building, it gives the viewers a different perspective because you get to see the other side of the characters worlds.
     

With Steve Carell and Amy Poehler being the main character of these two shows, these 20-minute episodes are always full of humor while also being a source of quality entertainment. As the The Office has Steve Carell acting as Michael Scott, a paper company branch manager, and Parks and Rec having Amy Poehler acting as Leslie Knope, a deputy director of the park’s department, it allows the audience to follow two very different perspectives pertaining to gender and behavior. Both main characters are very passionate and enthusiastic when it comes to their job, however, with Michael Scott being a male and Leslie Knope being a female, it offers the viewers a different point of view with how they would handle certain types of situations. Along with the gender being a main difference, their overall personality makes them quite distinctive as well. Leslie Knope has an ongoing urge to do better, is punctual, and is also busy with work. Meanwhile, Michael Scott is the complete opposite and always procrastinates everything until the last minute. With two different genders and behavior of the main characters, the viewer gets to see a different perspective of what a powerful and dedicated leader is like.
     

As aforementioned, both sitcoms are “mockumentaries”, which makes them so popular. Although it seems that they are the same, The Office and Parks and Rec each have their own type of humor and style despite their similar genre and satirical take on the typical American office/work life. The Office is often seen as an awkward kind of humor while Parks and Rec can be more viewed as having a comical kind of humor. With these two types of comedy, it gives the viewer a different taste of the many kinds of humor that a TV show can offer.
     

Although The Office and Parks and Rec both have their similarities and differences, one thing is for sure is that anyone who enjoys sitcoms or even having a good laugh must watch either one of these shows. These two shows have some of the funniest content there is on television and every person should be able to experience a Michael Scott or a Leslie Knope moment.



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