It's no secret that people, no matter their age, love animated shows.
Many animated sitcoms have emerged over the years, with The Simpsons possibly being the most popular animated show that's still running today. Animated sitcoms have found homes on various networks, such as FOX, FX, Adult Swim, and Comedy Central. While all of those shows definitely have loyal fans, one show has gradually earned a large following over the years. Situated amongst the FOX network's "Animation Domination" on Sunday nights, Bob's Burgers has established itself as a fun, refreshing animated comedy, rivaling other FOX favorites like The Simpsons, Family Guy, and American Dad.
But what makes Bob's Burgers so great?
For one thing, Bob's Burgers is a much more light-hearted, family friendly show. Compared to Seth MacFarlane's shows, Bob's Burgers isn't loaded with the offensive, toilet humor that his shows have become known for. Family Guy and American Dad are filled to the brim with curse words, and oftentimes, the jokes on Family Guy, in particular, can go a little too far. Recently, the FOX network came under fire when they allowed a rape joke to slip into the Family Guy/ The Simpsons crossover episode, according to CBS.
These aren't issues that have plagued Bob's Burgers, that is a comedy about the Belcher family trying to keep their family business afloat. Perhaps the most offensive curse word to be used on the show to date has been "b----h." Loren Bouchard, the creator of Bob's Burgers tends to stray away from things that are very offensive, the opposite of Seth MacFarlane. Even other cartoons, like Archer and South Park also have a lot of harsh language, and very adult themes. Bob's Burgers is a funny alternative for younger audiences, so parents don’t have to be too worried about what their kids are being exposed to with the show.
Bob's Burgers definitely isn't as outlandish, either. Over the years, the plots of other animated comedies on FOX have only gotten crazier... and more questionable. With shows like Family Guy, it seems like MacFarlane is running through all the same jokes. You can only do the Peter vs. Chicken thing so many times before it turns into a overused, really old joke, MacFarlane. Although Bob’s Burgers references back to certain things in previous episodes, the show isn’t sitting on a few overused jokes or references to keep audiences entertained.
Like most animated sitcoms, Bob’s Burgers is filled with lots of fun pop culture references. Granted, they’re references that most teenagers and some young adults may not get, but when you do, they’re pretty funny. From Bob’s “Burger of the Days” to actual references to various films, like The Terminator, E.T., and The Shining, the creators of Bob’s Burgers are always drawing inspiration from something.
One of the things that makes Bob's Burgers so enjoyable for fans is that many find the characters much more relatable, especially the Belcher kids. Whether it be Tina's boy-crazy, teen awkwardness, Gene and his many eccentricities, or Louise and her scheming, mischievous personality, almost everyone can find a character that they relate to. Tina was even named the best character on tv, according to Entertainment Weekly, beating out Sherlock Holmes on Sherlock, and Arya Stark on Game of Thrones.
Perhaps one of the best things about Bob's Burgers though is that, although it's a cartoon, it gives viewers a glance into the life of an actual family. As said before, the show is about the Belcher family that is trying to run its burger business. Their day-to-day running of the business in often punctuated by unfortunate circumstances, but the family always pulls through. It was a theme that was pointed out in a 2013 article on theA.V. Club, who compared Bob’s Burgers to the early days of The Simpsons. Of course, Bob’s Burgers and The Simpsons are definitely breeds of their own, but some of the similarities between the shows just can’t be missed.
Bob's Burgers has proved that it's a hit show with a huge fan base since it first aired in 2011. The show even won its first Emmy award for "Outstanding Animated Program" earlier in the year. It’s currently in its fifth season, and with its fan base growing larger with each season, hopefully the show will be around for a while.
Bob's Burgers may not be for everyone. But because of its less offensive, more family-friendly approach to humor, as well as being more relatable, Bob’s Burgers is perhaps one of the best animated sitcoms on TV today.
Image courtesy of INFevents.com.