Scrubs: Why is it so popular?

Now I'll admit that I used to be a fan of Scrubs but to be honest, after looking at a few episodes over again, I can now say its crap.

First off the acting, Sarah Chalke and Zach Braff cannot do comedy acting. They are fairly good serious actors but when they try to be funny, its horrible. They exaggerate ever movement to the point where you just feel stupid looking at it

The writing is also brutal. Just look at the JD and Elliot storyline, it could have a great romantic storyline like Jim and Pam in The Office but instead they over did it to the point where it just became stupid and pointless and no really cares. Or the storyline when Levern died and she returned like 5 episodes later, you're just thinking what was the point? Its like they just do it to fill up space on the script.

Originally Posted by ccllnply

Now I'll admit that I used to be a fan of Scrubs but to be honest, after looking at a few episodes over again, I can now say its crap.

First off the acting, Sarah Chalke and Zach Braff cannot do comedy acting. They are fairly good serious actors but when they try to be funny, its horrible. They exaggerate ever movement to the point where you just feel stupid looking at it

The writing is also brutal. Just look at the JD and Elliot storyline, it could have a great romantic storyline like Jim and Pam in The Office but instead they over did it to the point where it just became stupid and pointless and no really cares. Or the storyline when Levern died and she returned like 5 episodes later, you're just thinking what was the point? Its like they just do it to fill up space on the script.

I think the show suffers from the usual zombie syndrome of squeezing the life out of it long past it being good. Imo the first few seasons were senseless fun but at some point they had exhausted themselves and things started to decay but instead of wrapping things up they continue to churn out stuff.

Imo the problem is really that TV shows are not ended after a predetermined number of seasons and thus story lines recycled ad nauseum.

It's designed for the lowest common denominator, that's why.

I think the show is pretty good. It's not Seinfeld but it's better than most sitcoms on today.

They also play good music.

Originally Posted by ivan_the_terrible

It's designed for the lowest common denominator, that's why.

I think you're thinking of 2.5 men.

Originally Posted by surfingturtle

It's still quite funny and has it's moments but the latest series aren't great, although still watchable

In that case when they find the cure for mortality I might watch it.

Originally Posted by Gambit

Jokes are like music, you cant just judge it on a 1-10 scale and be off on your way. Everyone has their own tastes.

Comedy is not like music.

People go to comedy clubs all the time not knowing anything about who is going to perform.

Most people have a lame sense of humor because they don't consider comedy a legitimate art form like music, hence the popularity of banal sitcoms and comedians like Dane Cook and the significantly smaller niche market for sophisticated humor.

Obviously no comedy is bad by nature of being popular, look at South Park. On the other hand the audience is not necessarily getting it. I remember watching the Simpsons when my parents had the Gulf War on in the next room which would make me 4 or 5 at the time.

Originally Posted by Maverick

Comedy is not like music.

People go to comedy clubs all the time not knowing anything about who is going to perform.

Most people have a lame sense of humor because they don't consider comedy a legitimate art form like music, hence the popularity of banal sitcoms and comedians like Dane Cook and the significantly smaller niche market for sophisticated humor.

Obviously no comedy is bad by nature of being popular, look at South Park. On the other hand the audience is not necessarily getting it. I remember watching the Simpsons when my parents had the Gulf War on in the next room which would make me 4 or 5 at the time.

So only high brow sophisticated comedy is good? Thats ridiculous. Comedy IS like music because it doesnt need to be some big complicated joke with a clever punchline, just like some really good music doesnt even require alot of technical skill to play. Sure a fart joke is considered lame by just about 80% of everybody everywhere, it doesnt make it a bad joke as much as it makes it a joke *I* no longer find funny. The only way a joke can be bad, like music, is if the person telling it screws up the punchline and just startings speaking in gibberish.

Well, what about the fact that I liked the jokes but think they have gotten terrible by season 4 or 5 as the show turnt into a travesty of itself?

Fair enough, I still liked them but I agree the show did change.

Originally Posted by Maverick

In that case when they find the cure for mortality I might watch it.



Comedy is not like music.

People go to comedy clubs all the time not knowing anything about who is going to perform.

Most people have a lame sense of humor because they don't consider comedy a legitimate art form like music, hence the popularity of banal sitcoms and comedians like Dane Cook and the significantly smaller niche market for sophisticated humor.

Obviously no comedy is bad by nature of being popular, look at South Park. On the other hand the audience is not necessarily getting it. I remember watching the Simpsons when my parents had the Gulf War on in the next room which would make me 4 or 5 at the time.

Comedy doesn't need to be clever to be good. Maybe for people who are too self opinionated about themselves and decide what they find funny, people who don't want to be associated with the simpletons who laugh at lesser jokes that don't have a clever witty punch line.

Originally Posted by the_mango55

I think the show is pretty good. It's not Seinfeld but it's better than most sitcoms on today.

They also play good music.



I think you're thinking of 2.5 men.

That too.

And to be fair, I don't think anything will ever come close to Seinfeld. The only other show that I have laughed at as much is maybe Whose Line Is It Anyway. Now that was funny.

Originally Posted by Maverick

when my parents had the Gulf War on in the next room

That was another TV show specifically tailored for the masses.

Originally Posted by Eire_Emerald

Comedy doesn't need to be clever to be good. Maybe for people who are too self opinionated about themselves and decide what they find funny, people who don't want to be associated with the simpletons who laugh at lesser jokes that don't have a clever witty punch line.

Thanks for volunteering your opinion but why did you quote me? This has nothing to do with my post.

Originally Posted by Gambit

Sure a fart joke is considered lame by just about 80% of everybody everywhere, it doesnt make it a bad joke as much as it makes it a joke *I* no longer find funny. The only way a joke can be bad, like music, is if the person telling it screws up the punchline and just startings speaking in gibberish.

Here are some lyrics from an Ashley Simpson hit:

"Ohhhhh
It seems like I can finally rest my head on something real
I like the way that feels
Ohhhhh
It's as if you know me better than I ever knew myself
I love how you can tell
All the pieces, pieces, pieces of me
All the pieces, pieces, pieces of me"

Not good. what you or anyone else thinks.

Originally Posted by ivan_the_terrible

That was another TV show specifically tailored for the masses.

The perfect modern War: not a lot of actual fighting took place, both sides claimed victory and the leaders did not lose any political power.

Originally Posted by Maverick

Here are some lyrics from an Ashley Simpson hit:

"Ohhhhh
It seems like I can finally rest my head on something real
I like the way that feels
Ohhhhh
It's as if you know me better than I ever knew myself
I love how you can tell
All the pieces, pieces, pieces of me
All the pieces, pieces, pieces of me"

Not good. what you or anyone else thinks.

Agreed that its bland, generic and just plain boring crap, but its a hit for a reason; SOMEONE actually likes it. Everyone outside of the group of Ashley Simpson fans may be a majority, but we cant redefine principles just cause we all dont like her.

At least thats what I'm gonna keep saying until I find this "principles" guy and kill his ass for telling me what to do.

Originally Posted by Maverick

The perfect modern War: not a lot of actual fighting took place, both sides claimed victory and the leaders did not lose any political power.

Perfectly managed media war. Patriotic reporting, spiced up with action and drama, from embedded journalists.... Made-up tales of attrocities against babies.... The once-friend-now-turned-enemy-Local-leader-to-Hitler-analogies.... And even timing of military maneouvres to coincide with newshour at home! And most important, quick enough for most people to not realise any of this was going on.

I have to a admit - brilliantly managed war. Almost perfection.

As Mangalore alluded to networks just squeeze as many series out as long as ratings are acceptable, no matter how tired, overly reliant on sentiment and hackneyed the script. Also JD seems to be getting fat.

I have to say I love Sarah Chalke though.

God who cares about the story. No one said it's the new #1 medical drama, its supposed to be about the jokes. The story only needs to be there so its not 8 people sitting in a room snapping at eachother and making zany jokes for half an hour.

Also if you dont like the jokes maybe you dont have the sense of humor.

Originally Posted by Gambit

God who cares about the story. No one said it's the new #1 medical drama, its supposed to be about the jokes. The story only needs to be there so its not 8 people sitting in a room snapping at eachother and making zany jokes for half an hour.

Also if you dont like the jokes maybe you dont have the sense of humor.

It was entertaining the first couple of seasons because of the wacky jokes. It became equally boring because the jokes became dumber and dumber as well as repetitive.

Originally Posted by Gambit

God who cares about the story. No one said it's the new #1 medical drama, its supposed to be about the jokes. The story only needs to be there so its not 8 people sitting in a room snapping at eachother and making zany jokes for half an hour.

Also if you dont like the jokes maybe you dont have the sense of humor.

The jokes are terrible and I do have a sense of humor.

I think I've only ever really watched the first few seasons and I did find it fairly funny in the beginning because it was just outright silly, it was having fun without the burden of a message, like Married...with children. Then at some point I felt the show was getting preachy, every episode delivering an important message about life and growing up, coupled with some thoughtful indie tune in the background. That wasn't so much to my liking.

Originally Posted by no0

The jokes are terrible and I do have a sense of humor.

THE sense of humor, as in the type of humor for the show.

Jokes are like music, you cant just judge it on a 1-10 scale and be off on your way. Everyone has their own tastes.

Originally Posted by Gambit

THE sense of humor, as in the type of humor for the show.

Jokes are like music, you cant just judge it on a 1-10 scale and be off on your way. Everyone has their own tastes.

Well, what about the fact that I liked the jokes but think they have gotten terrible by season 4 or 5 as the show turnt into a travesty of itself?

Originally Posted by Gambit

THE sense of humor, as in the type of humor for the show.

Jokes are like music, you cant just judge it on a 1-10 scale and be off on your way. Everyone has their own tastes.

I agree 100%, sorry I misread your post. I thought you were implying that anyone who doesn't think the jokes in scrubs are funny has a bad sense of humor.

But it's not funny anymore for the aforementioned reasons, thats the OP's point.

We should have a poll on who thinks Scrubs is funny anymore.