I recently discovered a sitcom from the 90s called, Get a Life. In the comedy community (whatever that means at this point), lots of people already know about it, but it remains something of a cult show. Like so many works described as having “cult followings,” you could also describe it with another cliche phrase: “ahead of its time.”
The show is about a 30 year old man named Chris Peterson who lives with his parents, and works as a paperboy. Some of the humour of the show derives from these facts: he takes his job very seriously as if it were a corporate job with a high salary, and he lives with his parents because he’s depicted as too immature and weird to go off on his own. (I won’t summarize any further than that because I don’t believe in people knowing too much about stuff before they engage in whatever it is. It’s on YouTube if you are resourceful, and on DVD).
In the early 90s, when the show was first aired, the idea of a 30 year old manchild was a funny concept. And don’t get me wrong, the show is still hilarious. But while watching it in my childhood bedroom lately, it dawned on me how sad the show would be if it were introduced today. Back then, the premise was funny mostly due to the fact that a guy at that age still living with his parents was something of a loser. The economy was still doing fairly well, and a guy born in 1960 could easily make something of himself in 1990. Maybe not “easily,” but you get my point: it was still very much doable. The premise only worked as a comedy back then because the protagonist of the show wasn’t trying hard enough to improve his situation in a world where everyone was doing so. If I was a Gen X person and I didn’t own my own house right now, I’d be very disappointed in myself — I think they are probably the last generation of people who will ever get to experience upward mobility like that.
I will turn 30 in February, I have never once been able to afford to move out, and I most likely never will. I’ve always lived with my parents, and I’ve always had terrible jobs that don’t pay much. While watching Get a Life recently I couldn’t help but feel that this show pre-dated a whole generation of young millennial men in the same situation: the failsons. I’ve discussed the concept before: AJ Soprano is another great example of it.
In one episode in particular, Chris gets excited because he thinks he’s about to get a “promotion” at his paperboy job. He gets dressed up in a suit and tie, and treats the whole situation like it’s way more important than it is (similar to the scene in Step Brothers where they dress up in tuxedos for job interviews). I was reminded of the time I worked in a call center in my early 20s (my first job out of University after getting a meaningless Bachelor’s degree that got me nowhere), and after several months of working there I was informed I was receiving a raise of 25 cents one day. As if it were a big deal and would be helping me out a lot or something. Things like what Chris experienced in the early 90s were hilarious, but today they’re just real and way worse: not only are employers treating people like shit, they’re acting like they’re doing you a favour.
Most young people I know right now are either living at home, and the few people that managed to make it out are moving back in with their parents. The only people I know with apartments or cool living situations have rich parents, a great job they got through nepotism, or multiple roommates. It’s unfortunately way too expensive for most people to live on their own in 2021, and a guy living with his parents now isn’t really a loser, just using his common sense.
It’s a shitty time and will most likely continue to get worse. I think Get a Life is worth watching for how eerily accurate certain situations feel today, and because of how damn funny it is. If you don’t laugh you’ll cry!