There are many negative opinions and beliefs when it comes to the topic of modern day comedy and what it has to offer to our society. Many of these opinions arise because of the impact we think certain shows or movies will have on our children. Parents view shows like "The League" or "Family Guy" as crude, offensive and a bad example of modern day life. The question you have to ask is if these shows are so offensive why are they so popular? Some argue it is because we can somehow relate to the characters in the shows, the problems that they face in everyday life and the social issues the shows speak about. Comedy has always been a tool in which authors, actors and film makers portray social situations in a way your average person can relate to them. Though it is true that many modern comedies can be considered crude to some, who says that they are offensive to all. No two people have the same political, religious or personal beliefs so it is impossible to make a show based on just one persons beliefs. This is why shows like "South Park" and "The Simpsons" have had so much success and have been around as long as they have. "South Park" has been called one of the crudest shows on television but they have never been afraid to speak about any and all topics. By taking on modern day social issues that most people know about and can relate to people are almost drawn in to see what the writers take on the issue will be, even if there is a vulgar undertone. The longest running television show to date is "The Simpsons" and there are many opinions on this show ranging from "the best show on television" to "a mindless cartoon that offers no value to society". While it can be argued that "Homer" the father on the show is an alcoholic or that "Bart" the son who is always getting in trouble are bad influences they portray many of the issues we face in our society. For twenty plus years "The Simpsons" have been portraying modern social issues such as politics and religion in a satirical yet relatable way to the public. Each generation has had its own versions of comedy and as the generations pass comedies have evolved and become edgier and pushed the limits of what is discussed and talked about. I believe one of the reasons comedy is where it is now is because we have become a society that does not shock easily. In the days of Shakespeare and Plautus certain subjects were much more taboo and not talked about. In modern society is you don't speak about a certain subject you will fall behind the times and other shows that are willing to tackle even the most taboo subjects. Comedy has evolved and grown to a point where it is no longer afraid to tackle subjects like war, race, religion or politics. A show like "The Simpsons" may not please every person that watches it but it has always been on the leading edge when it came to portraying social issues that your average family may face. The way that modern comedy has evolved and changed has not only brought social issues into the spotlight but made it more socially acceptable to talk to one another about touchy subjects such as race or religion. When a comedy dares to talk about taboo subjects in a show or movie there is a transition where people start discussing those same topics with friends and family. This is very important because once you feel comfortable speaking about these issues among your friends you start to learn about other people's beliefs and opinions which helps educate us as a society. Of course I am not trying to make a statement saying that a show like "South Park" is by any way something that you would consider an educational but it does tackle hot topic social issues and makes us think about and consider our own feelings for modern social issues. From Shakespeare and Plautus to shows like "Two and a Half Men" comedy has always been a tool to address the issues that society is facing. I believe modern comedy will continue to be successful because we can relate to the characters we see and also because it shines a light on the topics and situations that we face on a daily basis. As comedy evolves and changes I believe that we to evolve and change with it.