Watching TV was an essential part of everyday life for Garfieldwhile Jim Davis’ beloved comic strip routinely mocked Americans’ growing appetite for television. Davis used the iconic orange tabby cat as a representative of the audience, as Garfield initially had a love-hate relationship with TV, although over time he grew to love almost everything – even commercials.
When the time comes Garfield debuted in newspapers in the summer of 1978, television was a staple of the American pop culture diet for more than twenty-five years, and Jim Davis seemed to correctly predict that it would continue to become an increasingly dominant force in the decades that followed.
TV was one of the first subjects the comics tackled, and it did so regularly, establishing itself as one of Garfield’s favorite things; alongside the character’s passion for lasagna and his tendency to drink a lot of coffee.
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‘Happiness is a warm television set’: Garfield’s love for TV began before he even watched it
First published: June 23, 1978
The first Garfield The TV strip is also perhaps the most iconic, given its memorable riff on the title and lyrics of the classic Beatles song, “happiness is a hot weapon,“something Peanut had already adapted to the comic medium with “happiness is a warm puppy” line.
Here, Garfield discovers that “happiness is a hot television set“, while he is lying contentedly on top of the TV; the joke is simple but effective, and is probably a direct callback to Peanut as much as the Beatles. Arriving in the first week of Garfield Nationally syndicated, this comic introduced television to the strip, although the character’s love of actually watching television took another week to establish. Once that happened, though, it would become pivotal to the long-playing track.
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‘ZZZZZ’: Falling asleep in front of the TV was a ritual in the Arbuckle household
First published: July 1, 1978
The first time Garfield watched TV, it was him and Jon Arbuckle sitting down to watch the “late-afternoon movie” – that they promptly passed out without seeing a second ofwith their snacks still in hand as they snored loudly in front of the television.
This would be a common refrain for the duo over the years, and is one of many familiar “slice of life” jokes that were the basis of Garfield. Most readers can relate to this experience, having passed out on the couch watching TV at least once in their lives; for many people, it’s a routine, a camp that Jon and Garfield have found themselves firmly in since the beginning of the story.
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“I Hate Television Commercials”: Garfield Explains Why TV Advertising Is the Worst
First published: August 4, 1978
As Garfield The first few months of publication passed, Garfield quickly went from sitting on Jon Arbuckle’s lap while his owner sat in his armchair watching TV, to occupying the armchair and consuming television all day long. In this strip, Garfield expressed a common refrain among viewers: hatred of commercials.
Garfield’s reason, of course, is a feline twist on a familiar critique.”They take a long time to sit still“, he begins, evoking a complaint most readers could relate to, before adding: “and they’re too short for a trip to the litter box.” Most viewers at the time would have agreed with this sentiment; Although the days of a viewer missing the return of a commercial show because they took too long to wash their hands are long gone, this comic is still likely to evoke laughter, especially from older, nostalgic readers.
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“I Don’t Like Violence”: Garfield Reveals the Distinction Between Real Life and TV
First published: January 25, 1979
In this Garfield cartoon, the Arbuckle family hierarchy seems more firmly established – with Jon sitting on the floor in front of his chair, while Garfield occupies everything. Furthermore, Garfield dictates what they watch, reaching out to slap Jon on the back of the head to make him put something else on when a show becomes too violent for him.
Jim Davis often found humor in contradictions like this; The humor of the panel, of course, comes from the fact that Garfield uses real physical aggression – albeit of the more innocuous kind, a cat slapping its owner – to express his displeasure with fictional violence, which was just beginning to become more acceptable. on TV in the late 1970s than ever before, although it remained a far cry from current standards and practices.
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‘The eight hours I watched yesterday were terrible’: Garfield complains there’s nothing good to watch, but keeps watching
First published: January 26, 1979
“I hate television”, Garfield declares in this cartoon, complaining that “there are lots of commercials, reruns and game shows“, before adding this”at eight o’clock [he] watched yesterday [were] terrible.” For as long as TV has existed, its critics have been met with the “why are you watching then?” response in one way or another, and this Garfield cartoon incorporates this in a fun way.
The idea that people complain about television but don’t stop watching only became more prevalent in the era after this. Garfield cartoon. Calvin and Hobbes made a similar joke over a decade later, and this theme can be found in everything from Simpsons jokes for the literature of the 1980s and 1990s, as America’s fascination with TV became an increasingly relevant social issue.
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“250 miles of extension cord”: Garfield was an early example of over-reliance on screens
First published: May 19, 1981
In the era before the ubiquity of screens, the idea of camping out and unplugging for a few days was a daunting prospect for TV lovers. This strip hilariously illustrates that, with Jon Arbuckle asking “Did I forget something?“as he finishes packing for the outdoor expedition – and Garfield pushes the television towards him, adding that they will need it”250 miles long.“
Having debuted in 1978, Garfield is a little older than the first wave of Millennials, but of all the generations that enjoyed Jim Davis’ comics, they are the ones that perhaps identify most with the character. At least, that is, when it comes to fondly remembering a time when people could step away from their screens — but never really wanted to.
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‘I Love Commercials’: Garfield’s Position in Television Advertising Takes a Complete 180-Degree Flip
First published: September 16, 1981
Just a few years later Garfield publication, the eponymous tabby cat’s love of TV became a central character trait. This is clear from the way the jokes in television strips have evolved; although at first Garfield served as a spokesman for public discontent with the commercials, here he has his mind fully formed: he loves them.
“What a great plot, great acting, super cinematography”, thinks Garfield, laughing at something on TV, which the final panel amusingly reveals to be an advertisement. In this way, Jim Davis presents a subtle commentary on the quality of TV shows – but at the same time, he also foreshadowed the future state of commercials, in which they would actually become high-quality mini-vignettes, on par with some of the shows real ones that accompany.
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“I Love Television”: Garfield Extols the Limitless Possibilities of the TV Medium
First published: April 26, 1982
In this comic strip, Garfield soliloquies on the virtues of television, stating:
Where else can you see significant world events? Where else can you see grand opera and ballet? Where else can you see Lorenzo the Groundhog riding a steam locomotive over Ricky the Mouse?
The joke here, of course, is that Garfield’s visual taste isn’t as intellectual as he initially leads the reader to believe.but this strip also poses a legitimate question about the possibilities of television as a medium.
That Garfield cartoon was published at a time when the 24-hour news cycle was becoming a reality; Although TV has gained a reputation for being low-key and low-quality, it was originally a medium through which high-class entertainment such as “great opera and ballet“could be broadcast to the masses. While the appetite for cartoons may be greater, however, this Garfield comic celebrates the broad spectrum of entertainment that TV offers viewers access to.
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“What is television?”: Garfield gives his definition of TV
First published: May 12, 1982
Here, Garfield reflects on his love of TV, asking himself “What is television?” and providing a hilariously succinct explanation why he – and many viewers around the world – are so fixated on it. “Television not only gives your eyes something to do“, he explains, “but it’s a socially acceptable excuse to snack.”
In other words, no matter how much it is criticized for being the opposite, television is an activity; it’s also a ritual that, for Garfield, includes snacks. Most readers will relate to this in one way or another, especially those who readily admit that they use watching TV as a way to pass the time and distract themselves from other things.
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“Pick a Season and Stick with It, Garfield”: Who Really Controls the Remote at Arbuckle House
First published: May 23, 1982
For syndicated newspaper comics, Sundays were an opportunity to use up additional space and, in the process, flex some additional creative muscles. To Garfieldthis meant jokes paced differently than the strip’s usual three-panel format. Here, Jim Davis uses the additional panels to his full advantage; four consecutive frames are dedicated to an increasingly frustrated Jon Arbuckle watching the TV channels flicker – until he finally yells at Garfield, who is controlling the remote from across the room, to “pick a season and stick with it.”
The final extra-wide frame is a hilarious reveal, although astute readers saw the joke coming, as both of Jon’s remote-less hands are visible in the preceding panels. All in all, this represents an all-time classic Garfield television joke, one of the best visual jokes about characters watching TV.