A Rhetorical Analysis of "Freaks and Geeks"

Freaks and Geeks is a comedy-drama television series that was broadcast on NBC in 1999 and 2000. The show completed eighteen episodes, but was cancelled after only twelve had aired. The show has since developed a cult following, and placed on TIME magazine’s 2007 “100 Greatest Shows of All Time” List as well as ranking #13 on EW’s “Best Series of the Past 25 Years”. It is somewhat surprising that the show is not more well known, especially because it was the first step for many significant actors’ careers. Jason Segel, James Franco, Seth Rogan among many others got their start on Freaks and Geeks. After cancellation, the executive producer of the show Judd Apatow went on to produce many popular films such as The 40 Year Old Virgin, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Stepbrothers, among many others. The show focuses on the lives of Lindsay and Sam Weir as they attended high school in a Detroit suburb during 1980 and 1981. Through the experiences of Lindsay and Sam and their groups of friends, Freaks and Geeks presents universally resonant issues about self-identity and growing up that appeal to a very diverse audience.

The show was broadcast on NBC in 1999 and 2000. NBC’s lineup of comedy/drama shows (such as the Office, Friday Night Lights, and 30 Rock) is often aimed at a diverse audience by using universal humor and relatable characters. Freaks and Geeks fits NBC’s lineup in that the show was aimed at the same type of audience. The obvious audience for Freaks and Geeks would be teenagers and young adults, because the show focuses on high school kids and situations that teenagers would relate to. However, the show does not focus only on the teenagers. Freaks and Geeks also has many subplots featuring Lindsay’s parents and their problems with parenting, marriage, and running their own business. Their storyline would more likely be relatable and amusing to other parents of teenagers, so the show is directed to them as well. It is also significant that the issues that the characters face on the show have broad resonance beyond high school. Issues such as fitting in, making good decisions, and dealing with the consequences of bad decisions are universally important and appeal to a broad audience. The actual setting of the show expands the audience as well. The show is set in 1980 and 1981, and so it is very relatable for people who were young adults around that time. The costumes and characteristics of the settings can potentially be a source of nostalgia for viewers, so those viewers would be included in the potential audience. Overall, because of its relatable themes and universal humor Freaks and Geeks appeals to a large and diverse audience.

There are many different issues featured in Freaks and Geeks. There are reoccurring themes that appear in multiple episodes. Both Lindsay and Sam deal with many issues about growing up and fitting in.  The show begins right after Lindsay and Sam’s grandmother dies. Lindsay is particularly affected by her death, and begins to question religion, social structure, and her own path in life. She is an incredibly smart girl who had always found her friends in the Mathletes, but after her grandma’s death she begins to spend time with a different clique who her classmates refer to as the “burnouts” or “freaks”. Lindsay struggles with being friends with both them and her academically minded friends, and has trouble deciding where she specifically fits. Lindsay’s search for identity is a common issue on the show because she does not fit the mold of either clique, and many episodes focus on her attempt to find her place. In the episode “Tricks and Treats”, Lindsay agrees to drive around with her new friends on Halloween because she desperately wants to be accepted by them. The others decide that they want to throw eggs at passing Trick-or-Treaters, and even though Lindsay thinks it is mean, she does not want to go against the others. In fact, she begins to have fun until she unknowingly chooses her little brother as a target and pelts him with eggs before realizing who it is. Sam is furious with her, and Lindsay feels incredibly guilty. Later that night Sam angrily tells her, “Nobody thinks you’re cool, you know.” Lindsay sighs and replies, “Trust me, I know.” Lindsay has trouble deciding if being accepted by her new friends is worth hurting her family. She is an incredibly relatable character because her search for identity is something that many teenagers struggle with.

Lindsay’s little brother Sam often struggles with the issue of growing up. Sam only has two other friends, and their classmates refer to them as the “freaks”. As a freshman, Sam is about the size and build of a sixth grader and is often teased by his classmates because of this. Sam is very conflicted about growing up, because although he wants people to stop teasing him, he resists that he has to give up some of his childish interests because they aren’t considered “cool”. In “Tricks and Treats”, Sam decides that he wants to go Trick-or-Treating even though many people tell him that he is too old. When hearing of his plans, Sam’s dad rolls his eyes and says, “Sam, what are you doing? You're too old to go out trick or treating.” Sam goes anyways and he is disappointed when every house he visits also comments on how old he is. When Lindsay throws eggs at him, Sam is furious at her and calls her a “freak”. He sees his sister growing up while he remains the same, and it reinforces his resistance to growing up if it means changing. Sam is also a very relatable character because his issue of growing up is one that every person experiences.

            Specifically, Freaks and Geeks could be considered a commentary on teenage life in the early 1980s. There are things such as marijuana use and specific music that ties the show to its setting. However, because of its universally resonant issues, the show should be seen as a commentary on growing up and self-identity for any time period. The subject of teenagers growing up and finding their place is definitely not original, but Freaks and Geeks is deeper than many other shows with that focus. Although the show is funny, humor is not the show’s main goal. Instead, Freaks and Geeks aims for emotional resonance in the viewer, which results in a more realistic show. The show also makes a commentary on society through the expectations placed on the characters in the show. The show shows through Lindsay’s struggle that teenagers are expected to stick to the status quo, and that society resists people like Lindsay who do not fit a mold. Sam’s struggle is a commentary on society’s pressure for kids to grow up early and deny ‘childish’ pleasures.

Many people say that Freaks and Geeks was cancelled far too early. The show’s lovable characters, universal humor, and very relatable issues resulted in a large and diverse audience. Freaks and Geeks is an important piece of rhetoric because it provided many people with the realization that they are not alone.