The fifth season of the animated show was released on Netflix earlier this month.
This week students are preparing to party their brains out at 14Fest, which is this weekend. Meanwhile, the rest of campus who did not get their hands on tickets are trying their best to distract themselves from final exams, which will be rearing their ugly heads in about two weeks. Yes, as Spring Semester brings itself to a close, many of us are looking for any and every form of procrastination to help us forget about the inevitable. Luckily, season five of Bob’s Burgers was released earlier this month on Netflix.
For those of you who have been living under a rock, Bob’s Burgers is an animated series about Bob Belcher and his family, who are attempting to keep their hole-in-the-wall burger joint afloat. At first, the setup for the show may seem a little underwhelming (and honestly, it is at times), but the most appealing part of the show, the part that people cannot get enough of, is the colorful characters in the cast.
The main cast includes Linda, Bob’s eccentric and incredibly supportive wife; Tina, the oldest and most socially awkward child; Gene, Bob’s son who likes to eat, fart and write songs; and Louise, the youngest Belcher who has a flair for mischief and a hat with bunny ears. All of the characters are great, but the one that stands out the most, by far, is Tina who has become somewhat of an icon for the show.
Whenever I watch an episode of Bob’s Burgers with someone, the first question I usually get asked is, “Why does that teenage girl sound like a man?”
The girl in question is the aforementioned Tina Belcher who is voiced by Dan Mintz. The character has gained an extraordinary amount of attention since the show’s debut in 2011, mostly for her unique ability to relate with a more alternative crowd that is rarely represented in popular media.
Tina is more than just a typical social misfit. She has interests and ambitions that set her apart from the typical “nerd” stereotype. I think viewers are drawn in because of her unabashed weirdness and her ability to cope with the world around her. Yes, Tina’s boy-craziness and her obsession with zombies, butts and “erotic friend fiction” may be strange, but she is also an adept character who owns up to her weirdness and embraces it — just like many of the people who relate to her.
As far as her voice goes, I feel as if it is just an extension of her character. It may be somewhat off-putting at first, but eventually, like Tina’s personality, you just accept it as another one of her oddities.
But aside from Tina’s ability to relate to a more alternative crowd, I feel like the show’s success does not depend on her alone. I think the show has survived so long because the Belchers, as a whole, are a family worth cheering for. The problems they overcome and the goals they have feel real and achievable.
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In similar shows about animated families such as, say, The Simpsons, the audience is aware that the outlandish schemes and scenarios that occur are beyond any plausible realm of happenstance. For example, there’s no way that any nuclear family casually would have the opportunity to go into outer space as Homer Simpson has on so many occasions. The Belchers celebrate the little things in life, such as winning a contest or becoming a member of the school cheerleading team.
In short, the show’s success is well deserved and definitely prime procrastination material for the weeks leading up to the end of the semester.
Kaitlyn McGarvey is a freshman studying journalism. What do you think about Bob's Burgers? Email her at km451814@ohio.edu or tweet @McGarveyKaitlyn.
