As far as being a fictional character goes, being the protagonist of a sitcom is probably one of the better positions to be in. Sitcom characters rarely have major life problems to deal with, almost always have an abundance of discretionary income, and often live in rather lavish apartments or homes.

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But it isn't all laughs and witty comments for the sitcom hero. Sure, they really don't have to deal with serious illnesses or the concerns of covering their expenses, but they have a number of problems that those who live in the real world will never have to face.

10 You Can't Move To A New Apartment Or Home

Monica's huge rent-controlled apartment from Friends

A real person may not like where they live, but with some work and time, they can usually move someplace else. This is not a possibility for a sitcom character. Wherever they live is where they will be living for at least as long as the show they are on runs for. In fact, it's a sitcom staple to end a series by having the main character move out. Just look at Family Ties, Freinds, or New Girl for examples of this well-worn trope.

Adding to it, sitcom characters almost never get to redecorate their homes. Everything is exactly the same for years on end, from the couch to the framed paintings on the walls, which could get boring and tiresome after a while.

9 If You Have A Roommate, They Will Be There For Years, No Matter How Old You Are

Ted argues with Barney How I Met Your Mother

Sticking with the "never being able to move" trope, a sitcom character who has a roommate in the first episode will almost certainly have that same roommate for the duration of the series. Usually, this isn't a huge problem because the roommates are more often than not friends, but when your show is on for years on end, having a roommate can start to feel weird.

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Living with your best friend when you're in your early 20s is one thing, but when you're in your thirties, you may want your own place. Sadly, unless there is a major shake-up, that roommate will be there for the long haul.

8 You Can Only Hang Out At Once Place

The diner from Seinfeld

In real life, people tend to go to different places to hang out. A group may have a favorite restaurant or bar, but they probably don't go there every week. But in the world of a sitcom, much like being unable to move to a new place, the characters can never hang out somewhere else.

Friends had Central Perk, How I Met Your Mother had McGee's, and even Seinfeld had Tom's Restaurant. It is rare that the main characters of a sitcom will venture out to new and different places, instead settling for the same spot day in and day out, which has to get boring after a while.

7 You Almost Never Make New Friends

The entire cast of Friends sitting around the dinnner table enjoying themselves

In a person's life, there are friends who are there for the long haul. Then, there are friends who come and go. But in sitcoms, there is only the former. These are friends who have known one another for years and will continue to be as close as close can be for years to come.

Sitcom protagonists don't get to make new friends, at least not unless one of their old friends leaves their life for some reason, and if that does happen, the new friend is basically a carbon copy of the old friend.

6 Everyone Around You Is Snarky

New Girl cast in a bathroom themed promotional image

When someone has something bothering them in their life, they like to talk to their friends or family about it. Usually, those people will listen and offer to help in some way. In sitcoms, chances are the main character's problems will be met with snarky comments from their friends and family.

Everything is a chance to make a joke, and everyone in the protagonist's life takes that chance at just about every turn. An honest, serious conversation is almost impossible to have in a sitcom universe.

5 There Are Often Weird Pauses In Your Conversations

Sheldon as the Dopper Effect, Leonard as a Hobbit and Raj as Thor at a Halloween party in the Big Bang Theory

To make matters worse, in many sitcom universes, the snarky comment is often followed by a few seconds of silence. Why everyone in the universe pauses after George Costanza says something funny is likely unknown to everyone in that reality, but the viewers know it is there for the laugh track.

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Imagine living in a reality where after every joke, pun, or witty comment, everyone has to wait three to five seconds before starting the conversation back up. It would get old very quickly.

4 Your Boss Is Probably Incompetent

Cast of The Office

If the protagonist's show is set at their place of work, their boss is almost certain to be a goofball of some sort. They may be an eccentric billionaire like Jimmy James on NewsRadio or an incompetent egomaniac with dreams of stardom like David Brent on the original British version of The Office, but these bosses will always be more of a nuisance than a help at the workplace. And if the protagonist's story isn't about their job, the random occasions where they go to their place of work will show that their boss (and maybe even all of their coworkers) are pretty weird.

3 You Rarely Get A Promotion

Television NewsRadio Staff Meeting WNYX

Adding to the pain of the working life for a sitcom character, they rarely get promoted, no matter how long they are at the job. Along with jobs that rarely have defined hours or any actual work connected to them, these characters almost never move up the corporate ladder. This can be especially rough for sitcom protagonists who are just out of school since it means that they're stuck in a low-level position for years on end, be it as a waitress like the girls from Two Broke Girls or whatever it was that Barney did at AltruCell Corporation on How I Met Your Mother.

2 Time Has No Meaning

George Costanza in his Goretex coat on Seinfeld

Of course, sitcom characters may not mind being trapped in their jobs because time moves differently in sitcoms. Along with the average week flying by in what must seem like twenty-two minutes, the seasons can change at an almost alarming rate. A sitcom character can go to the beach one weekto being trapped inside because of a snowstorm the next.

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For sitcom characters in school, it can be even stranger. High school may last just four years in the real world, but in sitcoms, a character could be sitting in the same history class for years on end. Perhaps everyone at the school keeps getting held back.

1 Most Of Your Romantic Relationships Are Short-Lived And End For Weird Reasons

the stars of Two Broke Girls

Almost everyone will have at least a few romantic relationships in their lifetime, but many sitcom characters have an abundance of short-lived but extremely important romances in their lives, and many of these romances end for weird reasons.

George Costanza almost dated Spider-Man's Aunt May, Marisa Tomei, but that came to an end when Tomei punched him in the face. Jerry Seinfeld went out with a shocking number of women, and those relationships ended for a variety of odd reasons, from the star not remembering the woman's name to an argument about Superman.

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