{"id":207,"date":"2024-04-18T17:30:30","date_gmt":"2024-04-18T21:30:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/msp3196s24\/?p=207"},"modified":"2024-04-18T17:30:51","modified_gmt":"2024-04-18T21:30:51","slug":"it-really-is-sunny-how-its-always-sunny-in-philadelphia-brings-representation-to-philadelphia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/msp3196s24\/2024\/04\/18\/it-really-is-sunny-how-its-always-sunny-in-philadelphia-brings-representation-to-philadelphia\/","title":{"rendered":"It Really Is Sunny: How It\u2019s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Brings Representation To Philadelphia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If I told you to think of cities in the U.S. that have a big place in the entertainment industry, I have no doubt that the first ones to come to your mind would be New York or Los Angeles. This is a fair answer and is definitely the most obvious one, but there is somewhere else out there that people tend to forget about… and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia<\/strong><\/em> wants to help you remember. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Philadelphia: a Center for Media Production<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Philadelphia, the very city where our nation started, is the sixth most populated area in the country and contains its fourth biggest media market<\/a>. Philadelphia makes the top ten in a list of the \u201cWorld\u2019s Most Popular Cities for Film Sets\u201d<\/a> and has been the backdrop of over ten top-rated TV shows in the past two decades. That, along with the amount of pure star power that has come out of the city, should be enough to make a point that Philadelphia is not somewhere that should be overlooked when it comes to the media industry, so why is it still rarely considered when we talk about that sort of thing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Philly as a whole considers itself an underdog in every meaning of the word. The TV show It\u2019s Always Sunny in Philadelphia<\/a><\/em> encapsulates that mindset to a T, both in its real life media industry implications, but also in the way they represent the city within the show.  The show, the longest running live-action sitcom in America, is incredibly important to Philadelphia in this sense. Through its detailed representation, the show expertly captures the energy and vibe of the city unlike any other piece of media has, and thus brings well-deserved attention and focus to Philadelphia as a place for media to both be produced and be set in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 It\u2019s Always Sunny in Philadelphia<\/em> offers such a rich and complex representation of the city it is set in that it exemplifies the idea that Philadelphia is not only the epicenter of sports and cheesesteaks, but also <\/em>a prime spot for media production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Show’s Origin Story<\/h2>\n\n\n
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IASIP<\/em>‘s Main Cast: Kaitlin Olson, Danny Devito, Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, and Charlie Day<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The most shocking thing about IASIP<\/em> (and believe me, there are a lot of shocking things in the show) is the fact that it originally wasn\u2019t even supposed to take place in Philadelphia, but LA instead. IASIP<\/em> was first conceived by creator Rob McElhenney as a sitcom about wanna-be actors. When he first pitched the show to the FX Network, the executives loved the characters, but not the setting: \u201cToo many Hollywood-centric series had already hit the airwaves.”<\/a> Rob, being a native of Philadelphia, figured that if LA was too big already, then Philly, the city where he was born, would have to do. He tweaked various aspects of his pitch to make the main cast of characters, four best friends, bar owners in South Philly rather than out-of-work actors in LA. Two different jobs and places, but with the same degree of desperation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 The world can only imagine what the show would have looked like if this change had never been made, as Philadelphia being the setting of production is at the core, the heart, of the entire show. Over 90% of the show\u2019s episodes take place in Philadelphia<\/a>; The setting is of so much importance to the show that every time the characters leave Philadelphia, they make a big point to talk about how terrible it is that they aren’t in Philly. Take for example Season 5, Episode 2 \u201cThe Gang Hits the Road\u201d<\/a>; The entire episode revolves around the fact that it is Charlie\u2019s first time leaving Philly (ever), and he isn\u2019t very happy about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Link to Clip of Charlie Talking About Leaving Philadelphia (Season 5, Episode 2)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In IASIP<\/em>, the setting isn\u2019t just a setting, but a character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IASIP as a Representation of Philadelphia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When I say that IASIP<\/em> is a representation of Philadelphia, I truly mean that it represents every single aspect of the city, both good and bad. The insane demeanor of Philadelphia sports fans, as shown in Season 5, Episode 6 \u201cThe World Series Defense\u201d<\/a>,\u00a0 the dirt and grime that plagues many side streets, as shown in Season 2 Episode 3 \u201cDennis and Dee Go On Welfare\u201d<\/a> , and the variety of unique people and businesses here in the city, as shown in countless episodes like Season 7\u2019s \u201cThunder Gun Express\u201d<\/a> and \u201cThe High School Reunion\u201d<\/a>, are all represented with an equal amount of attention and detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lincoln Financial Field
“The Gang Gets Invincible” (Season 3, Episode 2)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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St. Joseph’s Prep School
“The High School Reunion” (Season 7, Episode 12)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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“The World Series Defense” (Season 5, Episode 6)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rob McElhenney and his coworkers want to paint the truest, grittiest image possible of the astounding city that is Philly. Over 150 distinct locations in the greater Philadelphia area<\/a> have been noticed by fans as the settings for many of the show\u2019s episodes. A couple of notable locations are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n