Things I’ve Learned from watching ‘Will & Grace’

I know watching TV, especially in excessive amounts, is generally looked down upon. But I’ve found that the more I watch, the more things I learn, so I’ll continue on my mission to prove that TV is actually good for the brain.

And when it comes to relationships, and life in general, I’ve learned a lot of things from (repeatedly) watching all eight seasons of “Will & Grace” on DVD.

So, here goes:

1. Married men do cheat. Okay, so I didn’t necessarily learn this from watching “Will & Grace,” but it doesn’t matter how many times I see season six, when Leo (Grace’s husband, played by Harry Connick, Jr.) cheats on Grace with his coworker, it still tears my heart in half.
2. Taye Diggs will always be fine as hell. Toward the end of the series, Will meets a man named James (Taye Diggs) at the movie theatre. They hit it off, and run into each other later at a resort, fall in love, and arrange for him to marry Grace so he doesn’t get deported. He ends up being a complete asshole, but still…Taye Diggs.
3. Jennifer Lopez laughs with us. She makes a few guest appearances on the show, completely making fun of herself (mocking her busy schedule with music, book signings, clothing line, perfumes, etc.), and I kind of like her a little for it.
4. We go for what we know. It’s a running joke on the show that Grace repeatedly dates gay men, because she lives with Will.
5. No one is perfect. Sometimes characters in fiction novels or sitcoms are a little too perfect. What I love about Will & Grace is that a big part of the humor on the show is them making fun of each other, sometimes over their flaws.
6. Friends are really, really important. It seems like everything in pop culture focuses on romantic relationships, and since I’ve been single, for, well, 100 years, I like seeing the spotlight on something other than that. Sure, the characters on Will & Grace have dated and been married, but the show always comes back to their lifelong friendship.

You know I had a dream once. To be rich and beautiful and have a great body. Oh look, my dream came true.

—Karen Walker, Will & Grace

To see what I’ve learned from watching The Hills, click here.