Brooklyn Nine-Nine remains one of the last entries in a line of long-running network sitcoms. The series premiered in 2013 and revolves around detectives and staff at the titular NYPD precinct. Like most sitcoms, it featured several running gags, including making fun of Billy Joel.
In the show’s eighth season, a new character was introduced, who was portrayed as a Billy Joel superfan. While the character led to several jokes about the singer, the recurring gag also had a deeper layer to it. Here is why Brooklyn Nine-Nine continued to make fun of Billy Joel.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine made fun of Billy Joel through Frank O’Sullivan
Brooklyn Nine-Nine premiered in 2013 and brought the comedic talents of Andy Samberg to a wider audience. The actor’s performance as Jake Peralta, alongside the ensemble cast, which included the late Andre Braugher, received widespread acclaim and popularity.
During its eighth and final season, the sitcom introduced actor John C. McGinley as Frank O’Sullivan, the President of the NYPD’s Patrolmen’s Union, a fictional unit. Throughout the season, O’Sullivan served as a recurring antagonist to Peralta and other 99 cops.
A major aspect of O’Sullivan’s personality was his love for singer-songwriter Billy Joel, which was frequently displayed during his interactions. However, his love for Joel was sometimes ridiculed by other characters, making the singer the butt of several jokes.
The recurring gag appeared to be surface-level, making fun of Joel’s popularity as a singer while showcasing O’Sullivan’s stubborn, ignorant, and bombastic personality. However, the recurring gag operated on a deeper level upon further introspection.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s Billy Joel jokes have a deeper meaning
O’Sullivan’s love for Billy Joel is arguably one of the character’s only personality traits that doesn’t portray him as a villain. However, given his contentious relationship with the 99 detectives, it is natural for the show to joke about him fanboying over the singer.
Fans on Reddit discussed various reasons for the show making fun of Joel’s songs through O’Sullivan. The recurring gag essentially underlines that O’Sullivan does not have much of a personality and is quite single-minded and conservative. Joel’s music is largely known to be popular among New Yorkers because of his history with the city.
Therefore, the fact that O’Sullivan is not only a big fan of Joel but considers the singer the pinnacle of music speaks volumes about his stunted personality. At the same time, it also underlines his conservative ideology, which mirrors his archaic views on LGBTQ.
Ultimately, the show making fun of O’Sullivan’s love for Billy Joel isn’t reflective of the singer’s quality of music. Instead, it is used as an effective tool for making fun of O’Sullivan’s personality, especially his limited and stunted worldview.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is streaming on Peacock and Netflix (USA).
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
