Polysemy & Futurama

     In TV sitcoms, recurring characteristics such as intertextuality and polysemy give depth to the show and allow popular culture enthusiasts enthusiasts to engage in a sort of I-Spy game of references. An especially nuanced sitcom episode may reference everything from the Bible to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, but of course it takes an equally nuanced audience member to catch on to everything, and in most cases different audience segments understand only given sets of references, thus allowing multiple interpretations of the same episode. While many enjoy this I-Spy game, some detractors from excessive intertextuality say that it discourages the creation of original plots and cheapens the screenwriting expectations.
    Animated sitcoms such as Family Guy and Futurama are especially fond of intertextuality; it is a staple of their productions. Entire episodes are often structured around retellings of classic parables or literary classics, so the audience is often fully aware of where the plot is headed. An interesting thing about this modern sitcoms is that they even reference other television shows, which is a sign that the medium of television is maturing. Other times the subject of reference is more exclusive, such as one particular episode of Futurama which followed the protagonist as he battled an army of antagonists drawn from popular video or arcade games from the 90's.  While older followers of the show probably did not recognize many of these references, the show's core target audience of young males were having a field day of nostalgia. Thus, intertextuality allows the television sitcom to feel personalized for audience segments, and sustains viewership.