It’s David vs. Crane. Kramer vs. Ross. New York vs. New York! The two sitcoms that dominated NBC and the 90s are widely considered to be two of the most successful TV comedies of all-time. But are they both good? No.

Simply put, Seinfeld is a spectacular program and Friends is a colossal disappointment when you actually watch it. If you have ever watched a reasonable amount of episodes of Friends and Seinfeld and thought that Friends was an overall better show, you need to reevaluate your interests.

Seinfeld explores the dilemmas that we face in everyday life yet do not typically discuss in such a comical and deadpan way. Friends, which began six years after Seinfeld, makes a pathetic and wasteful attempt at capturing this type of humor.

Seinfeld’s co-creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld exhibit exceptional flexibility with their “show about nothing.” For example, there is an entire episode devoted to George saying “God bless you” to a man’s wife. It cleverly and hilariously explored the societal norms and social implications that all of us face in similar situations, yet do not speak of.

If Seinfeld is flexible like Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas, Friends is flexible like Rick Ross. The show relies heavily on dragged out plotlines, such as Rachel and Ross’s never-ending on-again, off-again relationship. It also puts too much weight on one-liners, such as Joey’s “How you doin’?” (try convincing me this is funny). It’s also one of those shows that desperately needs the laugh track. Sometimes I’ll watch it and actually need the laugh track to prompt me when to laugh because the jokes are so dull and tasteless.

If you have ever watched Friends and laughed, you’re lying to yourself; that’s all that needs to be said. The show isn’t funny and was recommended to you by one of your dumb friends who also doesn’t think it’s funny but watches it to be like everyone else.

Seinfeld also effectively establishes its characters. From the beginning of the show, we identified Jerry as the observationist, George as the loser, Elaine as the quirky and superficial female, and Kramer as the klutz. Each episode we are enamored by the David and Seinfeld’s ability to play with these labels while developing somewhat complex backstories that are subtly revealed over time.

In contrast, Friends colossally fails in the character department. Phoebe marches to the beat of her own drum, and one could argue that Ross is a little different, but other than that the remaining four are basically the same person. It makes for a mundane and tiresome story. The lack of diversity in the character body contributes to the show’s inability to make people laugh.

So next time you find yourself defending Friends as a high quality show, take a step back. You may find that you’ve been lying to yourself for years and discover that the show is flat, boring, and absolutely atrocious. Make the right decision: watch Seinfeld. It’ll make you laugh and think, and it’s best for the 90s.