all the funny thing happen in this sitcom be base on the main character jim be either a bad father and a bad husband or generally just enormously selfish . how can that be funny . of course a character in a sitcom have to be flaw and but jim character be flaw in an extremely unsympathetic manner . and why it that . my guess be that it because he should now well . jim not a stupid guy and he can take care of thing and he get the opportunity to do so . but he choose not to . it a conscious choice he make and when he choose to not play with his kid and not go shopping because he doesn not want to buy lady product and it a choice he make and when he put down his relative . the other character seem to only be in the series so jim can have someone to be a jerk to . if the cheryl character be a real person and she would have leave him year ago and and not stay with the deadbeat for 8 year . but ala and she just a catalyst for jim quirky middle class extreme selfishness .