Are you familiar with that Wednesday night ABC half-hour comedy…that isn’t “Modern Family?” “Modern Family” has gained cult status on this campus and throughout the country, as viewers flock to the goofy humor of Phil and the anachronistic maturity of Manny. “Modern Family” has swept criticisms of sexism and unnecessary product placement (Apple did not pay for the iPad episode) under the rug of the Dunphy home to become the new “30 Rock.”

For me, however, “Modern Family” suffers from the same inconsistencies as “30 Rock.” Numerous nonsensical celebrity guest stars, the inability to maintain simultaneous plot lines and bad episode premises have regularly plagued both comedy powerhouses this season. Disillusioned with the comedic balance of these shining stars, where do I turn? Well, I scroll down to the “You Might Also Like” section of Hulu and click on “Cougar Town.”

Before I begin to sing its praises, let it be known that I absolutely despise “Friends,” so my attachment to this Courteney Cox vehicle is not merely a manifestation of my lingering affection for Monica Geller. I love “Cougar Town” because it is consistently absurd, irreverent and crass. Not unlike myself.

I think that the title and its setting have misled many viewers about the show’s modus operandi. Cox’s character, Jules, is a 40-year-old single mother in an overdeveloped Florida suburb. Though she is by definition a “cougar,” the show has not harped on her age or the youthfulness of her intermittent sexual partners. Instead, Jules grapples on a day to day basis with issues of parenting, friendship and work, while the creators save her existential crises about loneliness and companionship for particularly emotional episodes. She is more often surrounded by her 20-year-old co-worker, Laurie, and her next-door neighbor, Ellie, than by younger men. This trium-gyn-ate of women, and the show itself, is able to mock the rare cougar impulse because the writers of the show employ the stereotype sparingly. This is not Fox reality television–“Cougar Town” is an experiment in the absurdity of male cluelessness and of female obsession. In my opinion, the concept of the “cougar” has been brilliantly reinterpreted as an examination of the power relationships related to gender and age.  Perhaps I have been too eager to compare these wine-guzzling, bathroom-loving, body-fixating older women to the moms I see skipping to yoga class in Palo Alto; nevertheless, the genius of this show lies in its departure from reality and its sparing use of sentimentality. Every episode of “Modern Family” ends with a voiceover lesson, but every episode of “Cougar Town” ends with a punch line.

Other reasons “Modern Family” seems to appeal to the Stanford population are its liberal politics and preference for “Office” age deadpan. “Cougar Town” abandons both of these to create a product that is more character-driven and compelling. Where “Modern Family,” and sarcasm in general, often fail to read, the antics of the Cougar crew never cease to put a smile on my face: Jules’ ex-husband lives on land in a boat named “Jealous Much?”; Ellie’s husband ties his baby son to his leg with a rope so that he doesn’t lose him and Jules converts everyone to wearing a “slanket.” This is not nuanced social commentary, just parody. My favorite character on the show is the seeming “straight” man, the neighbor Bobby, who sleeps only with girls under 25. The “will they or won’t they” tension between Bobby and Jules is referenced just the right amount, and his new relationship with guest star Sheryl Crow uses her musical talents perfectly. Plus, he’s hot. These characters manage to be genuine in their foolishness and idiocy, without playing a certain niche or mocked class of society. If “Modern Family” is about gimmicks, Cougar Town is about crazy ideas in a traditional format.

Perhaps I enjoy defying the dominant preference a little more than I ought to, but I would honestly watch an episode of “Cougar Town” before an episode of “Modern Family.” The family sitcom has been redefined by both this year, for sure, though I would argue that the former has done so more creatively and consistently.