David Lynch’s ‘Rabbits’ Is a Sitcom From Hell
In one static shot lies dread and mystery
Have you ever wondered what Seinfeld and Friends would look like if it took place in hell? I don’t see any difference, except that the friends from Friends and Seinfeld can’t leave their houses. They relive the same scene over and over with an irritating laugh track.
We imagine them going mad or accepting their fate, like the rabbits in David Lynch’s web series, Rabbits. David Lynch released the series in eight episodes on his official website in 2002 (it is no longer on his website.) We can say that Lynch was an early adopter of digital media.
His foray into digital media is disturbing, but it’s not surprising. Those unfamiliar with David Lynch know that he likes to make experimental media that challenges the perception of reality.
Rabbits brings us to this place. The series comprises a single static shot of a dreary room in which three humanoid rabbits (Scott Coffey, Laura Harring, and Naomi Watts) speak in non sequiturs. Rain, a train, and eerie music also accompany the series.
This setting and theme make the series uncomfortable and perplexing — Rabbits is nothing but horror. And yet David Lynch says it’s a sitcom. It’s a sitcom, alright. It’s a sitcom for eccentrics like Lynch and me.
