Family Guy Discussion Thread

[thegurullamen]

That episode was awful. It felt more like a Chick tract than a sitcom episode.

And the worst thing? The B-plot, that of Stewie and the Next Generation cast, was actually pretty funny, something Family Guy has been lacking for quite some time now. They could've gotten enough jokes out of that to fill up the entire episode, but didn't bother. I especially felt cheated because the TNG cast showing up was what they advertised, so I tuned in expecting lots of great Star Trek jokes, only to discover that the advertised section was the B-plot and the actual plot was an anti-religious rant they barely even bothered disguising.

I was ticked, too. That whole ep might qualify as a Wall Banger. 1) Anvilicious. 2) All of the guest stars but Patrick Stewart had only one or two good lines at the most. What's the point of bringing in so many guest stars if you throw them into a B-plot AND give most of the meaningful lines to the guy already on the company payroll? (Stewart's a semi-regular on American Dad.)

[TheSummoner]

To be honest, that's a sketch comedy, a great form of comedy.

I sometimes wonder if Monty Python sketches were written as Family Guy cutaways they would draw as much fire as normal Family Guy cutaways.

"Geez, this is as annoying as when Lois tried ordering something at that restaurant that only served spam"

No, its not a sketch comedy. Its random pointless garbage. If it were a sketch comedy, they wouldn't bother with an episode plot. If it were a sketch comedy, each joke would be given a setup with a plot of its own. Each plotline would obviously be shorter and would likely never be brought up after the particular sketch.

[kpenguin]

Actually, I could see the episode plot as a framing device for the sketches... although that's not the intent of Family Guy, I could see something like that being executed fairly well.

[TheSummoner]

Yeah... maybe if the writing staff on that show had any talent and half the jokes weren't complete idiotic nonsence, something like that could work. Not going to happen, but in theory it might become something watchable if you completly overhauled the show.

[FatJose]

Thats really all up to personal opinion....its neither here nor there but to say that its better because its well written...there are some great joke in Family guy. Some absolute brillant moments of comedy.

If it's personal opinion and not fact that a show that spends 10 minutes writing a script and then uses a manatee tank of random jokes to fill up extra time is lazy and terrible writing then yes that is my opinion. I'm not saying Family Guy is never funny, but the writing is non-existent. Stand-Up comics have better plot and continuity going on in their acts.

And yeah, they do have a vault of unused jokes that they now call manatee gags after the South Park episode. I'm one of those people who will watch a dvd and then re watch all the commentary. They have mentioned on those tracks multiple times of jokes that were used in an episode many seasons after being written and of jokes yet to be used.

Also, I don't care what anyone calls "opinion" or "varying tastes" when it comes to the last few episodes. CONWAY TWITTY. No! They used him twice in this last season and one of those times it was a full 3 minutes of C.T. It's not funny. It's not even in the vein of comedy.

[WinterSolstice]

... CONWAY TWITTY. No! They used him twice in this last season and one of those times it was a full 3 minutes of C.T. It's not funny. It's not even in the vein of comedy.

Good point. Earlier in the series, they at least animated their cheap, time-filling material themselves. This segment ate up at least 6-8 minutes of the episode, almost 1/3 of the entire runtime.

I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in the script meeting for this episode.

Writer 1: "So Peter realizes he needs a distraction, and we cut to old footage of Conway Twitty for 3 minutes that we don't have to animate or write jokes into!"

Reviewer: "HAHA! sounds great!"

Writer 2: "then the gags continue for awhile, we throw in a bit more plot, and then...cut to 4 minutes of CONWAY TWITTY AGAIN! And if we still can't get the episode up to speed, we'll do it 2-3 more times"

Reviewer: "My God, you guys have a gift. This gag is too rich to be limited to just this episode!"

[Avilan the Grey]

I was ticked, too. That whole ep might qualify as a Wall Banger. 1) Anvilicious. 2) All of the guest stars but Patrick Stewart had only one or two good lines at the most. What's the point of bringing in so many guest stars if you throw them into a B-plot AND give most of the meaningful lines to the guy already on the company payroll? (Stewart's a semi-regular on American Dad.)

2) They wantedto do it.

Other than that, as a general comment: I like the show; it's not my favourite, but I like it. However I find the criticism here funny since I am from Sweden, and like the rest of Scandinavia our politics are so much far to the left that even most "liberal" ideas "preached" in the show feels a little to-the-right-ish.

Besides, if there is something that needs a constant challenging it is organized religion.

As for Conway Twitty: Both me and my wife lol:ed at those.

[TheSummoner]

You laughed at something not even intended to be funny? You laughed at 4 minutes of straight nothing... twice? Do you, by chance, enjoy watching paint dry? Its roughly the same experience.

If they wanted to bash religion, thats one thing... but theres a funny way to do it and then theres the Family Guy way... A funny way might involve pointing out the holes in religious theory in a snarky way... the Family Guy way is to simply state the character's opinion several times with no proof, and then have the characters laugh at it even though theres not a grain of humor.

[Avilan the Grey]

You laughed at something not even intended to be funny? You laughed at 4 minutes of straight nothing... twice? Do you, by chance, enjoy watching paint dry? Its roughly the same experience.

If they wanted to bash religion, thats one thing... but theres a funny way to do it and then theres the Family Guy way... A funny way might involve pointing out the holes in religious theory in a snarky way... the Family Guy way is to simply state the character's opinion several times with no proof, and then have the characters laugh at it even though theres not a grain of humor.

It WAS funny. It was funny, unfortunately, because it is so incredibly dated.
Now I admit to actually go to one of his concerts, back then, would probably have been (for me) as watching paint dry. But in this context it was really funny, partly, as I said I am sorry to admit, because of the sheer "datedness" and camp factor.

As for bashing religion... Of course it could have been funnier, that's not really what I claimed anyway. I simply stated that I feel that one of the things that really needs to be held up to the light is organized religion as a whole.

[BRC]

Family guy is a prime example of what happens when a show flanderizes itself.
The earlier family guy episodes were more like the simpsons, based around a story. Occasionally, they would do a cut-away non sequitor joke. Once they realized that people found those funny, they started focusing on them, which is why nowadays the story itself seems to be a way to link together the cut-aways.
Another thing they did was draw humor from somthing boring or random, like Peter holding his shin in pain, and stretching it out for a long time. In this case, it was funny because the audience was surpised they would waste that much time with it. Now, we are no longer surprised by it, yet they keep doing it.for example, a recent episode they cut away to a live-action clip of some singer with sideburns doing a song. They played the entire song, three minutes of some guy with sideburns singing.Because all they have is "I can't believe they did that". Only it's no longer funny.

I have a feeling, that family guy is rapidly approaching the following format.
Theme song:
Cut of the family watching television. The show they are watching ends.
Character: This reminds me of the time I did [Activity] with [Celebrity].
Clip of Character doing [Activity] with [Celebrity]
And the rest of the episode is a still frame of everybody staring at that character. Because who would expect twenty minutes of still frame in an comedic cartoon.

Edit: Obviously, I havn't read the thread yet. OR I would have noticed they were discussing that very same sideburned singer only a few posts up.

[TheSummoner]

You forgot the part where they smash someone's face through the TV at the end for no reason at all. Also the fart. Also where McFarlane shamelessly whores his political views. Other than that, I think you're spot on.

[BRC]

You forgot the part where they smash someone's face through the TV at the end for no reason at all. Also the fart. Also where McFarlane shamelessly whores his political views. Other than that, I think you're spot on.

Ah, right. Let me re-evaluate
Theme song:
Cut of the family watching television. The show they are watching ends.
Character: This reminds me of the time I did [Activity] with [Celebrity].
Clip of Character doing [Activity] with [Celebrity]
Brain says something political Peter disagrees with it in a strawmanish manner using a laughable argument (one nobody with half a brain would actually use to disagree with said issue, in fact, one that implies all people who disagree with that issue are stupid). Then he farts. The fart lasts for 20 minutes with the family saying "Eww, Gross, Peter/Dad stop it" over and over again until the episode ends, at which point Meg passes out and crashes face-first into the TV.

[Lord Seth]

As for bashing religion... Of course it could have been funnier, that's not really what I claimed anyway. I simply stated that I feel that one of the things that really needs to be held up to the light is organized religion as a whole.

Except it wasn't "held up to the light". It was arguing not against religion, but against a blatant strawman. You might as well say that pointing out flaws in Michael Moore's movies is a way of holding up the problems of liberalism to the light.

But, again, that episode of Family Guy was far more like a Chick tract than a sitcom episode. Gary Stu Who Is Portrayed As Correct About Everything? Check. Strawman Political Who Offers No Convincing Argument? Check. Gary Stu convincing the Strawman Political in the space of a few sentences, with arguments that are awful and unconvincing, but are slightly better than the Strawman Political's non-arguments? Check. Being blatantly unfunny? Check. Being so bad it's actually painful to watch? Check. (okay, the last two might just be my opinions, but other than that you can't deny the similarities)

Actually, I'd say it's arguably worse than a Chick tract. Jack Chick may be an awful writer and an even worse apologist, but at least he's bluntly honest about what his tracts are: attempts to convert people. He doesn't try to hide them as sitcom episodes.

[TheSummoner]

Brilliant! It will be the greatest episode of Family Guy since it came back from cancellation!

Dead serious as pathetic as that is.

[FatJose]

It really should have been seen coming. We are talking about the guy who wrote the episodes of Ace Ventura: the Animated Series.

[WinterSolstice]

Brilliant! It will be the greatest episode of Family Guy since it came back from cancellation!

Dead serious as pathetic as that is.

don't forget to add the point in the episode where the A-plot character blatantly states aloud what they're going to do (happens almost every episode)

"I AM GONNA GROW A MUSTACHE/EAT THE MOST NICKELS/START A ROCK BAND/KILL LOIS!" etc

also, FatJose, if we swapped the word "movie" in your sig with "cartoon", do you think Seth McFarlane would sit up from his office chair and yell "Uh Oh! The Jig is up!" before jumping through his windowpane?

[Tyrant]

This wasn't quite his point. He asked why the main cast stick together as friends and family when they do horrible things to one another on a regular basis. The main characters of Seinfeld were decided sociopaths, but not toward one another.

Someone below me covered this. They do act that way towards one another, just not to the same degree. How often do they put each other down or completely blow things for one another? Usually while laughing about it. Don't get my comparison wrong, Seinfeld was the superior show. I am not trying to compare their level of quality. I am saying that the characters acting like sociopaths isn't exactly something new and was in fact a cental part to one of the most popular shows ever so I don't see the big deal. I also see you totally ignored my reasoning for why they are together.

what constitutes a "huge number"? The Simpsons hasn't been perfect, but from my perspective even a sub-par episode of the Simpsons is still a fairly consistent experience, and it's been around for 20 seasons. Family Guy has suffered from the problems listed above (from my reckoning) since the tail-end of Season 3, with a few exceptions in-between. That's roughly half the series.

I was meaning that there is no central plot running through the series. Not that it's a clip show. With no real cental plot, it's not that different in concept. There is almost no character development. There is some, but not much. The only episode I saw that even brought up past plots was the episode where they blew up the casino. A character was suprised they bothered to move it down the road when the town had to relocate as per "plan B". It was obvious they were viewing continuity as a joke. That was my point. Family Guy takes a couple steps farther.

I honestly see no redeeming qualities in Family Guy, apart from maybe a cheap laugh here and there, which any show can generate. As for the "worst ever" statement, I'm not sure that's exactly how I phrased it, but the series and everything it entails comes close in its category to such a level, in my mind at least.

TheSummoner labeled it the worst and I didn't quote him. He has since elaborated on his view to the point I wonder if he owns stock in whatever Family Guy's main competition is.

My point about saying things are the worst (especially when they are at least somewhat popular) is that it's obvious you are trying to be sensational or you don't deal with whatever it is you are lebeling very often. Like movies. When I go to watch a movie and hear people saying that it's the worst movie ever I know right away that they don't watch many movies. I have seen movies that are truly awful. Most (not all) movies made in the last 10 years that were released in theaters can't hold a candle to some movies I have seen if for no other reason than the fact they actually have a budget. Even those I wouldn't label the worst ever because there are always other movies. The same applies to TV. There are enough shows that seem to be made as entertainment for coma patients that this show can't be the worst. Calling it that is meant purely to get a reaction or to have your view stand out.

I do not think the show is among the best shows on TV. I do watch it when I see it on (unless I have seen the episode too many times) and I do mostly find it funny. I mainly watch it on Adult Swim, so I tend to compare it to what else is on AS. If you want to see something far worse, check out anything Tim and Eric made. Or depending on your taste, Aqua Teens or Squidbillies. You wonder why the characters on Family Guy stay together, give me any reason the characters in Aqua Teens or Squidbillies stay together.

Family Guy does have things I find very unfunny. I hate the jokes that just keep going that aren't funny to start with. Once in a while it's funny, but all the time it just gets tiring. The musical numbers are mostly a waste as far as I am concerned. That's actually one of the only things I didn't like about Blue Harvest, the stormtrooper dance number. That also tied into the other thing I didn't like about that which is that Jasper stayed in character while everyone else mostly assumed their role. I don't find Jasper that funny so having him around for so long and knowing he will be back just didn't do it for me. As for making fun of virtually everything else, I usually find at least some humor in it. I don't think it's genius or anything, but I usually get a few laughs out of it. I can see where others wouldn't like it however.

[ClericPreston]

{Scrubbed}

[Green-Shirt Q]

I actually don't know if I like Family Guy or not.

On one hand, every single time I watch it I am very angry at the amount of unfunny filler.

Yet I still keep tuning in to watch it and I'm disappointed when I miss it!

I suppose it is a show that, while admittably stupider then a bag of hammers and a LOT less funny, still induces some kind of weird enjoyment for me somehow.

Very strange and confusing emotions.

[FatJose]

FatJose, if we swapped the word "movie" in your sig with "cartoon", do you think Seth McFarlane would sit up from his office chair and yell "Uh Oh! The Jig is up!" before jumping through his windowpane?

Ha! Seth might if he hadn't reached a Duke Phillips level of ego that would never pay mind to such things.

"The boys at SouthPark are absolutely correct. Those cutaways and flashbacks have nothing to do with the story. They are just there to be "funny". A shallow indulgence that SouthPark is quite above." - Seth McFarlane

The links. one is in the commentaries. A lot of cursing in the first vid.

[Tyrant]

South Park's main audience are mature, smart, open-minded, rational adults.

I think that's reaching just a bit. Not to mention you have no way of backing it up. This is on the same level of labeling something the worst ever, only your going the opposite way. The last time I talked with more than one person about South Park I was in high school and it was the extreme nature of the show that was being discussed, not the mature humor. That was a few years ago. I think the show's funny and some of it's jokes are aimed at a more adult audience. I'll even agree it's better written than Family Guy the overwhelming majority of the time, but your claims are ridiculous and trying to make it out to be something it's not.

{Scrubbed}

I assume your comment is an example of "adult, mature" themed humor right? I am absolutely none of those things and I find the show funny more often than not. I would go so far as to say a number of the people who watch this show are none of those things. A friend of mine who is a teacher finds the show quite funny (though he agrees the newer episodes aren't as funny) and I know he is none of those things. He actually complains too many kids he has to deal with are those things. My point is that your extreme generalization is pointless and wrong. I know it seems to be a completely alien concept to people these days but you can say you dislike something without trying to slam anyone who even remotely likes it. It's really not that hard and I typically notice it is people like you describe above who make those kinds of comments because they lack the ability to express themselves in anything other than insults. That's not a sign of maturity.

[BRC]

Personally, I don't think Family Guy was always a bad show. The popularity came from somewhere, and while it was never exactly artistic, it was entertaining, which was it's purpose, and it fulfilled that purpose admirably.

It's recently that the quality has declined, primarily because eventually, they managed to take a couple, simple aspects of family guy and brand them. They took what made family guy different from, say, the Simpsons, distilled that to it's most basic form, and made people want that "Extract of Family Guy" in of itself. Which means that rather than making quality entertainment, they just come up with something, pour this "Family-guy" formula over it, and have the masses lap it up, not because it's good, but because it's Family Guy.

Take, for example, these two most recent author-rant episodes. The idea is that you can take anything, even a one sided and oversimplified political argument, add in some cut-aways and a song. And it's now it's quality entertainment! They are treating Family-guy like Ketchup, pour enough of it on anything, and it's entertainment.
Concerning "All dogs go to heaven", I watched it on Hulu, and it was primarily packaged as a "Stewey hangs out with the cast from Star Trek: TNG". Only the title hinted as to the primary plot.

[MCerberus]

It seems that we're starting to come to a sort of understanding. Family Guy is a cake. Empty calories but many find it delicious. Some people don't like cake; some people prefer different flavors. Some people prefer different fare all together.

We can go on dissecting the whys and debating the individual merits of this show and similar ones (and I hope we do). At this point we need to remember that like or dislike of a TV show is not merit for personal attacks.


As for South Park, it's good for pointing out how silly the viewer is. I doubt anyone has watched the show and not had their own personal beliefs/hobbies/geographical region made fun of. The good episodes are funny and let the viewers laugh at themselves without insulting them. I'm a WoW player, and I found "Make Love not Warcraft" hilarious.

[Fawkes]

"The boys at SouthPark are absolutely correct. Those cutaways and flashbacks have nothing to do with the story. They are just there to be "funny". A shallow indulgence that SouthPark is quite above." - Seth McFarlane

I think it's pretty clear that he's making a joke. I'd bet that Stone and Parker probably laughed at that one themselves.

Cleric Preston, do us all a favor and repeat to yourself, "It's just a show, I should really just relax."

[WinterSolstice]

...It seems that we're starting to come to a sort of understanding. Family Guy is a cake. Empty calories but many find it delicious. Some people don't like cake; some people prefer different flavors. Some people prefer different fare all together...

-Edit-

South Park is a prime-example of how to present a viewpoint in a show. Their show on homosexuality, where Butters get's sent to a "reprogramming camp" intelligently critiqued the situation and delivered what I'd call a "F*** Yeah!" moment near the end.

-"I never thought I was confused until you all started telling me I was!"
-"Maybe you're the ones that are confused!"

I came close to applauding at the television after those lines. (It was also a pretty funny episode)

Compare this to the "Family Gay" episode (actual title) in which Peter gets injected with a "gay gene" which if proven effective, would prove that homosexuality isn't a choice and is genetic.....

This was just plain stupid. So homosexuality is only permissible if its genetic? That's the message I took from this episode.

...Also it ended with an "11-way" in which Peters "Gay Gene" "WEARS OFF"...somehow and he runs back home, disgusted. South Park's the clear winner here in every regard, and they've bested FG on multiple topics

[Tyrant]

I'd liken Family Guy to the entertainment equivalent of sniffing paint. Sure, it's... fun for some, but they're probably not better off for it, and the people that don't enjoy it can't understand why those that do are able to.

And here's why it's impossible to have a discussion with some people. You don't like it, so it is terrible and everyone who does like it is a retarded person sniffing paint. Wow. I take it this is the "adult, mature" mindset attracted to South Park? Trying to make the case for South Park being a superior show written for mature adults while belittling those with different tastes doesn't accomplish anything other than making you look even less mature. His analogy was fine and could easily be applied to a number of things where taste is involved. Your analogy is an insult. If I were to just look at the opposing comments I would pick his as the one coming from an adult. Continued insults don't help your case at all. We all get that you don't like the show. What's your goal aside from slamming a popular show (itself a popular way to look cool or edgy) and apparently anyone who likes it?

[Roland St. Jude]

Sheriff of Moddingham: Please don't insult other posters, individually or collectively.

[WinterSolstice]

And here's why it's impossible to have a discussion with some people. You don't like it, so it is terrible and everyone who does like it is a retarded person sniffing paint. Wow. I take it this is the "adult, mature" mindset attracted to South Park? Trying to make the case for South Park being a superior show written for mature adults while belittling those with different tastes doesn't accomplish anything other than making you look even less mature. His analogy was fine and could easily be applied to a number of things where taste is involved. Your analogy is an insult. If I were to just look at the opposing comments I would pick his as the one coming from an adult. Continued insults don't help your case at all. We all get that you don't like the show. What's your goal aside from slamming a popular show (itself a popular way to look cool or edgy) and apparently anyone who likes it?

I apologize, I didn't intend for it to be interpreted in that manner. I don't care for Family Guy, but I don't hate those who watch it or think less of their intellectual capability (I used to be a huge fan). What I said was a poor choice of words. MCerberus's analogy would certainly suffice.

[Avilan the Grey]

Also where McFarlane shamelessly whores his political views. Other than that, I think you're spot on.

I don't see the problem with this one. You don't like it, you don't watch it. There is a gazillion things I do not watch, read or listen to because it preaches to the quire that already sings the blessing of the politic views of the Show / Magazine / TV channel in question.

After all it is McFarlaine's right to state his opinions, and your right to ignore them.

As for the farts and violence: That is really not worse than southpark, it's just that it's "better drawn" (southpark being cutouts) so that the blood and guts is more visible.

[TheSummoner]

I don't see the problem with this one. You don't like it, you don't watch it. There is a gazillion things I do not watch, read or listen to because it preaches to the quire that already sings the blessing of the politic views of the Show / Magazine / TV channel in question.

After all it is McFarlaine's right to state his opinions, and your right to ignore them.

As for the farts and violence: That is really not worse than southpark, it's just that it's "better drawn" (southpark being cutouts) so that the blood and guts is more visible.

No, its McFarlane's right to have his opinions, not to preach them, especially if the best support for any of his views is that anyone who holds an opposing view is completly retarded.

I actually don't wach it anymore, but considering I have to have an anti-Family Guy rant every week either on the internets or to shut up the mindless fanboys in my classes, it seems damn near impossible to avoid. I'm sure not going to sit through a four hour class having to listen to them ramble off the same quotes a million times.

When South Park does violence, theres always a setup, a reason for the violence, and appropriate timing. Cartman didn't just randomly have Scott Tenorman's parents murdered for no reason other than the writers wanted some shock humor, it was because Carman had to deal with constant humiliation from Scott for the entire episode while trying to get back the money Scott tricked him into giving. Cartman's original plans were... pathetic. Given his obvious and sad attempts, no one would expect him to have Scott's parents killed, then grind up their bodies and cook them into a pot of chili, which he then had Scott eat. It all happened for a reason, it had a long setup that not only made the eventual realization that he was eating his parents even more shocking and horrifying, but also served to show just how far overboard Cartman would go for revenge. He didn't just randomly break a dog's face.

South Park rarely does fart homor other than Terrance and Phillip, and the only reason they exist is because back in the first season, protesters claimed that South Park was "nothing but fart jokes." Matt and Trey's reaction? Create a show within a show to show them exactly what a show that was nothing but fart jokes is. Everything they do has a reason, it may not always be justifiable (once again, Cartman made a kid eat his own parents over about $20), but theres always a reason for it. Its clever, Family Guy isn't.

Hey, remember that one time Family Guy told a witty joke? Wait...