The Big Picture: It Seems Today ...
- Thread starter MovieBob
- Start date
I think much of the hate for "New" Family Guy is because many people really, really liked the original first episodes. So much so that the fan support and strong DVD sales brought it back from the dead. And upon it's resurrection, they were expecting to see more of what they liked.
And instead they got shit on in favor of people like MovieBob who didn't even like the original show.
I'll be honest here, I loved the old Family Guy. And I don't like the new episodes all that much. The reasons for this tend to be pretty much the same reasons why MovieBob holds the reverse opinion. The part of Family Guy that was interesting to me WAS the lack of good characterization. Having each character be a thin and exaggerated parody of a stock sitcom trope is what made the show work at it's core. Adding to the characters to give them depth and build a "dramatic" show defeats that whole point. Especially when the "depth" often comes lock-step with lame lowbrow humor and thinly-veiled liberal pulpit-pounding. Lowbrow humor works when the whole thing is an obvious parody, the viewer isn't just laughing at the joke, they're also laughing at the sort of person who thinks that joke is original and funny. When it's played straight on the other hand, you just feel insulted that Seth McFarlane thinks his audience is made up of those very people with terrible taste. Slapping on the liberal bullshit just throws away any good will at all. And I say that as a pretty left-leaning guy.
Look, I don't WANT my animated comedy to take political stances. I don't even like the sorts of people who do that sort of thing in real life because they tend to be either naive idiots or manipulative assholes. That's what makes South Park generally funny even when they address political topics. The ability to understand that we really shouldn't take some things too seriously, and people who do that are wankers.
And instead they got shit on in favor of people like MovieBob who didn't even like the original show.
I'll be honest here, I loved the old Family Guy. And I don't like the new episodes all that much. The reasons for this tend to be pretty much the same reasons why MovieBob holds the reverse opinion. The part of Family Guy that was interesting to me WAS the lack of good characterization. Having each character be a thin and exaggerated parody of a stock sitcom trope is what made the show work at it's core. Adding to the characters to give them depth and build a "dramatic" show defeats that whole point. Especially when the "depth" often comes lock-step with lame lowbrow humor and thinly-veiled liberal pulpit-pounding. Lowbrow humor works when the whole thing is an obvious parody, the viewer isn't just laughing at the joke, they're also laughing at the sort of person who thinks that joke is original and funny. When it's played straight on the other hand, you just feel insulted that Seth McFarlane thinks his audience is made up of those very people with terrible taste. Slapping on the liberal bullshit just throws away any good will at all. And I say that as a pretty left-leaning guy.
Look, I don't WANT my animated comedy to take political stances. I don't even like the sorts of people who do that sort of thing in real life because they tend to be either naive idiots or manipulative assholes. That's what makes South Park generally funny even when they address political topics. The ability to understand that we really shouldn't take some things too seriously, and people who do that are wankers.
I didn't much like the show before it went off the air, but I watched a lot of it because... it was on and there was nothing else on at that time of night. I really loved the show after it came back, that one season, and maybe a few episodes in the next season, but once they really knew the restraints were off it wasn't really clever or interesting anymore. You need some sort of limits set on you to fight against creatively or you just stagnate... which is what happened. Seth McFarland and his teams just sorta lost that when they became so ubiquitous.
And Then There Were None was a terrible episode, sorry. I refused to watch anymore after that. And the Star Wars parodies were just so boring. Just... boring.
And Then There Were None was a terrible episode, sorry. I refused to watch anymore after that. And the Star Wars parodies were just so boring. Just... boring.
Family Guy is for people without a good sense of humour. Their skits miss the mark almost every time.
The friends I have that love it just so happen to be the LEAST naturally funny people I know.
Although I give you points on praising Futurama and Bob's Burgers (especially Futurama which is the best animated TV show ever).
The friends I have that love it just so happen to be the LEAST naturally funny people I know.
Although I give you points on praising Futurama and Bob's Burgers (especially Futurama which is the best animated TV show ever).
I must use the internet wrong, because I don't know anybody who's spent even two seconds on hating a TV show.
I used to like Family Guy. Unlike Bob I enjoyed the first three seasons, but also liked the subsequent ones. Many of the episodes you mentioned were also ones I'm particularly fond of. However, the show has been in a decline recently. It's hard to describe, but bar the odd gem of an episode the show just isn't that entertaining. I still kept up, but one of the recent episodes, Call Girl (where Peter tried to cheat on Lois with Lois) infuriated me so much I quit watching it entirely. I'm done with anything produced by McFarlane, and I don't regret it.
Worst animation on TV? Not by a long shot. There's an awful lot of crudely animated, zero-characterization, "we'll make a random comment and stare at you until you laugh" dreck out there.
I've been known to enjoy Family Guy. Some bits are little short of genius, and I have a certain affection for any show that does a shout-out to "The Great Space Coaster" and the pinball-number animation from Sesame Street.
I do wish, however, that it wouldn't so often fall back on the "we're so mean" or "we're so edgy" card. There are certainly places for it- I can definitely take a kind of joy of seeing predictable schmaltzy "aww..." moments skewered, and bits like Stewie coming after Brian for the money he owes him are so over-the-top that they transcend meanness and become a sort of surreal level of slapstick. But more than occasionally, I get the feeling that you get when you're trapped in the audience with a "laugh or everyone will think you're weak" type of comedian. "You think I'll laugh at that? How about, no." At least the jokes usually come fast enough that such off-key notes are just temporary hitches.
I've been known to enjoy Family Guy. Some bits are little short of genius, and I have a certain affection for any show that does a shout-out to "The Great Space Coaster" and the pinball-number animation from Sesame Street.
I do wish, however, that it wouldn't so often fall back on the "we're so mean" or "we're so edgy" card. There are certainly places for it- I can definitely take a kind of joy of seeing predictable schmaltzy "aww..." moments skewered, and bits like Stewie coming after Brian for the money he owes him are so over-the-top that they transcend meanness and become a sort of surreal level of slapstick. But more than occasionally, I get the feeling that you get when you're trapped in the audience with a "laugh or everyone will think you're weak" type of comedian. "You think I'll laugh at that? How about, no." At least the jokes usually come fast enough that such off-key notes are just temporary hitches.
I have grown tired of Family Guy, I don't hate but I just don't find it very funny or interesting anymore. However American Dad is still excellent and I find it hilarious. I also really liked Ted so I think Seth is still a very talented guy.
Kind of sad he didn't mention Archer though, that is hands down the best animated sitcom on television.
Kind of sad he didn't mention Archer though, that is hands down the best animated sitcom on television.
I used to like Family Guy back in the old days, probably around 2007 is when I stopped watching. It had its moments but it lost my interest. Good thing I'm not a fan now since I've heard it's gotten more politically driven in the last few seasons, something that also happened to Simpsons in recent years to take more of the fun out of it.
However, if you like Family Guy, I don't care, lots of people would think I had no taste for the stuff I like, why should I judge someone based on the TV they watch just because I don't like it.
However, if you like Family Guy, I don't care, lots of people would think I had no taste for the stuff I like, why should I judge someone based on the TV they watch just because I don't like it.
Never knew there was a deep hatred for Family Guy, well ok there seems to be a hatred for everything popular somewhere, but I didn't know that you're hatred for liking Family Guy. I would just put it up to "Haters gotta hate" and not care.
Personally I guess I got tired of the show. Some parts of it's great sure but I got tired of the whole "idiotic main dad that gets away with everything no matter how wrong or downright criminal, on top of being a terrible father/husband" thanks to family guy and Simpsons and then later American Dad. Slight note on I actually had high hopes for American dad since Stan seemed different from that stereotype at first, but that idea seemed like flew out the window after a season when Stan just became a Homer/Peter clone, and so did my interest for the show.
Personally I guess I got tired of the show. Some parts of it's great sure but I got tired of the whole "idiotic main dad that gets away with everything no matter how wrong or downright criminal, on top of being a terrible father/husband" thanks to family guy and Simpsons and then later American Dad. Slight note on I actually had high hopes for American dad since Stan seemed different from that stereotype at first, but that idea seemed like flew out the window after a season when Stan just became a Homer/Peter clone, and so did my interest for the show.
Ah yes, Family Guy, the show I love but have to wait until I'm home alone to catch up on. No one ever told me that one I became a grown married man that there would still be things I couldn't watch when I wanted to...
I think that Bob has the internet love/hate thing somewhat backwards. At least from the forums I've read.
What I have seen is that somebody makes a mild criticism (not hate), and then is barraged by Family Guy lovers who can't believe that anybody would criticize their favorite show, which can't be anything other than perfect. Even valid criticisms are met with retorts like "you just don't get it" or "it's comedy, man, lighten up" to worse.
I did quite enjoy the show up until the last couple of years. I still watch it, but for me one of the big problems is how it relies on racism for cheap gags. Again, the response is "it's not really racist, it's an ironic comedy" - but after such things get repeated over and over again, you have to wonder if the racism is really all that ironic.
But apparently I'm a "hater" for thinking about such things.
What I have seen is that somebody makes a mild criticism (not hate), and then is barraged by Family Guy lovers who can't believe that anybody would criticize their favorite show, which can't be anything other than perfect. Even valid criticisms are met with retorts like "you just don't get it" or "it's comedy, man, lighten up" to worse.
I did quite enjoy the show up until the last couple of years. I still watch it, but for me one of the big problems is how it relies on racism for cheap gags. Again, the response is "it's not really racist, it's an ironic comedy" - but after such things get repeated over and over again, you have to wonder if the racism is really all that ironic.
But apparently I'm a "hater" for thinking about such things.
I can't stand Family Guy anymore, but some of the examples you gave (And then there were fewer, Three Kings, The Star Wars Parodies and that Mel Gibson episode) I did thoroughly enjoy. It still brings out good episodes it's just that it doesn't bring out enough good episodes.
I got bored of Family Guy around the 6th season where they went from being unique and wacky characters to being parodies of said wacky and unique characters, and the jokes soiled. The episodes all became about Peter too, more so than before. However you make some good points, Lois and Meg have definitely improved in later seasons and I'll watch an episode if somebody tells me Meg is the main plot point of it. Of course, saying Family Guy episodes have plots is a joke in itself.
Sadly I've been noticing some of Family Guy's trends leaking into American Dad! (such as long, drawn out and crap jokes to pad the run time and even a cutaway gag at one point) which makes me think that American Dad! is falling into bad habits.
I got bored of Family Guy around the 6th season where they went from being unique and wacky characters to being parodies of said wacky and unique characters, and the jokes soiled. The episodes all became about Peter too, more so than before. However you make some good points, Lois and Meg have definitely improved in later seasons and I'll watch an episode if somebody tells me Meg is the main plot point of it. Of course, saying Family Guy episodes have plots is a joke in itself.
Sadly I've been noticing some of Family Guy's trends leaking into American Dad! (such as long, drawn out and crap jokes to pad the run time and even a cutaway gag at one point) which makes me think that American Dad! is falling into bad habits.