Sunday, September 05, 2004

Why I Hate FAMILY GUY

Someone suggested to me that if I took the time to explain why I think Family Guy is a bad show, I might stand a chance of getting some angry replies from some of that show's many online fans. Since the main reason to do a blog is the hope of getting angry replies and/or denunciations on other blogs, I've decided to give it a shot.

Here are ten reasons why I think Family Guy is a bad show:

10. Stewie, the most popular character, is a double ripoff. His world-domination ambitions and dictatorial rhetoric are ripped off from the Brain of Pinky and the Brain. And his design and personality are ripped off from Jimmy Corrigan, a comic-strip character created by Chris Ware. A Jimmy Corrigan strip from 1996 can be found here.

9. It constantly recycles its own meagre store of gags. It's got about three basic gags -- a cutaway to something that references a work of '70s or '80s pop culture; one of those "stretching out something so long that it's funny" routines (they do this one about five times an episode), and sexual-innuendo jokes that are sort of The Golden Girls for frat-boys. I don't mind that they sometimes use jokes from other shows -- recycling jokes is inevitable in comedy -- but they managed to get through 50 episodes without coming up with a new kind of joke, and that wears thin.

8. The characters are so boring, such a dull collection of sitcom stereotypes from the creator's youthful TV-watching binges, that there is virtually no humor to be gotten from the characters. Good comedy writing gets laughs from the characters; the writers on this show write around the characters. By the last few episodes, Stewie was so tapped-out as a character that he was written out of character in almost every episode (that is, almost every gag featured him taking on a personality other than his own), a sign that the character had nothing to him in the first place except the stuff that was taken from superior characters (like the Brain). About the only actual character on the show is Brian the dog, and even he doesn't have that much to his character.

7. It uses references as a substitute for humor. Talk to the average young Family Guy fan and you'll usually hear that what they like best about the show is that it refers to things they saw when they were growing up, and they're just tickled to find that someone else remembers it -- like the "kid in me/adult in me" commercial. Well, I remember that stuff too, but that's lazy comedy writing: there's no perspective on the stuff Family Guy is referencing, no actual joke beyond the reference itself. A golden rule of bad comedy is that if people recognize the reference, they'll laugh even if the joke's not funny. Family Guy goes beyond that; it doesn't even try to have a joke half the time -- it just assumes that making a pop culture reference is inherently funny. Another Family Guy hater makes a similar point here.

6. Seth MacFarlane's voice acting is quite poor: uninflected, monotonous, recycling the same few vocal tricks over and over the way the show recycles a few gag concepts. Mike Judge, Trey Parker, Matt Stone and others have developed into good vocal actors, but Seth MacFarlane is the best argument against creators voicing their own creations.

5. It's one of those things that presents itself as "cutting-edge" but is actually gutless. Its "offensive" jokes are neatly calculated to make sure they don't actually risk offending their fanbase; instead they make jokes that would be offensive to the kinds of people who don't watch the show -- sexual prudes, for example. Any genuinely cutting-edge comedy will risk offending people who watch it; but how is a penis joke supposed to offend the average college student? The answer is, it's not supposed to offend anybody who watches the show; it's supposed to give college kids a smug sense of superiority in believing that someone else might theoretically be offended by that penis joke. (An animated sitcom that actually dared to be tasteless and offensive was Duckman, which took on actual social and political issues; another animated sitcom that actually dares to challenge its audience is South Park, which takes the things that its youngish viewers have been told on other TV shows -- say, saving the rainforest is good -- and tells them the opposite.)

4. The style of the show, which its fans consider such an innovation, was pretty much familiar to anyone who had been following the Saturday morning and weekday cartoons of the early to mid '90s. Sitcom-style stories that went off into weird directions; a look and feel that parodied sitcoms of the '50s to the '80s; constant jokes about '80s pop culture: this was all characteristic of the funny kids' cartoons of the '90s. Essentially, if you watched enough episodes of the early Johnny Bravo (which Seth MacFarlane worked on) or some episodes of Tiny Toons or various other kids' shows of that era, then Family Guy looks like what it is: a kids' show, with all the things that characterized the kids' shows of the '90s: attempts to be hip, suspicion of big heartfelt moments, and lots of references to the shows the kids watched when they were very little. In other words, Family Guy isn't a sophisticated take on the sitcom; it's a kiddie show with some PG-13 references for older kids.

3. The animation was probably the worst of any animated sitcom ever, maybe neck-and-neck with the animated sitcom version of Dilbert. One veteran artist, who described Family Guy as the worst show he'd ever worked on -- and he'd worked for Hanna-Barbera in the '70s, so he wasn't saying that lightly -- summed it up this way:

When I'd suggest some sort of minor gag... [the director] just looked at me and, deadpan, asked "why"? The designs of the characters were murder to draw, so bland and expressionless, but I was somehow expected to get more "acting" out of them. Believe me, Peter's model sheet poses for "happy" and "depressed" looked practically identical! I was told not to add eyebrows, not to distort eye-shapes, not to draw "cartoony" poses...but still, somehow, creating "acting". Yeah, right.


The animation on "The Simpsons" or "King of the Hill" may not be classic-level, but every character acts with his or her face and body to a certain extent; they have, let's say, at least two expressions. "Family Guy" has the most inexpressive characters I've ever seen, and the only distinctive movement on the whole show is a gag that the supervising director (Peter Shin) invented to make characters fall down really fast... a gag that was then repeated to death for the rest of the series.

2. The scripts are bad. I mean apart from the shoddy recycled gags and characters, most of the scripts are just frankly terrible in terms of story construction, coherent satire, etc. The satire is, again, gutless and timid (taking on such never-before-seen satirical targets as tobacco companies and feminists); the dialogue is sub-According to Jim; the stories tend to feature one plot point per act surrounded by many minutes of filler. I guess you can say that what I call "filler" is really the point of the show. Even if the gags were funny (which they are not), I wouldn't buy this. The show is in the form of a sitcom and it should have good story construction and all the other stuff one expects of a sitcom. Otherwise all you're left with is a big overlong comedy sketch with the same characters every week, not unlike a really bad year of Saturday Night Live.

1. Plenty of other animated shows that went off the air didn't get anywhere near the same kind of following, and certainly didn't get revived. Futurama, of course, was far better; but so was Pinky and the Brain when it was in primetime; so was Duckman, which was the offensive, shocking show that Family Guy never had the guts to be (and Duckman's "Road To" episode was a million times better than Family Guy's). Even The Critic, which had some of the same problems as FG (bad animation, unmemorable characters, over-reliance on pop-culture references as opposed to genuine satire or parody), displayed a higher level of craftsmanship. Essentially Family Guy is a story of poor craftsmanship rewarded. I can't help but resent that.

Now, what do I think of the fact that this show has become so popular among younger viewers, popular enough to make it a huge DVD hit and guarantee a sizeable 18-35 demographic for the new episodes? First of all, I think that the Family Guy cult will look really embarrassing a few decades from now, because the '80s references will no longer be comprehensible, and so the episodes will consist largely of dead spots (since there are no jokes, just the references, which are supposed to be funny just because you "get" them). Second, I think it proves that people of my generation don't have better taste in TV than people of my parents' generation; in other words, how can I make fun of some elderly relative for enjoying some badly-written, badly-made CBS show, when I have younger relatives who enjoy the worse-written, worse-made Family Guy? In other words, I think "geezer TV" has been replaced by a new category... call it "whippersnapper TV": bad TV that succeeds because it appeals to the sensibilities of a particular age-based segment of the audience. All of which is a long way of saying that lots of bad shows become hits. This is another one of them.

Now, to add some fairness and balance: I actually did think that the last season of Family Guy showed some improvement, in the sense that there was some attempt to write coherent stories and give the characters something resembling a personality. It wasn't good, but it was better, and I suppose it's theoretically possible that the new episodes could be better still. There was one episode from the last season that I thought was just plain good: "Brian Wallows and Peter's Swallows," where Brian the dog meets a reclusive old lady who used to be an opera singer. That episode featured an original song that was quite a good attempt at a pastiche Broadway song, certainly better than anything Joss Whedon came up for for his Buffy musical, so I've got to give Seth MacFarlane credit for that, as well as for proving to college kids that musicals aren't for dorks. (I read that the upcoming Family Guy CD includes a song from Take Me Along by Bob Merrill, so he gets more points for that.)

Also, despite the life-ain't-fair tone of # 1, I'd say that in general, most animated sitcoms have gotten a fair shake; King of the Hill is still on, as is South Park; Futurama and Duckman got 70 episodes apiece; the animated sitcoms that outright bombed are mostly the ones that deserved to. So Family Guy's success doesn't actually take anything away from more deserving shows. It's just another mediocre-to-poor show on the air. The TV universe will survive that.




439 comments:

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Anonymous said...

Family guy is an awsome show i dont know whats wrong with you and the characters arent boring peter is awsome and why would u say stuff that was in the season 3 and so what they do the same show and futurama sucked family guy was way better get a life --Myke

Anonymous said...

the fact that south park can imitate
family guy jokes and do it really well in cartoon wars does say a hell of alot about family guy

Anonymous said...

it doesnt say alot you mean

Anonymous said...

You forgot to mention the show-tunes.... perhaps the WORST part of family guy is every episode I unhappily sat through contained a very long and very boring show-tunes spoof which was not even that originally a spoof. Theres a way to make fun of show tunes and make it funny.... but just showing show tunes with dumb lyrics isnt funny... its just annoying and dumb. Chorus lines arent really funny... either you like them or you dont like them, but nobody laughs when they see girls in tights dancing. Its not really a joke. I had a friend who loved the show... she had the DVD, we got drunk and watched it... she was the only person laughing and after an hour of probably worst television Ive ever watched I made her turn it off.... even she admitted it wasnt as funny the second time as the first time. To be honest, I would MUCH rather watch Golden Girls than this show.... at least Golden Girls was funny.

Anonymous said...

P.S. If Family Guy is one of the best shows on television today, that proves that television today is at an all-time low in quality. Face it kids... television shows are just things that keep you glued in your seat long enough to be brain-washed by the commercials in between the shows. I only watch television if its something that makes me think or makes me laugh... Family Guy does neither, and actually makes me wish I had my time back so I could do something more entertaining... like watching paint peel or grass grow.

Anonymous said...

FAM1LY GUY IZ TEH GOODN355

Anonymous said...

SPAM

Anonymous said...

IM COOL

Anonymous said...

UR NOT COOL

Anonymous said...

I LIKE COMMENTS

Anonymous said...

HAHA IM ANONYMOUS

Anonymous said...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA FAMILY MAN

Anonymous said...

IM GOOD AND COOL UNLIKE U

Anonymous said...

U DONT KNOW WHO I AM

Anonymous said...

SO HOW ARE U GUYS?

Anonymous said...

IM GOOD

Anonymous said...

JUST CHILLIN

Anonymous said...

LIKE A VILLIAN

Anonymous said...

AND

Anonymous said...

EATING CHICKEN

Anonymous said...

IM BACK GUYS!

Anonymous said...

REPPIN' SA TOWN YA KNOW?

Anonymous said...

SERG R. SAID IM A DUMBASS

Anonymous said...

(AND BOBBY IS A GAYMAN)

Anonymous said...

UNLIKE YOU I HAVE FRIENDS

Anonymous said...

AND I MAKE FUN OF THOSE NAMED FRIENDS

Anonymous said...

BECAUSE I ACTUALLY HAVE THEM

Anonymous said...

IS ANY OF THIS GETTING THROUGH TO YOU?

Anonymous said...

IS ANY OF THIS GETTING THROUGH TO YOU?

Anonymous said...

HI

Anonymous said...

HI

Anonymous said...

HI

Anonymous said...

HI

Anonymous said...

HI

Anonymous said...

HI

Anonymous said...

HI

Anonymous said...

HI

Anonymous said...

HI

Anonymous said...

HI

Anonymous said...

HI

Anonymous said...

HI

Anonymous said...

HI

Anonymous said...

HI

Anonymous said...

TRAVIS BENIVIDES IS MY NAME AND I GO TO CLARK HIGH SCHOOL IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS...PLEASE COME AND KILL ME.

Anonymous said...

JUST KIDDING GUYS MY NAME ISNT EVEN TRAVIS

Anonymous said...

THIS SUB WE HAVE IS RLY OLD

Anonymous said...

HE MAKES ME ANGRY

Anonymous said...

HE MAKES ME ANGRY

Anonymous said...

I THINK THAT HE WILL DIE IN ABOUT 10 SECONDS

Anonymous said...

I can understand that you think Family Guy is not funny; the guy above is right: "De gustibus et coloribus non est disputandum", everyone has their taste and that's that.

What I would like to say though, is that in my view you have to acknowledge that Family Guy, even though it might not be funny, really is a very varied show. I mean: it has low-level fart jokes in it which are really easy and dumb, but it also has a lot of very intelligent jokes in it, you have to admit that.
You have for example the fact that Stewie or Brian often fall back into their 'real beings’, viz. a 1-year-old and a dog (Stewie talks to Olivia about the Bernie Mac-show, which is bright and with a lot of movement that attracts his attention; Brian can't stand a dog-whistle or he says Peter and Lois leave the radio on when they go out to make him feel like he has company). You have the magnificent way the characters say or ask things ("You holdin' up alright?", "Come on, come on Stewie, you're acting crazy out there!", "Uhm.....ok", "It wasn't even about the eggs really, frankly I like the yolks, I have no... there's just always been a lot of tension between Lois and me" and tons and tons more). There is also the high-reality-reference at times, like a(n embarrassing) situation that occurs and you know that you would act in the same way (Brian and Stewie about the "bottom 5 percent are off to fight another battle" which is stolen from The Onion, when Stewie at first doesn't want to admit he didn't come up with it himself; or when the 'A-Team' failed and the guys are in the clam and Peter goes "I mean, we were right there ... and then ... somehow ... like ... I mean ... well it's already been said, we didn't stay focused").
Then there are the jokes that are smart because they leave something to be filled in, you have to think to understand them (Peter is Federline's magic mirror: "Walk around with an undeserved sense of accomplishment"; or "So, is there any tread left on the tyres or at this point would it be like throwing a hotdog down a hallway?"; or Peter having to go hunting with Chris and only finishing the 4th grade just before).
Or what is really well done is how conversations are ended with someone just quickly saying a last line that is more clearly spoken than the rest ("Is it 1981?"; "Oooh, it's a person!"; "I'm hungry!").
Even the 'manatee gags' as they are called, the cutaways: those are brilliant! Not all but most of them are, aren't they? I mean, I bet each and everyone of you sceptical people would not be able to come up with such gags, be it the ones that emphasize Peter's stupidity, the ones that criticise people or pop-culture or the ones that are just meant to be funny (Peter forgot how to sit down/had to babysit the neighbours' kid; "What do you think of this Music Television", and the 'Godfather-discussion'; Peter’s “whacky antics”).
Another, perhaps more abstract, but in any case very nicely found feature of some of the cutaways is the fact that you expect them to be about something (based on how they were introduced) but they then turn out to deal with something in a completely different context ("When God told Abraham to kill Isaac"; “I’ve stuck by you through worse” and then Peter is on fire in a Giant Wheel; a “stupid call” in basketball, and then a stupid call with a telephone).
Then there are the jokes that might be funny, but are in any case intelligent because they just make you aware of stuff, that you normally wouldn't think of (the reviews for Our American Cousin; tension when the slaves were freed).

I could go on and on for hours still, summing up why Family Guy’s humour is so intelligent. And for me at least, that is a criterion to find Family Guy the best (and also the funniest, which are not necessarily the same) cartoon that has been on TV so far.
Admittedly there are jokes that are really ordinary or vulgar (and that coming from me), but even those are mostly funny to me because I always imagine then, how unbelievably stupid and without any form of common sense, downright retarded and dumb with no capability of judgement someone has to be to do the things Peter Griffin, or someone else, does.


OK BUDDY YOU NEED TO DIE.

Anonymous said...

Wow, you're smart.

Hating Family Guy to get attention, that's smart thinking there.

Anonymous said...

Boobies.

Anonymous said...

See, here's the thing... I like the show, but I completely agree that it's not worth liking, and will be completely unwatchable in ten years. But, at the moment, it makes me laugh... Personally, I've given up on analyzing why I do or don't like something on TV (or in music/movies). I either like it or I don't, and that's enough. There's stuff in shows I HATE that I think is pretty good, and there's stuff in shows I LOVE that I think is stupid...but at the center of it, it either entertained me, or it didn't...and I don't need a top-ten to explain why.

Anonymous said...

Family Guy is so overrated! Watch the South Park Cartoon Wars episodes and you'll see what I mean. Family Guy Sucks! South Park Rules! Drop Dead Seth MacFarlane! Long Live Trey Parker and Matt Stone!

Anonymous said...

Family Guy use to be an okay show but now its going downhill. The new episodes suck. South Park is funnier than Family Guy. I'm really enjoying the new episodes of South Park. This is how I would grade South Park and Family Guy:
South Park: A+
Family Guy: F

myjohneration07 said...

the sitcom; it's a kiddie show with some PG-13 references for older kids.

i do believe you wrote that in there and if you ask me thats probally what i love about it the most. makes it appeal to such a bigger audience. you watch a show like the simpsons and you know its great and a classic but i semmed to grow out of it, but still loving the cartoony shows i started watching alot of family guy and its so fucking good! seth mcfarlane is a bloody genius!!!

myjohneration07 said...

Family guy- A*

South Park- the worst grade ever, dont get me started on that load of bollocks!!

Anonymous said...

some people are getting way too offensive and other people are just agreeing so they can look different
you're all weirdos
family guy is good
but it doesnt have to be over-analysed

Anonymous said...

^^ oops, i meant way too defensive =]

Anonymous said...

Family Guy can have its funny moments, but by and large it's a scumbag show with scumbag humor that scumbags find funny. It's obviously written by a bunch of scumbag guys. I can always tell when a show sucks beyond belief if the demographic of the writers (not to be confused with the audience) is obvious.

Anonymous said...

I just stumbled onto all of this FG hate that I honestly never knew existed and I must say it is really amusing.

I'm a huge fan of all the cartoons mentioned in the article and just cartoons in general, but if you're looking for thought provoking satire, social commentary, etc., umm... why don't you read a book? THESE ARE JUST CARTOONS PEOPLE!!!!

I don't know maybe I'm weird but the only thing I expect from a cartoon is for it to make me laugh. I certainly don't depend on them, or TV period, for intellectual stimulation so maybe that's why I find all of this kind of funny.

Anonymous said...

South Park is ten times better than Family Guy. South Park always gets a good grade in my opinion.

Anonymous said...

Family guy is better than south park because its sooo much funnier

If you want to learn a gay little message watch south park

Anonymous said...

don't player hate south park

Anonymous said...

I dont no why these peeps hate family.....ne,but its realy funny.
Like the epasode when stewy tryed to suffacate lowis with peter under wear!LOL!

Anonymous said...

I absolutely hate ur article.I know
family guy is rude,and inapropriate,but...hello,its the funnyest show in the worl,and 90%kid,get in to real life,it is suposed to be filled with exremly funny jokes.LOOK on the internet its lmost the #1 animated series on tv,as a matter of fact i think it is.If u watch all the eposodes obviously u love it.If u just watch them once u hav no right to post any of this crap.....by the way i am the director of the show,and i am gona get all these websites closed down,u hav no right to say wats rong,im sure u may understand.So just call us and tell us wats not to like.try a better web site sumtimes about the people who like it.There is over 1 million coment posted all good..



269-569=pn

Anonymous said...

Family Guy is an awesome show! I think maybe ur just an uptight freako who never sits back relaxes or has the least bit of fun! And wut u said in ur tenth reason was soooooooooo stupid I mean who cares wut the stuff is based off of! Before u answer let ME answer for YOU, NOBODY CARES! So go ahead and say wut u want plus I was reading some other peoples comments and they are right u can't say the whole take over the world thing is original neither is the football head I mean come on think of something else to say if ur gonna go up aginst alot more people than you would ever imagine. Ur not the only one in the world, and why post it on the internet when you could have emailed the shows producer or sent him a letter about how you feel about the show!!! Now let me tell you something, your an idiot a complete and total idiot! How does that make you feel? Oh wait why am I asking you this, oh thats right I don't care. I'm just tellin' u how it is and just a little news flash 4 ya grandpa, Family Guy is a VERY popular show and has been and is gonna be in the future. And I know this because the show is very funny and people these days like a different funny then back in the stone ages!

Anonymous said...

Ash I agree with you on more than half the stuff you say I watch it because its funny sometimes and it gives me and my friends something to laugh at.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Edward! You nailed what I was trying 2 say! I mean really why complain about it if you dont like it dont watch it and dont complain to the world about your silly little problems. More than half the society likes Family Guy but it does get old sometimes. I like the shows that have new material and new joke. and sometimes Peters laugh gets so annoying.

Anonymous said...

I hate FG now I mean its so boring. Futurama is all the rage now! I spit in FG's face!

Anonymous said...

FYI you freaks who are saying that they didn't bring back Futurama ( which I have to confess is way better and much funnier than FG) They did! I watched it every night this week and last week and so on. It still rules and is much better than Family Guy. Sorry to all you people who like it. I like it to just not as much as Futurama. FUTURAMA RULES! ^_^ ♥♥♥♥

Anonymous said...

family guy and south park are the best simpsons sucks

Anonymous said...

One thing that's intelligent about Family Guy is the way it alerts viewers to often entirely unnoticed conventions by breaking them or taking them out of context. These can be from everyday life (as when Peter forgets how to sit down), marital sex (e.g. Peter and Lois role playing), the media (e.g. the repetition until 'it' gets funny routine), etc., as well as, and that makes it so hard to explain the humour, in any combination of these. This, I think, is what makes FG funny even for people who, like me, don't like slapstick (and aren American, by the way). Important and non-rude 'issues' as invoked for instance in the much more predictable and derivative Futurama are not in themselves intelligent (even if intelligent people tend to be more interested in them than booboos). Its all about complexity, and FG has a lot of it for the discerning viewer.

Anonymous said...

ppl who dont like FG usually have 10 cats, and never leave their house, and have no social life or friends, lol

Anonymous said...

To the last poster:

Here is why Family Guy does suck: IT'S A COMEDY AND IT'S NOT FUNNY!!!

Anonymous said...

Simpsons and South Park have it right. Family guy is a rip-off attempt at comedy.

It's like saying Go-Bots are better than the Transformers.

See the light people.

FG sucks bawlz.

Anonymous said...

Family Guy defies the laws of physics by proving it is possible to both suck AND blow.

Anonymous said...

You honestly must have no sense of humor then. Family guy is the BEST show ever and my favorite! I think Simpson sucks and South Park use to be my favorite until I REALLY started watching Family guy.....it's so stupid but so funny at the same time, that's whats so great about it! Try watching a new episode, you might change your mind!

Anonymous said...

I hate family guy too! I agree with all your reasons, but id like to add they make fun of the english, scottish, and welsh.

Anonymous said...

jesus christ your so annoying, why would you spend sooo long writing about a show you hate. Someone must be buying it, liking it. The animation is very good and it is along with the only 5 shows which feature live recorded music for the show, most shows have synthesized music.
The voice acting is amazing, before i heard Seth did Brian, Stewie's and Peter's voice along with many background characters i had no idea it was by the same person. You really believe in the characters as the fit it so well.
I can't believe i am actually repliying to this blog.
HAVE YOU EVEN GIVEN FAMILY GUY A CHANCE???

Anonymous said...

The New Simpsons(2000-etcetera) is a Poor Man's Family Guy.

Anonymous said...

The reason why such a dull-witted show such as family guy can all be summed up in a line from an episode of Seinfeld:
Jerry: "Well why am I watching it?"
George: "It's On t.v."
sad ain't it? what was supposed to be a joke turned into a reality...

Anonymous said...

Don´t criticize what you can´t understand, i think it's a pretty funny show whith some ups and downs but funny most all the time.
The solution is quite simple, if you dont like it, DONT WATCH IT! and move on with your life! and remember this, it is just a show that is meant to be funny, not for everyone i can see, but funny, besides there are greater things that are fucked up in america to just concentrate your hate in a cartoon show, if anything sucks is the bush administration wich by the way do HARM our morals

Anonymous said...

yeah I agree. Family Guy used to be an awesome show when they showed it on Fox every Thursday. But ever since Fox started being stupid thinking the show didn't get enough ratings, they cancelled it. But it was a stupid move for Fox, because they were running out of Show ideas. They kept on getting stupid complaints from their viewers that they had to figure out how to make them happy. Now they looked back at family guy, DVD sells were off the chart for them. So they brought it back on.

BUt I think this sucks as well to, because the show is so freakin overrated and not to mention its becoming to much like South Park. Or even worst thatn SOuth Park on making fun of people. And many people complain that Naruto is overrated.

mrs brand. said...

agreed.
family guy is appallingly bad.
this article is brillo pad.
south park i where its at!

Anonymous said...

SPURS 2007 NBA CHAMPS NIKA

M said...

Thank you for saying Hanna-Barbera of the 1970's sucked. I was born in 1973 and those lazy afternoons trying to enjoy those subpar animations weren't easy -- especially when I knew that somewhere out there there were gems like Bugs Bunny that were hardly ever shown.

Did you ever watch the Hulk animation? It was so bad it was burned into my memory: it was just a comic strip and whenever the characters talked the animators simply made their jaws move up and down, like creepy ventroloquist dummies.

Anonymous said...

i even wrote an article about the family guy in my blog (http://galitsafroggies.blogspot.com)
because i admired the humor of the creators of the ani.. personally i think it offends some people or even have rip offs from other shows, but dont u think other cartoons do too? well, just voicing out here. ;p

btw u hve nice infos.very informative but please dont hate things that are not real and cannot kill u. :)

Anonymous said...

u hve the remote and u r in control. better change the channel to avoid urself from doing suicide just becoz u hate the family guy.

he is dumb.
but he is cool and knows how to laugh..

do u think u cn do that too? i dont think u can.
come on. chill.

Anonymous said...

Okay first of all, I am a fan of family guy. But, there is no reason to rant about it. Also, South Park is way too offensive sometimes, even though I like it.

And to those people who leave comments like 'your a piece of shit' and 'you jew' and all that shit, watch what you say. There can be real jews who read this stuff.

Anonymous said...

your right family guy is so gay
i love how south park perfectly makes fun of it on cartoon wars 1 and 2

Anonymous said...

I dont give a f*%k who doesn't like "FAMILY GUY" it's the funniest show i've ever seen!!!!

Anonymous said...

family guy is for retards

Anonymous said...

First let me say that I find South Park and the Simpsons very funny and well crafted. I lament the fact that amusing American comedy seems to be only available in animated format.

I agree with the sentiment articulated in 'Why I hate Family Guy' above for all of the author's reasons and more.

Fanny Guy perpetuates the lame idea that a 'British' sic. accent is a wicked accent (wicked in a bad way). This bollocks has been doing the rounds well before Sher Khan in Disney's Jungle Book cartoon was voiced by Russian born Anglo George Sanders. The Jungle Book cartoon is the first example I can think of, but there are probably hundreds more... take the Star Wars films for example. OK so we, the English, are fair game, but isn't it a bit... well... racist?

Fanny Guy is a Neo-Con friendly version of the Simpsons dressed up as something outrageous. Yes I can even write this despite finding Lois oddly attractive for a drawing. On reflection, I'm writing it BECAUSE the makers WANTED me to find Lois oddly attractive for a drawing. I suppose that is what Meg is for, to catch the lower age range of the target demographic group.

It took me a while to realise that Stewie's accent is supposed to be an educated version of an R.P. English accent or so called 'upper class British'. Here's how to judge an English accent for quality of imitation (probably a good way to judge any imitated accent). Ask yourself where's the character from? All the cues should be present in any English accent. So where's this Stewie bloke baby creature from then? Sodding Chipbury, Londonshire, England? I ought to be able to guess with an accuracy of 20 miles or so. I can't. It is ridiculous. It is embarrassing.

I'm sick of it. If we were French and not beating America's drum, we might deserve this evil English accent thing, but we show up for war and everything...

Anyway I am not going to get too far onto this train of though which might be seen as snobbish. God knows there are enough starving English actors who could have voiced the part for a couple of quid, a plate of delicious fried scraps and some much needed dentistry.

Anonymous said...

Family Guy is awful.

Anonymous said...

Family Guy is trash. Only a moron would actually say its anything but. And of course there are plenty of morons to go around. If you like Family Guy and think its cool, you probably think you're "cool". My exp. has been that FG fans are wannabes, who copycat their lives just like the show does. Ironic no?

Anonymous said...

If you enjoy watching Family Guy, chances are your IQ is somewhere in the low 60's and you enjoy rap, think that Paris Hilton actually matter, cannot discuss world events, which does matter, and even most cases live in a trailer griping about your low wage job because you screwed around in high school. The truth is this show is for the low and depressed, who blame their pitiful life because of someone else, and not your own life choices. There is nothing clever about this show, and there never will be. Try turning off the television for a week, and read a real book, not People, or Star. Better yet, get yo

Thomas said...

Finally some arguments I could use against my friends, particularly two ppl, that loves family guy.

I just HATE Family Guy!

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU
I can't stand Family Guy. Every episode has those scenes like "this is so bad, its like the time Peter got drunk and dressed like a girl..." then it shows a clip of that for like 10 minutes...
And they take things way too far... like the orange juice scene, Stewie beats Brian for almost 4 minutes straight... what the hell??

Anonymous said...

10. Who cares of Stewie's just slightly like other characters? It's pretty goddamn hard to get a completely original characters these days, so how about we just care about the fact that they're entertaining, huh? Geez...

9. Sure it does recycle quite a bit, and some bits can really be "out there," but most of the time, it's hilarious. This guy is just bitching and overexaggerating.

8. So what would happen if the characters stayed completely the same throughout the series? Well guess what?! The recycling would be an even bigger problem, now wouldn't it? The fact that these characters are written out-of-character sometimes gives them more dimension, hence making them more entertaining. Then the fact that they act stereotypical makes them more entertaining.

7. You're probably just mad because you don't get the joke "behind" the reference, because believe it or not, situational comedy isn't situational comedy without a something being exaggerated, and in case you didn't notice, most references are.

6. Seth MacFarlane may not be the greatest, but at least all of his characters have voices that fit the characters. You just love being pissy and nitpicky about this man, don't you?

5. The penis joke is a bad example, and offensive jokes have never crossed the line. They may have for some people, but that's because THEY have no guts.

4. Family Guy is not for kids, so that would likely make you a bad parent, seeing as how you can't even properly appreciate a show that's funny.

3. The animation isn't amazing, but it's not like it needs to be. The expression's don't need to be over-the-top or anything in order to get the point across. It's mostly in the way it's said or the situation itself. Apparently if the animation ruins a joke for you, there's something wrong with you...

Oh, and who's the artist's name? That'd make this point a lil' bit stronger, ya know.

2. Hello? It's a comedic sitcom! It doesn't need a dynamic and flawless plot! It's a show set out to make fun of things, not to be taken seriously.

1. I can agree with this, but this doesn't mean that Family Guy is completely abysmal. Family Guy is actually really similar to those shows as far as it's objective (to make fun of things and not be taken seriously). But you're too busy thinking of flaws for this show and enjoying it for the wrong reaons to even notice.

J said...

Thanks for this.

Anonymous said...

THIS ARTICLE EXPRESSED MY DEEPEST FEELINGS. I hate family guy for every reason this article mentions.
the words here along with south park episode(cartoon wars) reflect how i feel about AN EXTREMELY POOR SHOW THAT'S FAMILY GUY.


Assya Moussaid

Slushie said...

Right on. Family is sub-par, just trying to offend non viewers so the actual viewers think its edgy.

And you are so right about how it will be in the future, when a new generation has no idea of all the references, they will just think its some old show that only their parents get.

So many better animated shows out there that were canceled, and Family Guy gets brought back, ridiculous.

Anonymous said...

Great article! Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for interesting article.

Anonymous said...

Ooooh, look at me, I'm a rebellious South Park fan boy, so now, after i've seen "Cartoon wars" i'm going to complain about Family Guy on the internet and make points at leat 10000000 people already made.

Family Guy is funny. Go to bed.

Anonymous said...

has anyone fed my cat?

Anonymous said...

durrrrrrr famy gyu is fernnyy duuurrrrr it bestest show eva duuurrrrrrrrrrr luk at petter fellingg down for five minits!!! hahaha so funy!! u ppl dunt now enything! duuuurrrrrrrrrrr

Anonymous said...

AMEN! I HATE FAMILY GUY! I especially hate it when people tell me that i haven't watched enough or that i should give it a chance. I've watched a full season on DVD and maybe laughed 3 times. Nuff said. Family guy is overrated. Doesn't have half the heart of what Simpsons used to be and none of the ingenious that is South Park. And stop telling me it's exactly my humor! argh!! i hate family guy!

Anonymous said...

Nice! Nice site! Good resources here. I will bookmark!

Anonymous said...

Excellent website. Good work. Very useful. I will bookmark!

Anonymous said...

I could never put my finger on why I don't find this show funny, but here you have it.

And to those saying "Don't compare Family Guy to other shows..." Ummm... isn't that what we do all the time?

I mean, we like 24 and Heroes because they're just plain better than the other stuff on TV.

Anonymous said...

Well the problem is no matter how many problems you point out...

it sells, and he's getting paid isn't he?

We can all hate the umbrella (ella, ella) song, but both of them are sure as hell more famous and rich than the majority of us now...

Instant lose?

Anonymous said...

get a life dude, its just a cartoon; u dont have to watch it if u dont want to

Anonymous said...

Im glad im not the only one who thinks this show is ridiculously stupid.

Anonymous said...

I enjoy Family Guy; when I watch it, I usually laugh quite a bit. I think many of your criticisms are valid, however. I'm not versed enough in the visual arts to ably assess your criticisms of the drawing, but I do agree with you about the laziness of relying on quick cult-references instead of actual jokes. (And again, I say this as someone who gets the cult-references and laughs.) I think you are dead on in predicting that this show will not age well - children yet unborn who see this show re-run on TVLand or wherever in 25 years simply will not think it's funny. I disagree about the timing though; I think the interminable "stretching" of gags, punchlines and silent takes is clever and I think it will stand up over time. In a way I think "Family Guy" is just "The Simpsons" meets "The Critic," crossing the former's basic character setup (family, goofy dad, sensible but sarcastic wife who married below her station, one smart kid, one ostensibly dumb kid) coupled with the latter's use of flashbacks, pop culture references, celebrity impressions and musical numbers. As you note, however, those were better shows.

Anonymous said...

Having taken an almost immediate dislike to Family Guy, I haven't watched anywhere near enough to comment on your in-depth deconstruction. But I have to question why you didn't mention the Simpsons at all - this must have been deliberate?

Anonymous said...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=pn30bPUiCgY

Anonymous said...

I've got one for you -- It's just NOT FUNNY. It just really lacks comedy. I can't stand it.

Anonymous said...

This article is brilliant!
I have never liked family guy ever since I first watched it but could never really explain why and was made to feel an outcast from my friends who do because I didn't "get" their humour!
I dont want to get their humour if thats the kind of crap they find funny!

Anonymous said...

My favorite thing about this whole post is how many people left comments telling the author, to relax, just stop watching it and GET A LIFE -- really being helpful, as if he were unaware of the off button on your television. Yet each of those people have taken the time to read the whole thing, get pissed off and fire off some, um, "constructive criticism". So, you angry poster people, why don't you get lives before you start telling other people how to live theirs? I am sitting here writing this because I have no life, and it's great!

Plus, Mr. Weinman, you explain why you're writing it right up top, and congratulations on achieving your goal!

As for the main text, I think most of your points are valid (I do not know anything about vocal talents and animation quality so I won't speak to those), but it seems like the cognitive dissonance a lot of the commenters are experiencing stems from this point you make:

"The show is in the form of a sitcom and it should have good story construction and all the other stuff one expects of a sitcom."

Well, what if it's not? What if it is more like a sketch comedy? If you evaluated it as such, would it score more highly? I mean, it's an utter failure as a sitcom for the reasons you describe (no plot, atrocious completely unreasonable dialogue, etc), but what if we didn't judge it by those criteria? I don't know what you mean exactly by "the form of a sitcom" as I'm not in the industry, I just know the layperson's definition which is simply a comedy based around a houseful of people in recurring situations (which in my experience generally have pretty thin plots and crappy dialogue anyway), but what if it's something else? A poem that isn't three lines of five then seven then five syllables is a very bad haiku, but that doesn't mean it can't be a good something else.

And, commenters, if you think South Park is funnier than Family Guy, that's your opinion, but that doesn't make one worse or better. The shows are really not very similar in structure, they're both just animated and "edgy", or whatever. If you think random cut scenes that have nothing to do with the plot are bad form, then Family Guy will always come up short compared to South Park. It is a bad traditional sitcom. That doesn't make it a bad television show, just a different kind of television show. If you don't like that kind of television show, that's also valid, and you can think it's a bad show for many other reasons, I just don't think that one's fair. Picasso's cubist paintings aren't worse than the Mona Lisa because he didn't draw the girl right, it's a different style. (And no, I am not saying Family Guy is as good as Picasso. It's just an analogy.)

Also, all of you Family Guy defenders who point out that humor is just a matter of taste -- you are absolutely right, and you may be responding more to your fellow commenters than to the original post, but the assertion that Family Guy is a bad show because it's not funny is not one of the arguments made in this post. That is a vapid argument with absolutely no substance, the sort of which the author of this post is clearly not in the habit of making. Yes, there is a mention of the throwaway gags and non sequiturs not being funny, but in the context that "Even if the gags were funny (which they are not), I wouldn't buy this." The point is the perceived failings of the structure of the show, not the personal sense of humor of the poster. Mr. Weinman seems well versed in the difference between subjective and objective evaluations, and the inherent fallacy of using a subjective argument to convince anyone of anything.

But you, you legions of anonymous posters making just that sort of utterly unsubstantiated arguments, such as "family guy is one of the best shows ever and if u dont realise that then u are retarded", what on earth makes you want to publish that little thought? Or: "YOU SUCK!! And everybody who agrees with you SUCKS!! FAMILY GUY FOREVER!"? Is that supposed to be an argument? Do you imagine people reading that and having some sort of epiphany? "I DO suck, and Family Guy IS great! Thank you for showing me the light, Anonymous!"

You're really not helping to dispel the notion that Family Guy fans are morons. Clearly we need to work on our image here.

And finally, though this may be at cross purposes with that image renewal, I'd like to mention to those of you who don't understand how anyone could think this is funny that a large number of Family Guy fans who may or may not be morons are also huge stoners, which definitely enhances the viewing experience of stupid comedy. Those of you who do not follow that particular lifestyle may find a lot of its culture not to your taste, such as the band Phish, or the movie Half-Baked, or not showering for days on end, but these experiences are far more pleasurable when you are not in full command of your faculties and everything is fucking hilarious. Don't watch Family Guy without it!

Anonymous said...

Family Guy, Simpsons, King of the Hill....all proof that people will watch anything, as the dumbing down of America continues.

Anonymous said...

If there is one thing I hate, it is bad, unfunny parody.

Seriously, Seth MacFarlane has to be the laziest writer in Hollywood. He doesn't need to come up with anything actually funny, he just takes a bunch of superior works and inserts pointless joke-free references to it, then drags something unfunny out for seven hours at a stretch, and rounds it off with some lines about bodily functions and sexual crudity, and his fans will worship it as clever writing. It takes literally NO effort, talent or creativity to write an episode of Family Guy. Half the FANS of the show, as idiotic, illiterate and incoherent as they are, could probably do a better job than their hero.

Count me in at hating just about all of the late-night cartoons. The ones that are supposed to be "for mature audiences" just because they contain jokes about bodily functions and crude sexual innuendo. I hate it when things get rated "for mature audiences" just by displaying some of the most immature material imaginable.

Anonymous said...

I used to enjoy Family Guy in its first run, but even I changed channels during the that chicken/Peter fight as if it were a commercial. The show lost its luster after I got used to the constant flashbacks and complete lack of original content.

I saw a video on YouTube of Stewie dancing like Jerry the mouse in a live action scene with some guy from a movie, and all it is is Jerry being drawn over with Stewie. Stewie does the exact same actions and dance moves as Jerry. To extend the laziness of the show animators, the reflection is still Jerry.

Anonymous said...

Your one of my HERO'S for posting this. I'm so tired of hearing that it's a good show. PERSONALLY I think its made for the people who are Intellectually Impaired. What i don't understand is HOW this can be POPULAR. I know I must sound like an elitist, but honestly, this show is overwhelmingly DUMB. I suppose it says that those of my generation have an IQ of negative 5. Tisk Tisk.

Anonymous said...

10. Stewie is NOT a rip-off of "Pinkie and the Brain" or "Jimmy Corrigan". The design similarities between Jim and Stu are completely coincidental. And HOW, exactly, does Pinkie and the Brain fit in here? Didn't you ever see a bad '60s spy movie?

9. FG does not recycle that many gags. That's ridiculous.

8. So, a talking booze hound and an evil baby are standard television stereotypes? You want to explain that to me?

7. Wow. So the guys at Merrie Melodies/Looney Tunes were hacks for constantly making jokes and referencing whatever films or celebrities that were popular at the time? Try again.

6. You clearly don't know what you're talking about. If Seth is generic and bland, Stone, Parker and Judge must be REALLY generic and bland. Seth is at least equal to or above Stone and Parker. Stone and Parker rehash voice styles as often as McFarlane does. Just look at "Team America: World Police". Kim-Jong Il has the exact same voice as Eric Cartman.

5. "South Park" doesn't challenge its audience. It's even more puerile than "Family Guy".

4. I think you're just pulling things out of your ass at this point. "Family Guy" is basically an animated version of an "Airplane!"/"Naked Gun" type spoof, that just happens to be satirizing the formula of a family sitcom. It is quite original.

3. One should not criticize FG's animation when praising "South Park". Oh, I'm sorry, South Park "challenges audiences", even though the majority of the series is infantile trash on the level of something your stoner buddies at college would write after a few bong hits.

2. Maybe YOU'VE been hitting the bong here.

1. For the love of God, just SHUT UP. Yeah, everything is pointless. You are the God of all pop culture. You are the only person whose opinion matters. We get it. Now SHUT THE HELL UP.

Anonymous said...

I think this page adequately reflects the lack of intelligence displayed by people that hate Family Guy: "Family Guy sucks bawlz". Yeah...nice. Don't you have a bong-hit session to go to? I'm sorry... I mean a "South Park writer's session" as YOU would refer to it.

Anonymous said...

Ripped from Pinky and the Brain? Excuse me, but just because a character wants to take over the world doesn't mean he is based off of "Pinky and the Brain". I suppose all of those James Bond flicks are based off of Pinky and the Brain too, right? I do agree about the design being stolen though.

Always remember, just because a series's newer episodes aren't as great as the older one's doesn't mean the series as a whole sucks. You can't define the whole series off of the episodes you hate.

Anonymous said...

I was going to actually post a response here, but I'll have to get to that later because I first want to express how appalled and sickened I am with all the anti-Semite posts and, for lack of a better term, Holocaust "humor." Disagreeing is one thing (and I'll get to that in my reply) but to tell someone that you want to personally gas them with Zyklon?

Jaime, for the sake of decency and good taste I implore you to delete the offending comments, and to the rest of you stop this Nazi nonsense.

Anonymous said...

Instead of actually posting a comment I'll copy and paste this thing someone wrote on GameFAQs (someone posted a link to this blog post from there)

I just finished reading that blog ThaMPM just posted.

It's hard to disagree with what Jaime Weinman said in that blog, he's spot on with Family Guy's humor style, character design - everything pretty much. Only problem is, he missed one thing: despite all that's said, Family Guy's still popular. Hell, I still watch it, even though I perfectly agree with everything he said. And I'll still keep watching it, because despite all the contrivances of Family Guy, it still manages to entertain me. Seth MacFarlane isn't seeking out to create the world's best drama or sweep the Academy Awards, he's just trying to create something that's entertaining enough that people would keep coming back to and keep bringing the advertisers in to keep lining his pockets. If it's not innovative or original, so be it - clearly Family Guy proved that you don't need either to be popular. What it really seems to me is that Seth found a working formula for success.

What it really comes down to is what Jaime Weinman himself said in his blog:

Essentially Family Guy is a story of poor craftsmanship rewarded. I can't help but resent that.

He resents it, but not just because it fails to entertain him, but because he fails to comprehend why other people are entertained. This is the same level of whining and complaining that happens when people do it to anime, or Tim & Eric, or Squidbillies, etc. It's just hating and no matter how eloquent, articulate and educated the argument may seem, it still comes off as *****-ing (you should be smart enough to figure out what word should go in there, but just in case as it happens to be I'm watching the part of Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job where James Quall is singing the beach classic). Whether he likes them or not, he's not going to influence people's opinions (except for those who simply refuse to think for themselves) and I just fail to see the point of his grievances (though I suppose that makes me hypocritical since this is exactly what this post is, essentially). He's not even doing it in a humorous way like the Angry Video Game Nerd. I guess, when he says things like this:

bad TV that succeeds because it appeals to the sensibilities of a particular age-based segment of the audience.

I have to seriously question his intelligence. What else is contemporary TV supposed to appeal to other than the sensibilities of its demographic? This leads me to the conclusion that Jaime Weiman probably has or has had ties to the entertainment industry, then got jaded because to put it bluntly, things didn't go his way and now he has a blog to ruminate upon it.

Well, that's my rant.


Except for the insult at the end I think it's pretty good.

Semi-Concerned Citizen said...

For the most part, I agree with the viewpoints expressed in this blogpost. Even so, I find a lot of the flashbacks and pop culture references amusing.

The biggest problem I have with Family Guy are the episodes with political overtones. The solutions presented always embrace some form of collectivism.

But to be fair to FG, you could say the same thing about congress. lol.

Anonymous said...

This is the most coherent, reasoned argument that i have heard as to why Family Guy is overrated and undeserving of it's popularity. Thank you for giving me somewhere to link my friends to the next time they ask me why i don't like family guy.

I'd also like to add that i agree that it is a crime that this show was revived when other shows such as Futurama and Arrested Development are no longer in production.

Anonymous said...

"DO YOU REMEMBER THE TIME I..."
"LIKE THAT TIME I..."
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GOD DAMMIT IT'S FUCKING ANNOYING, AND 80% IS WHAT FAMILY GUY IS ABOUT, PAST REFERENCE THAT THE CREATOR JUST MADE UP 4 SECONDS AGO.
therefore
FAMILY GUY ISN"T FUNNY

Anonymous said...

More reasons to hate Family Guy:

1. What had a spark of originality at first has lead to pointlessness: It was pretty clear that when FG started, it was a ripoff of the Simpsons. However, it did have some original ideas of a talking dog that was apathetic to the world and an evil genius baby bent on world domination and killing his mother. But where has the shown gone now? Stewie and Brian get stuck in plots dredged out of "Perfect Strangers."

2. The characters have become unlikeable. Here is what has happened to the characters over the years

Peter Griffith has changed from dim-but-well-meaning father to angry retard

Stewie has changed from evil baby genius to closet homosexual (and we have learned from such films as "Meet the Spartans" that fags are funny!)

Meg has changed from a teen girl struggling through the difficult time in high school to an object of contempt.

3. Voice talented is wasted. For some reason, Seth McFarlane thinks he is a great vocal talent. Ha! Billy West or Hank Azaria he is not. McFarlane has basically two vocal styles, a faux Jonathan Harris a la Dr. Smith from Lost in Space for Stewie and his nasal Peter Griffith. Meanwhile, true voice talent like Patrick Warburton and Johnny Brennan, for example are never really given a chance to show what they can do. Other vocal talents usually portray themselves or a version of themselves, but nothing stands out as with other shows such as say King of the Hill, The Simpsons, or Futurama.

4. FG cannot pull of the non sequitur comedy. Non sequiturs work in cartoons such as Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Metalopocalypse because the characters and surroundings are so outrageous, that the banality of the conversation creates the humor. When it is just Peter and Cleveland talking in non sequiturs, it is simply not funny because they are normal characters in normal situations.

5. Few secondary characters really stick out. I watch the Simpsons and I am always amazed at the fact that not only are there about 100 or so characters, but each are distinctly noticable by sight and sound. Although some are initially set as one-note characters, they have been fleshed out over the years by good writing. Troy McClure was a bad actor, but fleshed out in several episodes such as "A Fish called Selma" because of wonderful writing and voice work by the late great Phil Hartman. There is nothing liable about Troy, but he is a favorite because he is so well crafted. Family Guy has an old pedifile named Herbert the Pervert. He is old and coos a lot when Chris or other young boys approach him. Then he cusses. What is so funny about this? Nothing, but some idiots will laugh at anything, ergo the success at Family Guy.

6. If FG is so damned funny, why do all their jokes at their detractors so freaking lame? In a brief moment in "Send in the Clones" the Simpsons were able to make fun of Family Guy with a brief reference. Futurama did the same in Bender's Big Score. FG tries to make fun of the Simpsons, but it appears labored, crude, and pointless. Then there was South Park's skewering of Family Guy. If you do not get what the geniuses at South Park were identifying as the problems with Family Guy, then please, have someone (adult or child smarter than you) explain it to you. McFarlane has vowed that he is going to make a reference to South Park as some sort of revenge, but that has yet to happen.

7. The "music videos" are just painful. In the initial seasons, there were some very funny musical sequences. From the first season, the "This House is Freakin Sweet" was pretty amusing. However, later seasons simply music as shock value ("You've Got Aids") or bad 80s songs redux ("Wake Me Up before you Go-Go", "Time of my Life"). IN both cases, the songs are terribly long and have little or no comedic value. Especially in the case of the 80s songs, there is really nothing funny than the fact that McFarlane & Co. are rehashing 80s songs with bad animation. Ha ha.

8. The Star wars episode. This deserves its own place in the FG hall of shame. Wow, is all that McFarlane could come up with in the fertile ground of Star Wars? First of all, there have been about one million parodies of this, of which, the best was done by a genius named Mel Brooks. And if FG was soooo cutting edge, why no references to the Star Wars Holiday Special? Merchandising? The Star Wars Geeks?

9. Shocking or pointless? FG likes to have some long drawn out fighting or scenes of violence. Why? What is so funny about Stewie beating Brian to a bloody pulp? What is so funny about the final fight scene in the White House (in the two parter of Stewie killing Lois) where Peter and Lois fight Stewie? These scenes linger, for no reason. Why? At least in the "Cripple Fight" episode of South Park, the humor is in the fight (it is both key to the story and politically incorrect). For FG, there is no reason.

10. The boneheaded fans that keep saying "Family Guy is really popular therefore it is good."
Ha! The music and pop culture of the 80s was also popular for the time. Now they are fodder for shows like FG. I wonder if fate will deal FG the same hand as "Men without Hats" Let's hope so.

Midnight Anonymous

Anonymous said...

Though I don't agree with your opinions, I thought you should be aware that someone on YouTube has taken credit for all your ideas and efforts. Please see his video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn30bPUiCgY

Anonymous said...

This is the most coherent critique of Family Guy I've read. Bravo

Anonymous said...

Just wanna say nice post. Family Guy is one of the worst shows ever created, and you've pointed out its many flaws. With 4 TV Networks playing it in LA (CW, Fox, Adult Swim, TBS) I hope that people will catch onto its mediocrity.

Anonymous said...

Whoa! This guy read my mind! That's all the stuff that's bothered me about Family Guy! Especially the Brain ripoff and the ugly characters...the daughter looks like a 40-year old lady, for one. And there's the drawn-out minute-long jokes that aren't that funny.

Anonymous said...

Family guy is just junk humor. Never interesting nor satisfying. They just take random events and make fun of it, like southpark except worse.

Unknown said...

To all the people who say "If you hate Family Guy so much, dont watch it"... Its not family guy we hate so much. we dont watch it. Its having to put up with the fact it is still on, while much better shows were cut short in their prime. And having to listen to people like yourselves worship a show that is in no way a benifit to mankind.

Unknown said...

I also must say Family Guy taking a huge shot at Futurama in their comeback movie was low.
But Futurama recovered greatley in thier comeback movie wit hthe "Family Guy - 12 Laughs a year" calendar was pure gold.

Just another hormonal teenager said...

I completely agree with you. Family Guy always copies something done previously in older shows. For instance, from some episodes that I've glimpsed with my brainwashed friends, they've single-handedly managed to mimick the Golden Girls, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Frasier, and Will & Grace. Once you look at their episodes, you realize that 90% of their content is copied from another show. The other 10% is made up out of feeble attempts at something funny, which is almost always something drawn out, or dry humor. They also manage to turn horrible events like World War 2 and Anne Frank into comedic relief. All in all I must say that that I completely agree with your thoughts. Everyone who watches it always constantly quotes it, acts it, or recaps it. I find it a shame that it makes the top 10 list on itunes each month. If you ask me, we should back to watching shows like the Golden Girls, Frasier, Sex and the City, or Will and Grace. You Know, shows with substance. If you're not into old shows, then watch something like Grey's Anatomy or Desperate Housewives. They're much more interesting and dramatic. Anywho, just wanted to day that you're not alone.

Anonymous said...

good article!

echopathy said...

I have to appreciate the amount of time and effort involved with the production of such a show.
However, the comedic timing of FG is a bit off for me.
That's due to direction and editing I reckon.
e.g. - The tangents they take off a topic are clever, but many times too long (for my taste).
I've seen this lots of times with SNL skits that last too damn long to retain their humor.
One of my favorite animated shows was Home Movies - Awesome comedic timing. - cheers

Anonymous said...

i agree with you 100% and am now, i think, in love with you.

Anonymous said...

"And I bet you probably like Japanese cartoons so get a life"

This coming from a guy who feels so strongly about a cartoon show that he insults someone that doesn't like it. Take your own advice and get a life buddy.

Anonymous said...

I keep seeing people ask the question "if you hate Family Guy so much then why do you watch it?" Well maybe it's because the detractors want to know what they're talking about when they criticize the show and not just bash it blindly. It helps your point when you've actually watched the show that you're criticizing enough to be able to back up your opinions with examples from the show.

Anonymous said...

To the guy below me:

If family guy is truly on of the best shows on television, boy the US population is stupid.. I just feel worse and worse about being American..

Anonymous said...

For all you FG lovers, just take a look at the recent episode, like the season 5 episode with stewie trying to be a grown up to win a girl's heart. SPOILER ALERT.

The ending was horrible with stewie burning the girl and the boy alive? That was just shyt.

The chick flick shyt was HORRIBLE like hell. I don't see how filming a bad film and us watching the process is funny. The wheelchair isn't really funny either.

The show makes alot of racist comments and things that will cause controversy and hate along the way. Like while the girl and stewie was at the park. Horrible.

The actions were stale and boring, you can't deny that for sure. Especially the chick-flick filming.

The jokes were boring and only one of them actually make me chuckle a bit. (The steak one, that was pretty innovative).

It was a waste of my life watching it. Just shyt. FAMILY GUY SUXS!

IF YOU STILL DON"T BELIEVE ME, COMPARE IT WITH THE SIMPSONS AND YOU'LL REALISE THAT IT ACTUALLY COPIES SOME EPISODE PLOTS FROM IT TOO. IT STINKS LIKE THE STINKY PUKE FROM AN OLD MAMA'S ASS.

Anonymous said...

i dont understand how anyone could hate family guy.they have the most funniest episodes like the episode when stewie beats up brain.i will never hate family guy no matter what you say.thats all i what to say because you pissed me off hater.

Anonymous said...

"i dont understand how anyone could hate family guy.they have the most funniest episodes like the episode when stewie beats up brain."
Yeah, what makes comedy is have something beaten up, so it can strive to sound realistic in this world, or an action movie.(sarcasm)

Anonymous said...

Family Guy is nothing but a mishap between randomness and awful jokes. Not to mention the awful voice actors/actress. But Stewie, however, I must say, is absolutely fascinating. The situational irony, the intellect, and yet infantile instincts create one masterpiece.Stewie, perhaps, is the only reason one should actually watch that God-Forbidden Show.

Anonymous said...

as a one-time fan of Family Guy, I know the cogs in the machine that broke.

The show is voice-acting driven, so when a voice actor comes up with a bit, like Seth Green tends to do, the show wants to write in parts like that.

The animation has always been an afterthought, but the unity the characters once had to each other seems to be gone to aquainted cohabitative indifference.

I have gotten fatigue from the repetitive character-driven bits, such as the Peter teners, Old perverted man sings "I know what boys like", Peter singing along to Axel F in the dance club, the "Road To" episodes based on Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. (most recent to date is Road to Germany making it 4 so far.)

bluechip2000 said...

It's just a show. Some people like different types of humor. It doesn't make them stupid or ignorant. I like Seinfeld and there is alot of people who do not understand it. Its all about perception. I'll admit, sometimes Family Guy isn't the greatest. However, I find it funny most of the time. Whenever it does parody old shows and stuff it kind of puts a nostalgic spin on things. We just can't think to hard about something as simple as a TV show. There are bigger fish to fry...

Anonymous said...

classic family guy (seasons 1-3) was funny. It was original. Now, ever since the show got back on the air it is horrible. "remember the time" or "Like the time I" jokes are every 5 minutes. Whatever they did to the voices and characters was an awful decision. Lois, Chris, Mayor West, Joe, Cleveland and Quagmire all suck. Too many swear "bleeps". HAHA a baby is not supposed to swear, it's shocking. HAHA Joe yells a lot. Too much giggity giggity. Every episode has a fight scene or 3 minute long song and dance number. Wow another reference to an obscure band,movie, actor or actress. Impressive. Peter is retarded. Wow we can get away with anything now. No limits! They made Stewie gay, Brian dates a person. We're all tired of the chicken fight and the child molester. There is no such trace of a plot anywhere. If it is, it's utterly unfeasible. There is a stutter or hesitation in about every scene as a character makes a point. The animation got worse than before, very digital. Long and drawn out scenes of one character stepping out of his or her role to explain to another character. What's that? The evil monkey bit again? HAHA. Barber shop quartet singing again and not just that, talking and explaining all in unison. The list goes on. It's disheartening after watching the first 3 seasons with such pleasure. I just can't bring myself to watch it anymore. I hate new family guy.

Anonymous said...

Your right, Family Guy has lost something. However, we all talk about how downhill the show has gone and how we hate it. Any ideas for improvement? (Besides cancellation)

Anonymous said...

I used to be a FG fan, but it is written literally to THE SAME FORMULAR, does it not insult your intelligence or annoy you that the writers are so lazy and unimaginative? What a piece of shit excuse for a cartoon.

Anonymous said...

Dam right, I just sent Fox a email begging them to cancel Family Guy. Everyone that hates the show should too. The guy that said "Family Guy is one of the best shows on televison" must be a little kid.

Anonymous said...

That's a tomato. No, That's a apple. It may look like a tomato, but really it's an apple. If you look at it hard enough and open your mind the apple doesn't resemble a tomato at all. In fact, the apple could even be a mother fucking strawberry. Just because the apple is red doesn't mean that it's a tomato. But it is a fucking tomato.

I wonder if this made any sense to anyone. Hahaha I'm so stoned right now.

Anonymous said...

Honestly, ive watched family guy for years and loved it. however its the recent episodes theyve broadcasted that make me now refuse to watch the show. The reason behind this is becasue there show is now like 40% political jokes. The recent jokes, the ones about Mccain being a nazi, and then making fun about Mccain being tortured for five years. These jokes are tasteless and disgracefil. I dont watch family guy for political jokes, i watch it for immature and crass gags that have nothing to do with the storyline. Bottomline making fun of a man who was tortured for five years becasuse hes a republican is ludacris. Just becasue the creators of family guy are part of the obama love craze that EVERYONE is a part of, doesnt give them an excuse to insult a toture victim on national tv.

Anonymous said...

Wait. Didn't you do a video about this? What happened to it?

Anonymous said...

Written by someone who probably hates bands if more than 3 people know about them. Get over yourself and enjoy life.

Anonymous said...

I have all 7 seasons of family guy and the funny thing is - I totally agree with all the points in your blog. A firm handshake to you. The (gag about the veteran animators previous work was hilarious btw).
Still, despite being aware of all its floors, I still find it funny and entertaining... its just something i can put on and eat crisps to without a care in the world really.

Anonymous said...

yes i am going to write a hate comment because your a dumbass who thinks he knows everything

You seem like one of those guys who because everyone seems to like something (and it is the most popular show on tv) you actually hate it.

guy 3 down from mine said it ALL. totally debunked everything you said.

A lot of the things that you said that family guy does, seth actually pokes fun of the things that you point out. for example when you said that all they do is reference something in pop culture and because its reference, it funny... they had an episode where they made fun of themselves for doing that exact same thing. They referenced some guy, you have no clue who he is, seth knows that too and the character said "you dont even know who i am".... that is CLASSIC!

Anonymous said...

Family Guy is a load of old toss.

Anonymous said...

South park sucks. I've only laughed once watching it. And you wanna talk about repetitive b.s. watch the episode of family guy with Jared from subway in it. He keeps saying that he lost his weight from his AIDS and thats not even funny. It's just really gay. And what family guy does is make fun of the stupid crap that people do all the time. Like once Peter went golfing with OJ Simpson and OJ Simpson goes "SO your name is Peter Griffin" and then he goes "Thats my name, don't put a knife in it." That's funny, what's not funny is some gayass stuff about some kid with a bully so he feeds the bullies parents to him. It's just not funny, and I think the only reason people like it is because it's innappropriate. I know that the only reason I wanted to watch it...when I was like 7.

Blue Mystic said...

I'm so fraking sick of FG.

This pathetic show is a symptom of a deeper sickness in our fraked up culture.

I hope the FG fanbase grows up soon.

Anonymous said...

South Park > Family Guy
Futurama > Family Guy
Simpsons > Family Guy
King of the hill > Family Guy
My parents sex tape is more watchable than family guy

Anonymous said...

I agree 100% lame american humor. Thank god they cancelled American Dad cause that shit was even worse, I hope the network that show this piece of garbage relize this about the Family Guy too, but i guess the people working on the network has just the same bad humor as the people who are watching it...I meen realy?? are people realy this boring and stupid?? try watching Monty Python or Little Britain and maby u WAKE UP one day.

Family Guy is BORING RETARDED!...End of discussion.

Anonymous said...

FAMILY GUY BLOWS.

Good article.

Anonymous said...

Wow. What these comments prove is that your readers may be separated by their affection for or dislike of Family Guy, but that there is nothing like a little knuckle-dragging illiteracy to get them back together once again.

Unknown said...

I hate family guy and would be perfectly willing just to ignore it, but all my friends won't stop quoting it, and it's 3rd incarnation, the cleavland show, is pushing King of the hill off the air

Anonymous said...

And American Dad is just a Family Guy clone...and woopty-doo Cleavland is getting a spin off, so there will be a third show with the same tired jokes.

Anonymous said...

I really liked Family Guy before it was cancelled, but really haven't gotten into the episodes after it got brought back. Maybe it's because I got older, it's just not that funny or a combination of both, but i agree completely with what this guy is saying. It's not that funny! I stopped watching this and the Simpsons because they just aren't that funny to me anymore. I still watch King of the Hill though, it's too bad my favorite out of these shows is the one getting cancelled.

Anonymous said...

WRONG.

Anonymous said...

is anyone else bothered by how often they rely on "punching women" gags? the guys always seem to be beating the shit out of meg, lois, or some random woman. i swear, i saw that gag five times in one episode. i suppose that is an example of the laziness of the writers and, just maybe, something intended to shock. but i don't really think that most fratboys have much of a problem with violence against women.

Anonymous said...

This is interesting. History has proven your entry right.

Anonymous said...

Guys, if we don't think about this stuff in family guy our way of life will deteriorate completely. I’ve seen at school just people spoofing the spoofs on family guy every damn day. The same tiresome humor again and again. It WAS funny at first as an idea on how comedy today isn't really comedy but rather desperate attempts at jokes,(or whatever Family guy was trying to do) but now it’s been making our social interaction about the show just quotes and "hey guys on family guy last night stewie said blah blah blah HAHAHAHAH!". That’s the lowest quality of conversation you can get nowadays, no enlightment, no problem solving, no humor, just laughs laughs and more laughs at the expense of our own virtues and it’s all coming from comments and ideals like "You look into family guy way to much, just enjoy it and don't compare it to other shows." If we don’t, anonymous, we will ignorantly fall victim to its effects on our lives and virtues. We will enjoy comedy but definitely not when it’s used like family guy.

Anonymous said...

look everyone has their own opinion.....so here's mine
family gay i mean crappy guy no family guy (no i was right the first time) is total utter bullplop i gave it shot, determined to enjoy it but i just couldn't none of the jokes were funny and were just plain dull peter's voice is like ear sandpaper everything stewie does is too predictible the animation is too 2-D and the show could never hope to come close to the simpsons which i'll admit is not as funny as it used to be but i don't focus on jokes i still watch it cos i enjoy the characters and storyline which family guy fails at.
many will disagree with me and say things like "you're gay cos you hate family guy" or "just don't watch it if you hate it" before you do grow up cos i know that only the smart people in this world can back me up on this.
i'll admit that it is better than some of the other cartoons i've seen throughout my life but it'll never, ever find a place in my heart or with my dvd collection.
so nice try seth but not good enough

Anonymous said...

This show is so annoying and its not even funny which it is what they are attempting to do but they fail at making it funny

The Futile Thinker said...

i gotta be honest i dnt mind family guy, it does have SOME actual smart jokes but it is mainly stupid cheap gag laughs, but south park and the simpsons are way better on so many levels already mentioned but i can understand why matt stone and trey parker had a major rant and why most other shows hate them. Think about it, if ur a talented musician who's been working hard to make great music and then all of a sudden someone comes along, puts in hardly any effort makes something thats just good enough to make a fanbase of fanboys/girls you would be a bit pissed of wouldn't, but i gotta be honest, maybe ms and tp were being a bit elitist as seth mcfarland seems like an uber nice guy

Anonymous said...

I would like to propose reasons 11 and 12:

11. Ridiculously cultish fanbase that thinks that liking the show is a sign of superior intelligence.

12. So now that we have this cultish fanbase, let's shove all our opinions about religion and politics down your throat.

Anonymous said...

Heres the thing.

You can rattle on for hours preaching about how much this show sucks. (Which it does. No question.)

But you know whats great? One of three things will happen.

1. Seth McFarland will get tired of broadcasting his boring over-used politics using his lame show and will stop making it. (Possible. Unlikely though.)

2. Fox is branching the show off into "THE CLEVLAND SHOW." So that means the ratings of Family Guy is dropping. It's on it's knees when Clevland and his boring ethnic jokes fail. (Most likely scenario.)


3. Some angry Christian zealot will get so enraged by seeing the show they will strap themselves with AK-47's, several pounds of plastic explosives, a bible and suicide bomb the hell out of Fox and kill Seth. (Please. Please happen. That would be the funniest thing ever.)

Anonymous said...

So don't watch it. Problem solved. What a whiner. It must have taken at least two hours to write all that. You should do something more positive with your time.

Anonymous said...

I love this article. Thank you for taking the time to write it up.

Anonymous said...

Dude...you couldn't be more right. Family Guy is probably the worst thing to happen to Earth. Say what you want, but in my opinion...King of the Hill tops anything that Family Guy ever did.

R.I.P. King of the Hill

It will never happen...but...Family Guy...Rest In Pieces

Anonymous said...

I think what this guy said is dead on correct. I think its funny how the family guy fans that post on here all sound like they're 12. I've had more of a chuckle reading the comments which just show the immaturity of the family guy fans and make me realise why i hate the show and how much more I like the intelluctual shows like South Park. Its because I'm much smarter than the average person.

Anonymous said...

Well Said, Jaime J. Weinman, i had liked the odd episode of family guy, however i started hating it after so many annoying, almost insulting jokes on people, races, culture and sex. Jaime J. Weinman is right, the creator never uses any of his own material. Its jokes de-sensitizes freakin school children who watch this behind their parents backs! Why the hell does this crap air on prime-time anyway! It Should be banned from the air. The Simpsons, was and always will be number 1. Its jokes still poke at people, pop culture, sex, and cultures, yet they are very subtle, this makes it some what family friendly, its jokes fly over children's heads, yet are understandable to teens and adults.

FUCK FAMILY GUY( a ripp off of every adult animated show) FUCK THIER CREATORS.....LONG LIVE THE SIMPSONS!!!! (and seinfeld, the show about nothin)

Anonymous said...

I`m going to freakin shoot Seth MacFarlane. Now they let King of the Hill die just for more unfunny randomness...

rocky said...

family guy sucks! no charactor depth! they have no hobbies or interests. the charactors basicly have no charactor! they dont do anything that makes you laugh for example a funny walk or random animation just for fun like in spongebob..the only reason people like it is for the sick humor..but anyone could write that..the voices are annoying and they keep singing annoying show tunes..god wake up people! stop being so easily amused

MR-Griffin said...

You guy's are so sad spending your time ragging a show which is better than anything you could ever do. Family guy the first animated series to be nominated for an emmy since the flinstones in the late 60s say's alot. GET A LIFE cause this is just so fucking sad. Your saying how good Southpark and the Simpsons are. For a start the Simpsons blows these day's unless your 11-12 years old and Southpark has just become sick in the head and if you pay attention you would see how much trey parker and matt stone copy Family guy. I honestly can't belive you create a page that bags the best cartoon on t.v. Are you that lonely. I have an idea Get out of your moms house, Get your own place and get a girlfriend then maybe just maybe a real life girl might actualy let you touch her. Fucking Sad.

Anonymous said...

Peter acts like a last degree schizophrenic for most of the time. There's no fun in that. Its violence and perversion is so gratuitous it doesn't get anywhere, it simply does not deliver any message. It's pure sugar with blood, there's no nutrient in this show.

In-Correct said...

Don't like Family Guy. I used to, but that is before I looked at "Wait Till Your Father Gets Home". WTYFGH makes FG look very un-original. The main problem that I have with your article is I didn't see any mentioning of WTYFGH and how FG looks like it stole the idea from WTYFGH. I am also a blogger and I am going to post blogs and reviews of both shows.
Sincerely,
In_Correct

Anonymous said...

Believe me, in 10 years time you will be embarrassed to say you liked Family Guy. When people don't "get" the jokes, there is no show. What does the show have aside from joke after joke?

Anonymous said...

Here's an idea; everything you have stated is YOUR opinion, it's just that simple. If you really don't like the show that much, don't watch it. You're making mountains out of mole hills simply because you don't like a show on TV? Well shit in that case I could write 100 pages on some of the garbage I see daily. You're just another cry baby and probably a fan boy of a rival show, so you feel the need to bash and discredit Family Guy. I'm not saying you can't say what you want, you go right ahead. But you should know that the people who like Family Guy aren't going to give a shit what you say, and continue to watch it.

Anonymous said...

great post, agree with you 100%. FG is utter crap. SP owns all!

Anonymous said...

I think the show is weak. There is a level of racism in the show, but the show plays it safe without saying anything racist, they will do something that is racist and either you get it or you don't.
Such as Brain barking at a black man. It wasn't funny, I suppose they wanted us to laugh at the fact people would train there dogs to attack black people. Plus the show was a rip off of the simpsons.

Anonymous said...

I hate the show becuase of it's leftist/elitist, anti-Christ attitude toward middle America, it seems to be written just for college-age, sophmoric Al Franken wanna-bees.

Anonymous said...

Truth. Family Guy has always sucked.

Unknown said...

Random pop culture references aren't humor...

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