Opinions on "Family Guy"

[Johnmw]

The first seasons were the best. It has gotten worse over the years.

This BUT, if I may over-analyse... It falls into the same trap as the Simpson, the trap which, through its awful and and amazing series, south park has never fallen to. Completely 2D characters. Homer is the same as Peter who is the same as Stan (american dad awesomeness for those living under rocks.) The problem is that the characters never develop. I'm not looking for Swiftian progression, but I'd like an ep of Simpsons/ Family Guy / American Dad, where I couldn't predict EXACTLY what the characters would do based on the first episodes of the series.
Both Homer and peter suffer from this problem. Both, (IMOH for you lawyers), suffer from the same problem, they were iconic representations of a single mindset, and both cannot survive repeated airings, as they become obviously invented beings, only caperble in reacting in a certain way.
South park managed to take this trope and use it as another comedy aspect to their characters, whereas, family guy (which, I hasten to point out, I regard as pure Genius for the first 3 series), has merely stagnated and revealed the poor depth of it characters.
None of this is to say that it isn't enjoyable, but you know you in trouble when you catch yourself thinking; " why did Louis marry him he is JUST a moron". Just is the operative word. The same applies to Homer, originally one of the finest comedy creations, who, through repeated over-use has become his own cliché, predictable and fundamentally unlikeable )Bart suffers much worse from this, I mean nowadays he is not a lovable scamp, he is what we in England call a PRICK).
I would put up in comparison, to both Homer and Peter, Fry from Futurama, another comedy idiot. The thing about fry is his character may start with being an idiot but, crucially does not end with it. The be all and end all of Peter is that he is an idiot and after a while he has become an unlikeable idiot, (I refer you to Petarded season 4 ep 6).

Wow I suddenly reasize i care too much about animated characters..... I'm now ashamed of myself,
P.s Apologies for poor spelling but its 4:11 AM here and i was at the pub until 3

 

[yrogerg]

I like it still, I love how "out there" the creators take things.

This much is true. They do know how to run a good joke into the ground. It's a fun comedic trick, and in many ways, the opposite of having good timing. Take a joke, draw it out just long enough that it's not funny any more, and then keep drawing it out until it becomes funny again.

 

[skullpile]

My personal opinion on that show is that it's... decent. I guess it does what it tries to do, and it does it moderately well. The comedy does get a bit stale, they don't come up with some, if not most, of their material, and it seems if the writers can't come up with comedy, they fall back on racism and general insensitivity. Also, the characters have little to no development or depth, compared to, say, "The Simpsons". My opinion may be a bit biased, as I had a person in one of my classes that was a huge fan of Family Guy. She ended up stalking both me and my friend and having mental breakdowns complete with screaming and crying whenever something didn't happen the way she thought it would.]

So, fellow Escapists, your opinion?

what did FG have to do with her breakdown also FG is awesome and it is actually smart if you get the jokes, also it has gotten better in the new season

 

[TheDrunkNinja]

It confuses me when someone complains about Family Guy being offensive and then people respond with, "Oh, well they make fun of everybody. They aren't bias."

It makes me wonder what the hell these people are watching. There is a clear cut bias in the Family Guy plot that no body can dispute. They devote entire episodes to the bashing of anything Seth McFarlane's political views. Practically 70% of Family Guy's jokes are totally political.

If you get your feelings hurt over political jokes maybe you should stick to Sesame Street.

Okay. I'll give you a head start. Why do you think that of me based upon my comment? Actually give me a valid debate and not empty insults.

You implied that something is wrong with people who like political jokes and Seth cracking jokes at what he damn well feels like. I can't help but assume this 'bias' is against you.

I recall writing no words that would create the implication of ill-gotten feelings toward people of any political standing who would enjoy humor against another political party. And any accusations of an undertone of such is also unfounded considering these are written words and are only interpreted by the reader the way he or she processes it in their mind.

My entire statement was against those who would incorrectly clarify to me that the show Family Guy is not bias in anyway or that their usual jokes mock everybody rather than a targeted party of political, cultural, or religions nature. My whole argument was to correct these peoples misinterpretations, and that they are wrong in that Family Guy has indeed chosen a specific political standing and show a great bias toward it in most of the jokes.

As such, you're comment, based upon what you have told me, was also incorrect and misinformed, and that your attempts at insulting me were unfounded, unorthodox, and completely unnecessary considering it is clear I have no ill feelings toward yourself.

 

[Heresy101]

Reported.

Since we're reporting people who disagree with us - I report you straight back. Well done sir.

Yeah, that about sums it up. Seth McFarlane forgot what it was that made the show good.

I think people just got sick of the shock/random value so all that was left were political jokes to disagree (or agree, in my case) with.

My whole argument was to correct these peoples misinterpretations, and that they are wrong in that Family Guy has indeed chosen a specific political standing and show a great bias toward it in most of the jokes.

Everything is biased in one way or another. Pointing that out is useless.

As such, you're comment was completely, based upon what you have told me, was also incorrect and misinformed, and that your attempts at insulting me were unfounded, unorthodox, and completely unnecessary considering it is clear I have no ill feelings toward yourself.

LOL cry me a river. Also, learn some grammar.

 

[newguy77]

I liked it back when I was 13, but now if something has Seth McFarlane's name on it, I will not like it.

 

[Yoshemo]

Screw you all! Gay stewie is funnier than evil stewie. and he still usues diabolical plans and devices. its called expanding characters

 

[RavingLibDem]

Generally its a good show, and it occasionally scales the heights and hits genius

 

[TheDrunkNinja]

My whole argument was to correct these peoples misinterpretations, and that they are wrong in that Family Guy has indeed chosen a specific political standing and show a great bias toward it in most of the jokes.

Everything is biased in one way or another. Pointing that out is useless.

As such, you're comment was completely, based upon what you have told me, was also incorrect and misinformed, and that your attempts at insulting me were unfounded, unorthodox, and completely unnecessary considering it is clear I have no ill feelings toward yourself.

LOL cry me a river. Also, learn some grammar.

When misinformed people amass together saying inaccurate statements contrary to what is believed to be the obvious, saying and proving the obvious is the only solution. I am only posting in response to what I have heard everywhere else.

And, I corrected my typing error. When will you?

 

[Dr.Awsome]

I once liked it but not any more, now it just feals like Seth Macfarland is treating his personal opinion like it's fact and every one who disagrees with him is wrong. I like American Dad way more than Family Guy

 

[Nannernade]

It's gotten worse over the years, like with Stewie, it was funny when he was trying to act all british and stuff and hiding his gayness. But now he's just open to it and going What? I'm gay? No you're messing with me self. And most of all the jokes are just fart jokes and racism or that stupid thing involving Clevelands house getting blown up.

 

[Yoshemo]

I believe South Park put it best-

"Family Guy is a bunch of random, interchangeable jokes that add nothing to the story."

While some of them are funny, I prefer my South Park.

South Park is fine once in a while but they were kidding themselves with the cracks at Family guy. Yes, Family Guy has shamelessly random political and pop culture jokes, but South Park has more idiotic toilet humour than any show on tv.

I used to love Family Guy. I no longer support them because it seems like it became overrun with atheists who keep bashing on religion and anti-Americans.

That's the best reason TO support them. They don't even do it in an offensive way ffs. "Oh my God they're using liberal humour!" Get over it conservatives. And Seth MacFarlane has always been an atheist...it's just that he's starting putting in more well deserved religion jokes as of late.

I agree that Family Guy has been getting progressively worse with Stewie, etc. but I don't think it's fair to say it's ripping off the Simpsons...if anything it's the other way around - the Simpsons has been getting more and more random jokes injected into it lately. It's feeling more and more like Family Guy.

Reported.

Why? He didn't break any rules. If anything, I did

 

[Siegreich]

It's really gone down hill but american dad just keeps getting better and better.

 

[seidlet]

I used to love Family Guy. I no longer support them because it seems like it became overrun with atheists who keep bashing on religion and anti-Americans.

but this is exactly why i love it now. theists and patriots have entire channels catering to them, i think we deserve one cartoon show!

 

[Frankfurter4444]

The odd thing about Family Guy is its decline in quality related to the incline in quality of Seth MacFarlane's other show, American Dad.

When American Dad began, it was 30 minutes of torture. Then, one day I decided to give the show another chance and found it entertaining and humorous. The Family Guy that came on immediately after was barely watchable.

Some of that could be because Seth MacFarlane took his completely unfunny political soapbox off of American Dad and inserted it into Family Guy and the show suffered for it, some of it could be because Seth really only has enough ideas to fill 20 minutes. More likely it's because Seth MacFarlane really isn't that good but gets credit for pushing the envelope which people mistake as talent. Now when I watch his hour and a half block on Fox, it might be funny the first time but has almost no rewatchability. The reruns on Adult Swim are not at all entertaining because the jokes on the show are really only funny for their shock value and not their actual humor.

 

[Ace Jackson]

Personally, I thought it was better when it wasn't being overtly political. It didn't really matter if I agreed or disagreed with it's political standpoint, it just got annoying and smug after a while. And Peter was funnier when he was just stupid instead of random.

 

[Singularly Datarific]

Don't like it anymore, its legions of mindless zombiefans have made the creator think he's a genius, he got lazy, and now we're stuck watching a gay stewie.

 

[EzraPound]

Worst. Show. Ever.

 

[Silva]

Family Guy was never funny, the most I ever got out of it was a smile. That's pretty terrible, since I'm normally the first to laugh at comedy.

The references are simply too obscure to me. It might be suited to an audience that watches a new movie at the cinema every week, but since I don't do that, and have a life on some levels, it seems quite meaningless.

The commentary on politics was always cheap, more to the point. It never had anything of real profundity to say, unlike The Simpsons at its better moments. American Dad is only partially better than Family Guy for that.

In short, it was always too superficial and unwieldy for me, and looks like I'm not alone.

It's odd though, because I normally hear the opposite. Normally, wherever I go with this argument, there is a great mass of people who think that Family Guy is better than The Simpsons. So, once again The Escapist impresses me. Bravo to a community I can agree with.