Why is Family Guy often used as an indication of low intelligence?

[Random Argument Man]

I used to like it alot.


Lately, I'm just laughing at the fact of how much they can get away with. There was an episode where I didn't laugh, but I thought "How do they get away with this?" at least 17 times.

 

[Housebroken Lunatic]

There are many many shows that have the same or even more balls than Family Guy, shows you possibly never heard of. Comedians always cross the border as well so this isn't new to the world. It started with George Carlin talking about the 7 bad words in the late 70s I think.

Stand-up comedy just doesn't applies to that really, mainly because it takes place in such a closed off forum and doesn't always reach the general public the way certain television shows do.

Im very familiar with George Carlin (although im a bigger fan of the late Bill Hicks myself). But if we're talking about dealing with a taboo topic, doing it as a stand-up comedian isn't really as "ballsy" as doing it if you're actually running a television series, risking not only your job but several of the people involved with it. A stand-up comedian generally only has him/herself to answer to if he/she starts to attract flak for voicing taboo topics. A producer of a television series usually has several network executives to answer to, and will probably have a lot harder to actually get programs dealing with taboo topics aired, while the comedian can basically go: "So this club doesn't want me doing my act there? Fuck 'em. I'll go someplace else."

 

[Joshimodo]

They made fun of Christians in a couple of episodes, which is the equivilant of murder in the States.

Ahh, that made me laugh. Probably more so than most of the shows mentioned in this thread, actually...

 

[caprisun]

Now, "The Simpsons". That's a giant piece of shit. AND ALWAYS WAS.

Ah now come on? I no its gone massivly downhill, but back in the day it was the best show goin! Ah i miss the old ones...

 

[fahbrock]

I think it's just popular to hate on Family Guy. They have a successful TV show yet they make stupid and immature jokes (not always a bad thing). It just seems like some people can't stand something they find stupid to be successful. Much like why I can't stand Grey's Anatomy.

 

[Sky Captanio]

Because some people don't like it and obviously if they don't like it and you do then you're stupid.

 

[Jeneral Joe 117]

Family Guy's humor uncreative and cheap. None of the jokes are related to the story, it's always "This is worse than the time I threw a spoon into a pool of root beer" or something. People who like the show just have a stupid idea of what's funny.

I suppose but its better than being bored out of your stupidly large brain

 

[SturmDolch]

It appeals to the Lowest Common Denominator [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LowestCommonDenominator]. I swear, most of the jokes are about sex, or they make a stupid joke and then make faces for 10 seconds to try to get a laugh out of the audience. It's painful to watch. Most of the other humour tries to just be shocking to force a laugh out. I watched three episodes last weekend because I wanted to see why my friends are always laughing about it. It's just shit.

And it's funny that people say "watch the south park show on it and you'll see why we hate it", because South Park is pretty much the same thing except with more annoying animation and characters.

Give me The Office, Arrested Development, or Modern Family, or even Two And a Half Men any day compared to this.

 

[Yoshemo]

A lot of it nowadays is political jokes, so it goes over most people's heads. I'm interested in politics and I think Family guy is hilarious. I have an IQ of 186, and I'm also in the top five of my school so... I'm pretty sure I'm not stupid

 

[Tharwen]

Almost every time someone says 'stupid', they mean one of the following:

Ignorant
Unusual
Not suited to my taste
Unpopular

That is why I hate the word.

 

[Spinozaad]

Because people need ways to define themselves/their group against others.

If I like British humor, I can not enjoy American sitcoms. Why? It's arbitrary and a construction, but that's the way how stuff works. If I consider my own taste superior (and I do, because why else would I have such a taste?), the stuff I do not like must be inferior.

If I consider Futurama entertaining. And if I 'get' Futurama, and see myself as fairly intelligent. And at the same I despise Family Guy. I must come to the conclusion that Family Guy is for idiots. If it wasn't, I would surely like it, no?

That said, I only tend to enjoy Family Guy when under the influence of drugs. Although some Brian/Stewie-centered episodes are entertaining.

 

[Oilerfan92]

Cheap humor.

That reminds me of the time where_______ ( insert somewhat, but not to relevent pop culture event )

Inserting near exactly lines from movies or other shows and calling yourself a parody

Offencive jokes that arnt funny, just offencive. I like offencive humor ( my fav. show is South PArk ) but atleast they make the jokes funny. Family guy just seems to want to be offencive for the hell of it, not to help the show.

Extream amounts of cut away gags, they take you out of the plot. IF there is one.

Theyve cut back on it a bit, but poop, piss, vomit, excessive blood jokes are too common.

What it is though is the random jokes. Jokes should relate to the plot, not just been a mad-libs of a 5 year old.

 

[omega 616]

Family Guy's humor uncreative and cheap. None of the jokes are related to the story, it's always "This is worse than the time I threw a spoon into a pool of root beer" or something. People who like the show just have a stupid idea of what's funny.

No, they don't.

I love family guy but I also love more complicated and more intelligent comedy aswell.

Family guy to me is what I like to class as brain dead TV, you don't have to try and understand it or think about the jokes, just sit, stare and (for me atleast) laugh.

(Not exactly aimed at you) I don't understand the hate on these forums, we like to think were a cut above the average forum but when ever this kind of thread pops up theres always people insulting the people who like the subject.

Can't people except people like different things and enough people must like it for it to be still be on.

 

[Johnnyallstar]

Family Guy is okay, but it has gone way downhill. It used to be clever and witty but it hasn't been the same show that it used to be.

 

[SmartIdiot]

Well the people making that accusation are rather stupid. You see, Family Guy is stupid. Watching it isn't. Or at least, no more stupid than watching anything else on TV.

 

[bloodychimp]

The only thing that makes Family Guy worth watching is the rapport between Stewie and Brian. The other characters could die in a fire and the show would be a lot better.