The new (2/15) "Family Guy" episode was terrible!

[Sussudio]

Originally Posted by jadedeath

Really?

Simpson's overweight dumbass father who always screws up.

Family Guy: Same.

Futurama? Not-so-much.

There are plenty of other parallels.

Logan

this explains some of what i think in regards to the similarities:

"Bender is the Homer Simpson, devoid of responsibility, yet, as this lack of responsibility is placed in a robot, we do not have to feel anger at his wayward ways.

Leela is the far less annoying Marge. Less annoying for the simple facts. A) She has something resembling a personality, something that Marge definitely suffered from. and B) You can listen to her speak without wanting to kill yourself.

Fry however grounds the show with the emotional base that made the Simpson's great. A Pizza delivery boy from the 20th century transported forwards in time 1000 years into a world that he knows nothing about. While our imaginations might find it a little too easy coming to terms with the future and all the few new inventions that go with it (Perhaps a nod to how poor an inventor Farnsworth is that there seems nothing overly unusual about this future), we forgive this minor blip and embrace Groening new world vision."

not my exact words, don't bash me too hard

i think family guy is similar to simpons, too, but i just feel like it has a different style of humor that's a little more "out there" if that makes sense plus the fact that the futurama characters are drawn the same way as the simpsons ones kind of sways me, even though i know that's a stupid reason

[zombieking]

Originally Posted by jadedeath

Wow.

Nothing makes you laugh but the most un-funny show on network television?

Impressive.

Tell the truth, are you a Vulcan?

Logan

LOL no. Actually I like Two and a Half Men and Big Bang Theory, which are way funnier shows. And other than Fringe that's all the TV I really watch each week.

[McLovin]

Sorry boys, it's funny

Loved the Christian Bale parody this week

[Blu-Buddha]

Huh. Family Guy has never let me down. I found a lot of this episode to be really funny and I liked how they did the Christian Bale bit - I was laughing pretty hard at that. One of the things I REALLY like about FG - is how I think they're really ballsy to use complete songs in the show - and how they drag things out until I'm just busting a gut at how ridiculous it all is. (Sh'poopie, Somewhere That's Green, the chicken fights, Peter's hurt knee, etc.)

[jadedeath]

Originally Posted by Blu-Buddha

Huh. Family Guy has never let me down. I found a lot of this episode to be really funny and I liked how they did the Christian Bale bit - I was laughing pretty hard at that. One of the things I REALLY like about FG - is how I think they're really ballsy to use complete songs in the show - and how they drag things out until I'm just busting a gut at how ridiculous it all is. (Sh'poopie, Somewhere That's Green, the chicken fights, Peter's hurt knee, etc.)

Different strokes and all that.

Your examples are the exact reason why I think it's NOT funny. YMMV though.

I mean it's cool to stretch out jokes, but if you stretch out a joke for minutes at a time {Peter's knee} it just simply flat out ceases to be funny.

Other shows {that are funny IMO} fill the gap that would be left by cutting that joke down by a few minutes... with {wait for it} other funny jokes. It's called writing, something Family Guy sorely lacks IMO.

Logan

[Afrobean]

Originally Posted by jadedeath

Agreed.

Cheap knock off of the Simpson's without even going so far as to attempt to try and cover that fact up.

Logan

The only common element between them are that they're both animated sitcoms. The fact that both feature an overweight and stupid father are irrelevant; the concept of the fat and stupid father figure is a staple of sitcoms.

The method of humor on each show is vastly different. Family Guy relies heavily on jokey cut-aways often just silly parodies or pop culture references, while Simpsons uses more character and plot driven humor.

And frankly, to be honest, I like it a little bit when the Family Guy gags run long. I mean, I'm not watching Family Guy for the story, I'm watching it for the silly bits. They got a little carried away with the two mentioned things here, but I didn't think it was terrible.

[jadedeath]

Originally Posted by Afrobean

The only common element between them are that they're both animated sitcoms. The fact that both feature an overweight and stupid father are irrelevant; the concept of the fat and stupid father figure is a staple of sitcoms.

And a mother that points out the problems with the father's inept plans, one son, one daughter {the daughter is a loner for being too smart or in Family Guy's case ugly} and one baby that is way smarter than initially let on.

Gee, no other similarities there.

The method of humor on each show is vastly different. Family Guy relies heavily on jokey cut-aways often just silly parodies or pop culture references, while Simpsons uses more character and plot driven humor.

And frankly, to be honest, I like it a little bit when the Family Guy gags run long. I mean, I'm not watching Family Guy for the story, I'm watching it for the silly bits. They got a little carried away with the two mentioned things here, but I didn't think it was terrible.

Hey, I don't mind cut-away humor, when it's done well.

Family Guy uses the extended time joke a little too much and {to me} it smacks of bad writing, if all you can think of to fill your 22 minutes is a 5 minute joke about your main character fighting a chicken all around the world it just means that your writers are lazy {or Sea Manatees}

Logan

[bajor27]

Originally Posted by Blu-Buddha

Huh. Family Guy has never let me down. I found a lot of this episode to be really funny and I liked how they did the Christian Bale bit - I was laughing pretty hard at that. One of the things I REALLY like about FG - is how I think they're really ballsy to use complete songs in the show - and how they drag things out until I'm just busting a gut at how ridiculous it all is. (Sh'poopie, Somewhere That's Green, the chicken fights, Peter's hurt knee, etc.)

I totally agree Buddha. That's part of why I love FG too.


I do kinda feel like the Christian Bale thing was a bit dumb, but mainly only because they just used a really simple animation for it. Not everyone can animate as fast as South Park though, and I guess they really wanted to beat everyone to the punch, so I'm somewhat forgiving.

[silversnake]

good music in this episode. Definitely not amazing but still good.

[Marquoz]

Originally Posted by jadedeath

Different strokes and all that.

Your examples are the exact reason why I think it's NOT funny. YMMV though.

I mean it's cool to stretch out jokes, but if you stretch out a joke for minutes at a time {Peter's knee} it just simply flat out ceases to be funny.

Other shows {that are funny IMO} fill the gap that would be left by cutting that joke down by a few minutes... with {wait for it} other funny jokes. It's called writing, something Family Guy sorely lacks IMO.

Logan

Okay, the world has come to an end! I agree with Logan here. I can't stand how they drag out the jokes sometimes to the point it's just well, stupid. The knee thing is a great example, after the first 15 seconds you're laughing, 30 seconds you're getting bored, 1 minute you want to kill yourself, 5 minutes you're watching a documentary on PBS because it's more exciting.

[assydingo]

this is a show I might enjoy if other people didn't exist

most jokes are funny once but I don't want to hear every person age 12-20 repeat them over 9000 times

[DAROCKNESSMONSTER]

don't really go into family guy looking for story anyhow.

it's good for a laugh.
and thats all that's needed sometimes.

[Ator the Invincible]

Originally Posted by jadedeath

Nothing makes you laugh but the most un-funny show on network television?

I see that you've never watched NBC's "Kath & Kim".

Don't.

[fatediesel]

Originally Posted by Ator the Invincible

I see that you've never watched NBC's "Kath & Kim".

Don't.

I completely agree. I watched the first 2 episodes because it was based on Australia's number one comedy. I never saw the Australian version but I can only assume it has much better writing and acting because I can't think of anything good about the American version.

As for last nights Family Guy I agree that it wasn't a classic episode but I didn't think it was horrible. I'll admit the Bale bit went on a little too long and might not have been as funny since there was no video. Overall, I like Family Guy and watch reruns quite a bit but I can understand people who don't like the show, as it has a somewhat odd sense of humor and can be extremely offensive.