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

[McCrutchy]

I know a lot of people criticize "Family Guy" in general as being a lame, disjointed series of jokes with no story humor, and usually I don't agree with them, but it's been about three months since a new episode, and tonight we get not one, but two sequences which make direct use of other material

[Show spoiler](the Christian Bale rant and a Bryan Adams video)

in their entirety. The thin plot lasted about five minutes of the episode. Talk about running out of plot, story and dialogue!

[xtop]

sounds like the same family guy since its return. its just not funny anymore

[McKellars]

Originally Posted by xtop

sounds like the same family guy since its return. its just not funny anymore

It never was funny.

[MCT]

Originally Posted by McKellars

It never was funny.

[McKellars]

Originally Posted by MCT

Alright, but before I go I want you to tell me what exactly is so funny about this show.

[xtop]

fyi. cat pictures are never funny. ever.

[zombieking]

Originally Posted by McKellars

It never was funny.

Buzz Killington

I thought it was pretty good. Sometimes Family Guy is the only thing that makes me laugh all week.

[jadedeath]

Originally Posted by zombieking

I thought it was pretty good. Sometimes Family Guy is the only thing that makes me laugh all week.

Wow.

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

Impressive.

Tell the truth, are you a Vulcan?

Logan

[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.

[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.

[jadedeath]

Originally Posted by McKellars

It never was funny.

Agreed.

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

Logan

[Sussudio]

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

i'm going to get absolutely destroyed for saying this (sry xtop ), but i think futurama is more of a knock off than family guy. for the record i thought the new episode was funny as bizoinks.

[jadedeath]

Originally Posted by Sussudio

i'm going to get absolutely destroyed for saying this (sry xtop ), but i think futurama is more of a knock off than family guy. for the record i thought the new episode was funny as bizoinks.

Really?

Simpson's overweight dumbass father who always screws up.

Family Guy: Same.

Futurama? Not-so-much.

There are plenty of other parallels.

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

[cartman781]

Originally Posted by xtop

sounds like the same family guy since its return. its just not funny anymore

The Birds the Word episode was Hilarious

[Blu Angel]

CRAP! Completley forgot to watch it.. mainly just to see Wolverine preview..
Yeah, Family Guy never has much of a story to tell..
You especially realize this when the "chicken fight" happens

[JJ]

I was dyin' of laughter a few times. I thought it was pretty good.

[My_Two_Cents]

Aw, c'mon! I was cryin at times!

[Show spoiler]"Babies come out of the butt, right?"

When the wheelchair came out before the baby.

When Joe was getting his diaper changed and then needed to get his penis attached.

Classic!

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by Ricshoe

Aw, c'mon! I was cryin at times!

[Show spoiler]"Babies come out of the butt, right?"

When the wheelchair came out before the baby.

When Joe was getting his diaper changed and then needed to get his penis attached.

Classic!

Those moments were funny, but there was still too much (literally) unoriginal material used. That was my point. Usually the parodies are cleverly woven into the story, or are a matter of seconds--too brief to be bothersome, but with both

[Show spoiler]the Bale recording and the Bryan Adams video parody

, I kept waiting for the usual cutaway to end. I was amazed they used them in their entirety, considering they only had about twenty-two minutes to work with. It felt like they were really stretched for material and were using filler; which is ridiculous after a whole three-month break.

The next episode is also a whopping three weeks away (3/8). I thought that generally, they were supposed to air weekly instead of "every so often".