I’ve missed the past few weeks of “Family Guy,” so I downloaded the episodes earlier and just finished watching them. “Family Guy” is an odd show for me. I remember watching it back in Ninety-Nine and Aught-Zero and really liking it, when FOX would fuck around and air it in a different time slot every other week. Then it came out on DVD a few years ago, and damn it was funny as hell again. Cartoon Network also started airing it, and between the two mediums, it brought in a crazy amount of new viewers, which led FOX to resurrect it. So then I watch the first new episode, the one about the sequel to Passion of the Christ . . . and it was just okay. It had a few good asides, but the whole of the episode was a little “blah.” And ever since I’ve sort of felt that way about the show. Don’t get me wrong: Some of the new episodes after that have been the best that the show has ever produced, like the one where Brian goes back to college that the features the “crazy stairs” gag, and the one where there’s the seemingless endless gag where Stewies asks Brian aout his novel. Yet some of them have been terrible, like the writers are trying their damnedest to be unfunny.
I dunno. I enjoy the newer episodes for the most part, but they’re really hit or miss when compared to the awesomeness that were the second and third seasons. Still, all of the newer seasons are cinema gold (or I guess it would be television gold) compared to the tripe that is “American Dad.” I know the show is supposed to be different than “Family Guy,” a point which I thoroughly understand, but I have yet to see an episode of it that is hilarious. Hell, I’d settle for one that is just funny. But every episode (and keep in mind that, yes, I do realize this is only my opinion) of that show tries so hard to be shocking and funny . . . yet only comes off as tedious. I’ve tried to like it and fail every time. Although it should be noted that the episode where they’re making fun of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” — and all the original cast members reprise their characters’ voices — is one of the funniest asides of either show.
One last thing about the “Family Guy” episodes I downloaded: The bit where Stewie is stuck in the TV and sings the beginning of “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins — and his voice is distorted, and then he does the drum intro — was priceless.
JAB
4 Responses to “AMERICAN BAD”
You are not alone in you feelings on Family Guy, Josh. I agree with you wholeheartedly here. The most recent episodes do seem to be hit or miss and American Dad blows the man down.
Even when I was reading your tongue-lashing against me, I still have to smile at the mental image of the classic “midget-and-stool-combo.”
Perhaps I was a little harsh towards “American Dad,” perhaps not. But I honestly don’t watch the show and think, “What the fuck, Seth MacFarlane?” The fact that he runs the show doesn’t even generally cross my mind anymore. Instead I watch “American Dad” and think, “Why isn’t this funny?”
Different tastes, I suppose — yet both are equally valid. I did forget about the FCC episode of “Family Guy.” That was a great one.
JAB
Okay, first of all, American Dad is not trying to be shocking. It’s just going about its business, when you go whipping out your proverbial midget-and-stool combo to assfuck it. I think that on most occasions, I’ve enjoyed the American Dad episode more than the Family Guy that airs the same night. I think that while you say that you know that it’s a different show, you still hold the fact that it came out after Family Guy and from the same producer against it. Frankly, I did as well at first. But I see more development and real character come out of the Smith family than I ever did out of the Griffins.
Second of all, while I do agree that a few of the latest Family Guy episodes weren’t so hot, the Passions of the Christ sequel episode, however was very good. The episode with the FCC was probably the best one yet, and the Phil Collins-related episode was very well done. Last night’s episode sucked balls, as did the Super Bowl one. Hit and miss, indeed.
And actually, American Dad does not do “asides”, just so you know.
Editor’s Note: The above comment by Nathan was originally posted on May 15th, before “Bil’s” comment. Your humble editor, however, was deleting comment spam and accidentally deleted Nathan’s comment; hence, the republishing of the comment.
That is all.
JAB
Leave a Comment