CCCToad on 16/9/2013 at 05:43
Now if I may draw that parallel further...
Let me put it this way by presenting examples side by side. What I'm suggesting the real "purpose" of family guy's humor is should be obvious. From two I could find. There's some MUCH more offensive ones out there (like when they portrayal a pro-life woman dressed splattered in blood as an 'aborted fetus', and the conversation with Brian goes on to portray her as literally insane) that I can't find on Youtube.
[video=youtube;mZ3liwb9piI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ3liwb9piI[/video]
(
youtube;6p5jnqEyUs4) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p5jnqEyUs4
last clip is of a very different nature, but it reflects the times it came from:
(
http://youtu.be/N-zUtdl6_HQ?t=4m38s) http://youtu.be/N-zUtdl6_HQ?t=4m38s
In other words, the messages pushed by Family Guy in its later seasons are largely the demonization of anyone who disagrees with McFarlane's progressive political position. The portrayal of conservatives and particularly christians by the show bears parallels to how WW2 era cartoons portrayed Japanese and Germans.
june gloom on 16/9/2013 at 09:54
I think the thing about Seth MacFarlane is that it's more than just his demonizing of anyone who doesn't agree with his views. It's a lot to do with the fact that he's essentially a very smug, self-satisfied Dawkins Atheist -- the kind of obnoxious jerk who slams a Dew every night while jerking themselves into a frenzy about how much better they are than those ~barbaric Christians~.
This is the worst kind of atheist. Unfortunately, it's one that's somewhat common, because atheism is often perceived as being linked with intellectualism, and there's a lot of neckbeards who need to make themselves look smart to justify being unlikeable assholes.
Religion is an outdated social construct that has moved from providing structure to a pre-science, pre-government society to being a parasite on society, halting progress in the name of traditions dating from a time when our brains weren't as connected and we hallucinated daily. But that doesn't mean that it doesn't still provide some sort of structure and solace for a lot of people -- people who don't use religion as a crutch to justify their bigotry. I've developed something of a reputation for playing Devil's Advocate for religion (even though I myself am pretty much an atheist) and while I've more or less dropped that in the wake of the GOP shitshow last election, I do still feel it's not quite fair to lump someone who goes to church every week and donates to the poor out of their retirement pension with the likes of Fred Phelps.
And that's basically Seth MacFarlane's problem. So he's for this or that thing that I technically agree with, great. But it doesn't make him special, and it doesn't make him superior to anyone else. It boils down to a simple fact about progressivism. You're pro-women's rights, pro-gay rights? Congratulations, you've met a baseline standard for human decency. What do you want, a gold star? It's not about being progressive for its own sake with Seth MacFarlane. It's about Seth MacFarlane trying to show how progressive he is. It's an ego thing.
Also, he's a zoophile.
Renzatic on 16/9/2013 at 10:06
Quote Posted by dethtoll
...dating from a time when our brains weren't as connected and we hallucinated daily.
Noooo! Don't tell me you believe in bicameralism.
It's an interesting theory, sure. But it's bullshit. Totally and completely. The corpus callosum has become weaker the larger our brains have become, not stronger. Add to that the fact that if it were true, everyone would be literally batshit insane, running around their own personal, self-agency driven god speaking to them, telling them they're the chosen one. No one would be able to get along long enough to form organized religion.
faetal on 16/9/2013 at 10:11
Quote Posted by CCCToad
That's a more apt description of Beavis and Butthead, a show that pulls of the whole "so stupid it's funny" angle somewhat better. The description of Family Guy as "not needing intellect" as opposed to treating the audience like idiots is disproven by numerous examples where the show beats you over the head with a one-sided liberal message without any logical argument to back it up. In every instance the show makes very clear that you are supposed to believe what the writers do and if you don't, then you're clearly an idiot.
I love how you're making strawman accusations and then claiming I said FG is "so stupid it's funny". Write your own narrative, not mine. I don't see the show as you do. I certainly see it taking the piss out of liberals just as much as conservatives (not that those terms mean much in the US since it's all waaay to the right of most people). I find it hilarious that you might be sitting there, fuming about their message, like that's somehow the point of the program or something. You don't enjoy it - we get it. Doesn't make the slightest bit of difference to whether or not I do.
Quote:
I miss the early episodes of the series, where the moral at the end was usually one with fairly universal appeal. Nowadays any time I try to watch I just end up thinking "Fine, I GET IT, Republicans are retarded" and end up changing the channel looking for an actual chuckle.
You watch things like FG, SP etc.. for the
moral!? I think you might be in the minority. Fuck the moral, it's either funny, or it isn't, regardless of what the polarity of the message is. I'm dumbfounded by this idea that comedy must be politically neutral to be funny. How is that even factoring in to whether or not the comedy program is funny? Words fail me.
Quote:
The thing that the writers aren't quite smart enough to grasp is that their ridiculously lopsided portrayals of people they disagree with tends to make them look worse than the people they're ripping on.
Is it that they aren't smart, or just that they know that they get a bigger demographic by keeping things fairly simple (although, since you seem to miss most of the parody, I'm not sure it's all simple enough).
june gloom on 16/9/2013 at 10:19
I don't think you're understanding what he's getting at. It's not that it must be politically neutral. He's saying that the show spends a lot of time belaboring the point and ends up being boring and one-note.
faetal on 16/9/2013 at 10:30
Maybe, but as long as it's funny, who cares? I don't watch FG to hear varied political viewpoints. I watch it for cheap laughs. If I want political humour, I'll watch a US election campaign.
june gloom on 16/9/2013 at 10:44
Ooh, ouch, but too true.
Thing about FG's humor though is that it is a lot of political humor -- forced, tryhard political humor at that. And that's really the core of the issue, innit? The whole show may cover a fairly broad spectrum of topics for its comedy but it's nearly all trying too hard.
faetal on 16/9/2013 at 10:49
Maybe it's because all of the US political spectrum looks far-right to me, I don't see the divide. To me, it just comes across as basically lampooning everyone and every thing. The only message I take from FG is stereotypes are ridiculous, and hence fertile ground for lots of silliness. I don't think I've ever watched an episode and come away thinking it had a point. American Dad I think does parody a lot better - I find that much more thought-provoking in terms of its use of right wing stereotypes. Family Guy is observational humour multiplied by ADHD and shoved through a crass filter.
LaffyTaffy420 on 16/9/2013 at 13:36
Quote Posted by TEEFtheDERPproject
Oh my goodness gracious, I came to this forum hoping to find like-minded individuals who shared my love for the glories of the Looking Glass, and what do I find? A bunch of sheeple talking about Family Guy!
I'm very disappointed. Haven't you peasants realized that television has not been the same since the untimely cancellation of Clarissa Explains It All? That programme, my good sirs, is the very definition of the last gasp of good television. Everything since has been created specifically to appeal to the unwashed masses, the lowest common denominator. Dear sirs, it is all about
money, and you have been suckered into it!
"Television is the opiate of the masses." ~ Karl MarxI am upset. I truly believed this forum to be the last bastion of good taste. But here, like everywhere else, I find only the mentally small, amusing themselves with the mass-produced entertainment of the day, rather than savoring the great works of minds long gone!
It seems to me that lately the internet has become a very unwelcoming place for people like me -- the true genisues and individuals who have gained an understanding of the way reality works. Did you know that mocking people with Asperger's is not considered hateful? I've made many an attempt to report the hate site Encyclopedia Dramatica to the Southern Poverty Law Center and they just
ignore me! Oh, the shameful irony. But I suppose what goes around comes around. Hate begets hate, don't you know! :ebil:
Nevertheless, I believe I shall stay here. Perhaps I can undo the damage. Perhaps, with hope and perhaps a little bit of ironic prayer (ironic, dear chaps, for I believe in no God, no puffed-up man in the sky!) I can right a great many wrongs, and make this forum a great place like I'm sure it must have been once.
Wow man what is wrong with you do you need a blanket or something? your post is like dogs barking inside of my ears. please let me know if there's anybody i can call to get you the help you need.
Nicker on 16/9/2013 at 15:46
I preferred Stewie when he was unabashedly evil. But I still enjoy him.
Are we still posting opinions as if they are facts ITT? Because I want to make it clear that the above is just an opinion and does not represent any sort of comment on the intellectual or moral capacity of any member of this forum, no matter how much they (in the plural and inclusive sense) might qualify for such comment.
Opinions to the contrary should be sent through my lawyers c/o Hooke, Lymen, Sankar & Partners.
