How to Win a Historic Emmy Nomination
by Big Hollywood
“Family Guy” on Thursday became the first animated show in nearly 50 years to score an Emmy nomination for best comedy series.
The show’s creator, Seth MacFarlane, says his nomination marks the end of Emmy discrimination against animated TV[.] …
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: WHICH EPISODES DID YOU SUBMIT?
MacFarlane: We submitted three episodes. We submitted “Road to Germany,” we submitted “Family Gay,” we submitted “I Dream of Jesus.” We picked three of our edgier shows as a choice. Ya know, we figured if we are going to be damned, let’s be damned for what we really are.
There are some hilarious political references including a … McCain/Palin button being sported on a Nazi uniform. The joke about Stewie attesting to Mort being a priest because he’s been molested by him is another groan inducing classic.
Probably the most memorable [joke] was when Peter filled the refrigerator with milk bottles full of horse sperm. Stewie’s [a tot] having his cereal when he’s told this and the joke tells itself at that point. [See the 20 second video here.]
The story quickly moves to Jesus becoming a Hollywood celebrity[.] … Ultimately, Jesus’ newfound fame gets to his head and he starts neglecting Peter in favor of bovine creatures. Predictably, Jesus gets drunk and arrested, and Peter has to bail him out, but not before an uninspired conversation about the world not being ready for him to return, and that Jesus himself needs to mature a little.
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158 Comments
Ick.
Just…. ICK!
I think it's a terrible indication of the way American comedy has gone that Family Guy is the first animated sitcom to get this nomination when South Park and The Simpsons in its prime were far edgier and funnier than Family Guy has ever been.
Family Guy might have been worthy… four years ago when it was funny and wasn't completely lazy and full of liberal hackiness (word?). Its a shame it gets nominated and South Park and the Simpsons never have.
Since when did sick and disgusting get changed to mean edgy? It's not edgy, it just appeals to the lowest in the human being. Sorry, but that has been done over and over again. It's just getting old. For many of us, there isn't anything funny about it. Lets all go eat manure and call that edgy!
"Probably the most memorable [joke] was when Peter filled the refrigerator with milk bottles full of horse sperm. Stewie’s [a tot] having his cereal when he’s told this and the joke tells itself at that point."
Charming.
"Since when did sick and disgusting get changed to mean edgy"
When the creepy Kewl Kids took charge.
But hey!!!! Don't tell anyone that 51% of gays in San Francisco are infected with AIDS so they have to blame someone other than themselves for killing one another so they blame must Jesus instead.
By the way, only creepy Kewl Kids let friends infect one another with a killer virus.
I'm a big fan of "The Simpsons", but I just don't get "Family Guy". You're right in appealing to the lowest, and there's a certain point of view. Most of the jokes aren't, really, "edgy" at all.
Man, I still enjoy family guy- but maybe that's because I watch the syndicated episodes on TBS………
I still watch it and do laugh at alot of the bs jokes, and the political satire…. it is a funny show…. the episode that is nominated is HILARIOUS!!!!!
The reason why most of the jokes do not bother me, it is a CARTOON…. and well, even though I am a republican I still have a sense of humor…. LAWL….. I digress, I hope that most people on here can take a joke at times becasue laughter is the only way to get through most of the hard times…
"We picked three of our edgier shows as a choice. Ya know, we figured if we are going to be damned, let’s be damned for what we really are."
I nearly did a spit-take at the chutzpah of MacFarlane in implying that the recurring themes of those three episodes would make him anything but a prime contender for a nomination. The Academy is simply rewarding him for being a well-behaved addition to the Hollywood ideological salon.
Just as the Nobel Committee handed Jimmy Carter a Peace Prize merely as a "kick in the legs" to the Bush Administration, similarly the Academy is throwing a bone to The Family Guy for equating Republicans with Nazis, conflating religious devotion and sexual predation, and portraying Jesus as a dissolute celebutante (i.e. one of their own).
Sit, Seth, sit. Good dog.
Let me get this straight…Family Guy is considered more edgy than SOUTH PARK!?!!!!!
Liberals…only liberals.
I stopped watching the show when Meg became a born-again Christian and participated in a book burning. If McFarland has such a hatred of Christians then I'll just stay away from his shows.
All you need to know about "Family Guy" is right here:
http://www.southparkstudios.com/episodes/103233
Skip ahead about 9:00 minutes in.
The question is, have South Park or the Simpsons ever been submitted for Emmy consideration?
I wasn't a fan of "Family Guy" back when it was a canceled web-pirate/college "thing" (that South Park parody just NAILED that era of it) but I've been more entertained than not by it's last few seasons. It's STILL the most uneven of comedies, but clever is clever.
Obviously, it's a shame that a "sometimes good" show like FG gets here only after Simpsons and South Park have paved the way; but that always happens. And if they had to get nominated for something, "Road to Germany" makes sense. If you haven't seen it and think you can 'get over' a 10-second button joke, I imagine MANY posting here would enjoy it. If nothing else… it's a 20-something targeted potty-humor cartoon doing an episode-length takeoff on "The Winds of War" (WITH the music!) who'd ever expect that?
I don't find it funny when someone thinks Nazis should wear McCain-Palin buttons.
I don't think it's amusing to have a "gay" baby as a character. That's just stupid.
"Family Guy" has gone the way of "The Simpsons" and has lost much of it's entertainment value for pandering (yes, PANDERING) to liberals. There's a gay reference on nearly every episode of The Simpsons now. Who needs that?
If I want a laugh, South Park delivers.
Seth McFarlane couldn't carry Chuck Jones' jock strap.
The Nobel Commitee. What a joke. Once Al Gore and Yassir Arafat got medals, the medal ceased to have meaning.
It's a cartoon people! It lampoons everyone and everything, going past the edge of propriety in the process. Some us find that hysterical – I think it stems from being able to laugh at myself, 'cuz if you look really close, being human is kind of ridiculous – and some of us don't. I think that Family Guy is the cream of the crop of these shows , you don't. But I don't think you can deny that it is a mainstream part of the popular TV shows and as such deserves consideration. For those people so offended, turn it off! Oh yeah, and get a freaking life. I laughed so hard when Stewie drank the horse semen that I choked – and I really need to laugh like that sometimes, ya know?
"Edgy" seems to mean actually on an edge, not jumping completely off it.
Is the political satire just on one side? Do they only make fun of conservatives? I watched one episode a long time ago and decided that was enough. So I honestly don't know what they do on that show.
Yes. They only make fun of Conservatives.
And as for Tchristemac – a lot of people here would agree that the show was funny, when some of the 'edginess' and off-the-wall stuff actually contributed to laughter. The problem is that using nothing but non sequiturs and pop culture references is an approach with an inherent shelf life. It's why Steven Wright is only funny for a few minutes before he gets irritating.
Also, poking fun is one thing. Just being mean and hateful is another. Family Guy is a mean, hateful show.
Sorry I just can't stand all the Gore/Clinton fondling of that show. Every time one them has a moment of lucidity, it's about the bygone days of Clinton or how Gore was supposed to be president. More power to McFarlane if that's the show he wants and I guess it worked with the critics. In my opinion, South Park is leaps and bounds above that show.
I just find Family Guy stupid. You are not constrained by anything when you do animation, so Seth has far more options than the writers or producers of say, The Office.
South Park is an equal-opportunity offender, though and that's why I like it. They don't care who they skewer and I respect the hell out of them for that even when the joke is on me. Family Guy's a liberal love-fest.
Not as "Outstanding Comedy Series". Both have won Emmys as animated fare. The Simpsons, back in the day, was brilliantly-written and could go toe-to-toe with Sienfeld. South Park is edgy because it takes on anyone. ANYONE.
Family Guy is a hack show. It rips from both The Simpson and South Park and gets major accolades. When people tell me how great it is, I roll my eyes. This is the most over-rated show in the history of television.
DontTreadOnMe, don't forget these gems:
– Mohammed ElBaradei, most responsible for botched nuclear antiproliferation efforts in terrorist nations
– Kofi Annan, who presided over the UN Oil for Food program, a multibillion-dollar corruption scandal that dwarfs any other scam in history
– Rigoberta Menchú Tum, whose prizewinning work is still lauded despite its having long been revealed as a literary fraud
– UN Peacekeeping Forces, superfluous and ineffective troops notorious not only for getting in the way of the peaceMAKING forces, but also for rampant human trafficking and forced prostitution
– International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, an organization dedicated to the prevention of nuclear war and populated by people who know nothing ABOUT the prevention of nuclear war
And those are all fairly recent.
Like I alluded to before-Manatees. MANATEES!
Family Guy is hacky nonsense that jams liberal cliches into every episode. That and Seth McFarlane comes off as a lefty douche.
About the closest that Family Guy has ever gotten that I've seen is when Brian gets a chance to write for the New Yorker. He goes there only to find that they're all a bunch of stuffy, over-educated effete snobs with Pinchy-from-RedEye accents. When he's shown the bathrooms (which looks more like a smoking lounge with a fireplace and plush chairs and couches) he asks where the toilets are. The editor resonds with a laugh, "Brian, this is the New Yorker. Nobody here has an anus!"
It made for some good laughs, but as I said, this is about the only thing I can remember seeing that took a poke at the left. From what I saw of American Dad, McFarlane got in more jobs at the left there through the hippy, liberal rebel of a daughter.
Haven't bothered watching Family Guy much since it came back on the air. I've got the first three volumes on DVD from before it was cancelled, and from what I've seen it was MUCH better back then than it has since it's been back. Plus, I think I've matured some from when it was first on.
This last season FG has gone to the dumper. Once MacFarlane decided to go FAR LEFT and also started to appear on Countdown, he was going to do what it took to get a emmy nod. Being a shill for the left gets it for you, but is it worth the price?
Is it Seth?
This is pretty terrible. I used to enjoy Family Guy, have 2 seasons of it on DVD, but this past season was simply sad. Lazy storytelling (not that its ever been epic, but still), repeating jokes, unfunny jokes, and literally filler content (re: lazy writers/animators) has led to it no longer being appointment TV, or even TV watching for that matter. I imagine their only loyal remaining demographic is 14-18 year olds who only watch out of peer pressure and for shock value.
I guess the point is anyone with discernible taste will know that this was clearly their worst season in regards to humor, yet they get nominated for best comedy series??? That's almost like saying Micheal Jordan should've won MVP when he was with the Wizards.
WOW, I knew I was going to get killed…… I like it, and I understand that most conservatives will have a issue with it… but it is great when you can laugh at yourself… there are alot of one liners on there that I know they are making fun of ME.. but regardless, I can laugh at my on viewpoints…. they are HILARIOUS at times….
atheistcon, I repect what your saying and I know what you mean about mean… but at times.. it is funny SORRY….. you can think less of me about this, but this is one show I can laugh at almost all the time!!!
The greatest part about those episodes was the great skewering of the media (and the American people too) in regards to the whole Muhammad cartoon thing. Frankly, that incident made me very sad for America, when, instead of backing the Danes and their free speech, our collective mindset was 'Thank God the Muslims aren't mad at us for a change'. Best political and social satire from a cartoon I've ever seen.
And all you need to know about Comedy Central is viewable by skipping to about 19:40 in.
It's posts like these that make me really happy that reich wingers are slowly dying off.
Glenn, I agree with you.. it is a cartoon… and I am a RIGHT WING CONSERVATIVE and I think that it is great CARTOON!!!
"If you haven't seen it and think you can 'get over' a 10-second button joke…"
I think you're missing the point. The Academy wouldn't give FG the time of day for years, during which it was far funnier than anything the show submitted this year. Now, all of a sudden they stick a McCain/Palin-Nazi joke in during a presidential campaign, and they're gods?
Please. Don't tell US to "get over" the button joke…how do you think FG got the nomination in the first place?
We're not. After all, we're not the ones having abortions on a regular basis.
Gosh, where to start with South Park taking shots – the whole Mohammad thing, Al Gore, School sex ed, Tom Cruise, most of Hollywood, The Stimulus, etc. I know I am forgetting much. And yes, they do whack everyone else too, which is why Chef is gone. Their portrayal of Jesus is just amazing – and yes I am sure it offends – but it should cause some self evaluation on him – it actually is quite sympathetic. It takes on zealotry.
FG can be Ok – especially some of the ones produced in the middle of its run. Is it emmy material – nah, never.
But on the whole South Park is the best written show on TV – period.
"but it should cause some self evaluation on him "
As I read this I realize it could be misconstrued; self evaluation of ourselves on the subject of our path in following Christ. You could read it another way – and boy would I be inviting some well placed lightning shots. Deservedly so I might add.
"but it should cause some self evaluation on him"
I tried to clarify this remark but got a message being reviewed line. I guess I was right that it could be misconstrued. Sorry for my poorly written post.
"but it should cause some self evaluation on him "
I was trying to clarify my remark that their take on Jesus should cause us to reflect upon our own path in trying to follow Christ – for those of us who believe in Him. I was afraid it could be misconstrued after I read it posted. I will now take the non-Pelosi method and stop digging!
I didn't even see the Nazi episode since I haven't watched the show in years. I mean, I'd be lying if I said the show never made me laugh, but it's gotten to the point where all they do is throw jokes on the wall and see what sticks. At least in the early days, the non-sequiters had SOME relevance to the story.
On a side note, the fact that the vastly overrated Entourage has landed a nomination and the genuinely clever and subversive It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has been snubbed AGAIN tells me everything I need to know.
If I want to laugh I watch south park…
Simpsons submitted twice (don't remember the years offhand) in the Comedy Series category; hell, South Park was way funnier THIS season (its best in years IMHO) than Plagiarist Guy, never mind past seasons!
Too true, unfortunately.
Of course FAMILY GUY would draw parallels between Palin and the Nazis. After all the Nazs, or National Socialists, believed in ominipotent government, a collectivist ideology that diminished the individual and exalted the tribe, anti-market economics, and strong gun control, while deifying a charismatic leader who promised sweeing change and hope in the future. Not like modern liberals at all.
Wise Latina…yea right!
I don't even care what was said in the above post! What I care about is the imbecilic screen name you chose. Sotemeyer makes a racially charged statement implying that someone of her "Race" and "Gender" is capable of making better decisions than a caucasian male and you think it's a clever and witty screen name. Your a dolt!
Then you imply people here are akin to the Nazi Party! I smell a biggoted troll in are midst! You are either 13 years old and don't know better or the Biggest F'ing Moron currently residing on earth…………Shove off piss ant…………
"I imagine their only loyal remaining demographic is 14-18 year olds who only watch out of peer pressure and for shock value."
That is basically what 'Family Guy' is, isn't it – satire for adolescents?
Hank they have taken a few small swipes at Obama, but not much yet! But I am willing to give them a break until the new episodes start again. If they don't "steamroll" Obama in at least one episode I'll be done with the show myself!
Don't forget also that South Park is on Comedy Central which is Moonbat central. I would not be at all suprised if Parker and Stone haven't been warned by "the powers that be"about targeting Barry! C.C. killed the Muhamed episode of South Park, so it not much of a stretch to think they killed an episode about the prophet Obamaghandi………………
I have to confess that I've watched "Family Guy" on and off over the years and been amused by it, though I haven't bothered to tune in to new episodes in a long, long time. The fundamental flaw of the show from day one is that it is intrinsically lazy. They have always padded a central story by shamelessly milking a bunch of gag asides. It always goes the same way. Peter or someone says “It reminds me of the time I blah blah blah …”. Everyone knows exactly what is going to come next as the gag, but instead of just hitting the mark and moving on it gets stretched out endlessly for minute after minute until it’s not even remotely funny anymore. Either they are purposely trying to waste time to pad out the show or they’re trying to be all pretentious and post-modern – “This isn’t really funny anymore, but isn’t it funny that we’re still wasting time with this joke.”. In either case, it’s a formula that wore out its welcome from me a long time ago.
"And I HATE HATE HATE the character of Herbert, the elderly child molester. Not. Funny. "
I have to agree. It makes my stomach turn.
It is absolutely criminal that Family Guy beat The Simpsons and South Park to the nomination. (Not that The Simpsons deserves it anymore. Way past its prime.)
South Park nailed it. Cheap, trashy, completely random. The whole jumping off from a line of dialogue and cutting away thing they blatantly stole from The Simpsons, but The Simpsons was smart enough to rely on it for only a few years.
I'd say one or two jokes per half hour, maybe, get me laughing. The rest of the time I'm lost, which isn't surprising since they are allergic to plots. The characterizations are either one-note, random (as with everything), or inhuman (I know they're cartoons, but everyone is anthropomorphic). I have some sympathy for the daughter, but the show hates her so much, why bother?
Has anyone else noticed how they pad the episodes, lingering on silence or dragging out jokes that have already served their purpose? A prime example is the insufferable chicken fight. Occassionally, The Simpsons would play with the audience and subvert expectations, as with Sideshow Bob and the infamous rake sequence (eight times, I think, he steps on a rake, gets hit in the face, and grumbles). But those are exceptional. Family Guy does it all the time. Seems to me the writers are hustling to fill up the time slot. It's lazy.
Family Guy is nothing but a Simpson's rip off filtered to the lowest common demoninator. When I watch it, there are always one or two moments that I make me laugh, but the rest of it is just lazy, gratuitous pop culture and attempts to shock.
Love it or hate it, agree or disagree, South Park is the edgiest show on TV. There are no sacred cows and they take chances almost every episode. The last 3 years have been pretty hit or miss, but they still pack a good punch when they hit.
The Simpson's are still the kings of clever, literate, funny animation.
PS As much as I hate to say it, The Goode Family hasn't been very…well, good. The premise is great, the set ups are brilliant, but the shows just don't have much rhythm or laughs. Since it's Mike Judge, I hope it will be given the chance make itself work, but I'm disappointed so far.
No it doesn't make fun of everyone and everything. Name anything left wing it has ever made fun of. Ever.
Yes, Marie, all of us liberals have abortions on a regular basis. That's a very astute observation.
Totally witless inane crap; heavy-handed juvenilia; the Cheez Whiz of satire. Produced by morons, watched and applauded by morons.
Of course those three episodes helped score the nominations. That's the kind of garbage Hollywood finds hilarious.
"'They have always padded a central story by shamelessly milking a bunch of gag asides. It always goes the same way. Peter or someone says “It reminds me of the time I blah blah blah …'"
They stole this technique from The Simpsons, no doubt about it. But they only did it once every few episodes, and only relied on it for a few years. I don't watch it any more, but I remember the asides tapering off from the middle of what I call the Golden Years (roughly, season 3 to season
to the long decline it's in now.
I hope "How I Met Your Mother" wins for best comedy, but I doubt it will because it has a pro-gun character.
Awards from Hollywood mean nothing.
Mickey Rourke splits his soul in twain for us and Sean Penn wins the Oscar for a mincing stereotype?
Awards don't matter
I must agree with you – this show is hilarious. I am as right-wing as they get, but I understand the show is just a show and I enjoy it very much. If Seth McFarland is a shill for the left, so what? I am still able to function as a person if he makes fun of something or someone I believe in.
Until I started reading all of these posts I sort of thought that was one of the real differences between conservatives and liberals. Conservatives usually can take a joke and Liberal are usually the ones who take it way too seriously and find a way to be offended by everything.
Lighten up, you life will be easier.
Well, if the right wingers aren't having abortions, then somebody is…and that means liberals! It's only logical.
Ah, yet another show I've never seen a single episode of. No mystery there, either.
Clemson, you hit the nail on the head….
Conservatives usually can take a joke and Liberal are usually the ones who take it way too seriously and find a way to be offended by everything.
Like you said, LIGHTENEN UP FRANCIS!!!!!
The Emmy nominations were awful this year overall. What's with so many shows in the Best Drama and Best Comedy categories anyway? As for Family Guy, I've never liked it. Peter Griffin is the most vile character on tv. If it's possible to hate a cartoon character, I do. South Park, while over the edge at times, is so much funnier and more relevant than Family Guy could ever be. But the Soth Park guys make fun of Hollywood so much, they'll never get recognized by the Emmys.
Call me Pschyo!
The funny part is that since we are willing to listen to other peoples comments and accept that it is okay for them to have a different opinion than us actually makes us "liberal". The irony there is that most liberals are not tolerant or accepting of views that differ from theirs.
todays tv, mostly sucks…re run x files in primetime today and it would beat this crap
hm…check your statistics Marie.
more abortions happen in "red states" than in "blue states".
Also more teen pregnancies.
higher arrest rate for drugs, lower education levels, higher divorce rate ….
I'd say "you get the picture", but you probably don't.
Never thought the show was funny.
I'm as staunch a conservative/traditionalist as you can get, but I'll have to admit, this show is hilarious.
They spread the jokes around, no one is safe. I don't take myself so seriously that I can't take a joke.
I guess Family Guy is my guilty pleasure.
Listen, as a right-winger I am not the prick who is killing off my friends just so I can have a orgasm.
You may think it wise to kill your friends by infecting them with a killer virus however I think what you do is f**king evil.
What does one expect? Liberals are immoral degenerates with no morality. They see nothing wrong with killing babies, having sex whenever and however, mocking The creator of all things, promoting filth, child molesting, and kissing up to dictators. This is what happens when moral relavitism, and humanism take hold. You have filth and perversion. Remember, the bible is a joke, Jesus was just some funny jew on a stick, we all come from apes, and babies are just tumors to be removed. Homosexuality is normal, marriage is a joke, children having sex is ok, and NAMBLA is just another misunderstood gay group. The fact that this show gets an award above another, shows the true contempt that hollywood has for traditional Americans. The unwashed masses who read their bibles, and cling to their guns. The funny little people who sometimes have southern accents, which automatically makes you stupid. Fly over country. Hollywood hates America.
I should also add, I am not the va-jay-jay which would rather take out my children just so that I can enjoy my orgasm; some may think that this is wise but I think it is more f**king evil.
Sue, shouldn't you be making your "God hates Fags" sign? And where did you get that 51% of gays in SF have AIDS statistics.
I'd be really curious about what Charles Winecoff has to say about all this.
Granted, I've only watched 6-8 shows, but every show contained a reference to Bush (and they had to reach to make them). They also contained some kind of joke about conservatives. In the realm in which they operate, there's nothing "edgy" about it. It's like somebody making a fashion statement to be "nonconformist", when it's really just going along with a fad.
I haven't watched a lot of "South Park" lately, but I thought the post-election episode was hilarious, as it lampooned both sides and their supporters. I laughed so hard I cried.
Yes! Every time I've watched it I've noticed the drawn out gags. It's like filling radio silence or something.
South Park got an Emmy nomination for "Make Love, Not Warcraft"…not sure if it was the same category, though. At least South Park makes fun of everybody equally, whereas Family Guy only seems to make fun of celebrities and as of late, anything remotely conservative.
"Family Gay" was the last episode I saw as I swore the show off back in something like December or January after I watched it. It was just too much.
He's totally a lefty douche…he donated a lot of money to Obama and various lib campaigns.
I think that's the point. It would be nice to turn on a show that was (at least) more balanced in its jokes. I mean, I have an "on/off" switch, so I don't watch it. In most of the stuff that comes from Hollywood these days, those on the left aren't challenged to laugh at themselves (except the way-out lefties, sometimes). There's so much to be mined there, but it isn't. Then again, maybe I'm missing something.
It's very simple. Trade being funny for spite towards the right and accolades will rain from the heavens.
David Letterman and Jon Stewart traded laughs for venom years ago, and they're well respected by their peers. "30 Rock," to me, is a great show, but all the talk about Tina Fey this year is her Palin impersonation, which was dead on in terms of voice and mannerisms, otherwise a complete assassination of character.
"Family Guy" dropped being funny for shots at the right, and hey, Emmy nomination! "South Park" hits everyone, left and right, and all it gets is a "hey, that show is still on the air?"
The Emmy's drive me nuts. Shows like "Friday Night Lights," which is truly a slice of American heartland life, and "Battlestar Galactica," which, like "South Park," hit the entire spectrum, left, right, and center, and nothing, zip, zero, nada. But hey, what about Tony Shaloub…again…
Almost forgot, sorry…the only truly liberal show on TV that is truly funny is "The Colbert Report," and that's the only truly liberal show on TV that I watch. I don't care about the liberal side of things as long as it's funny. Hell, I'm seeing Lewis Black in August, and I know he'll slam the right. I don't care. Why? Because he's freakin' funny.
Just wondering:
If the Family Guy episodes submitted are considered "edgy", and if these episodes define "edgy" as sick and disgusting (or as MrsSpooky puts it, "ick"), and if South Park and The Simpsons are more edgy that these, then….why would you watch (or recommend) any of them?
They never really went after George Bush either. From what I remember there were 3 episodes where Bush was in the show and they never steamrolled him.
They sure as hell steamrolled Al Gore though.
Not long after that episode aired was the Nazi Family Guy epi referenced above. My husband and I just looked and each other and said, "it makes sense when you remember it's written by manatees."
The only reason worth watching it is the chicken fight. Really.
Oh I see–as long as you put it into a "cartoon" form there is no longer any boundaries of decency or fairness–It may be sick and twisted but hey it's just a cartoon?? Does that make any sense?
"edgy" is simply Hollywood-speak for being insulting to:
a) Christians
b) Republicans
c) Heterosexuals
d) Caucasians
e) Men
Family Guy was rewarded with a nomination for relentlessly mocking… f) all of the above.
It's not hard to get an Emmy nod when you follow that formula.
Because I don't think edgy is defined exclusively by shock value. Something that's truly edgy is something that thinks outside the box, which The Simpsons used to do on a regular basis. South Park is notorious for its use of shock humor, but at its best, it uses these tactics to make serious satirical points.
I think Dr. Strangelove is an edgier film than anything Judd Apatow and his buddies has ever done, for instance.
No matter what Al Gore has done or will do in the future, he will forever be known as "ManBearPig".
Will they remember his Oscar or his Nobel (Dynamite) Prize? Nope his place in history is as a nitwit in a South Park episode……….I'm "Super Cereal"……………………..Man I love this country!
it is a mean and hateful show. they spent one 2008 episode fixated on a 1963 car accident involving Laura Bush (when she was only 17 years old) in which a high school friend of hers died.
as reported the next day in the NY Daily News:
"Lead cartoon characters Peter and Lois Griffin repeated the phrase "Laura Bush killed a guy" several times throughout the show with Peter was dressed as Mrs. Bush and Lois as a bleeding man crisscrossed with tire tracks for a costume party."
the purpose behind this being a central plot element of that episode? who knows. you'd have to ask Seth MacFarlane.
The rules are simple: mock Republicans/Conservatives and the scum sucking inbred swine in the entertainment gutter will reward you.
Ahh…the sarcasm is strong with this one.
How low is Fox's rating for this show? This is… lame. Even with them trying to offend, it was like the old thing where in order for a joke to be funny it has to have a bit of truth to it, but his jokes is just like listening to a democrat KKK rally or something. None of it is true, and you waste time giving them time.
I guess I don't watch it enough, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt just for the movie they made and what they did to Sean Penn in it.
I have never found Family Guy to be funny. Not because I disagree with the show's politics, it just never made me laugh. I have had countless people who are younger than I tell me how funny it is but I just don't get it.
I always thought the South Park guys said it best:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADVyJJsFSiI
Yeah, they never really did anything to George Bush and they skewered Al Gore and yes, they mocked Obama's election back in November.
To quote co-creator Matt Stone: "I hate conservatives, but I really f***ing hate liberals."
Sorry, but there is nothing funny about Nazi uniforms, portraying Jesus as a pervert or a child drinking horse sperm. So, if it's in a cartoon anything goes? That is perverted!
I took the whole "McCain/Palin" button as ironic, from the moment I saw it. Why would a socialist support a conservative?
I totally agree. I used to watch Family Guy on a regular basis but it's sort of fallen by the wayside, not because I'm offended by anything but simply because it wasn't that funny. And I HATE HATE HATE the character of Herbert, the elderly child molester. Not. Funny.
The funniest thing in the Nazi Germany episode was the 1980s Flash Gordon parody, featuring the great Brian Blessed reprising his role as Vultan: "Diiiive!!!"
When MacFarlane says, "…if we are going to be damned, let’s be damned for what we really are" he might be quoting a historical figure but I instantly recognized it from the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation (spoken by Captain Picard). Does that make me a nerd?!
South Park slammed MacFarlane's 'humor" and it was actually funnier than MacFarlane:
http://www.yikers.com/video_/south_park_makes_fun...
Family Guy also owes a lot to The Critic and Duckman, two more completely superior shows.
I think the problem comes not from a lack of humor on our part, but rather the lack of an appreciation for toilet humor and general mean spirited vibe the show gives off. When you don't find poop and sex jokes funny, all that's left in Family Guy is mean spirited satire, it's hard to find something funny when the writers are basically insulting you.
That said, there are some really funny moments of Family Guy, to this day I still crack up at certain lines from the first season:
Stewie: "You, fetch me the Wall Street Journal; you two, fight to the death!"
Srsly, Thanks for the link King Shamus, I had actually forgotten about that episode. It was funnier than Family Guy, shows CC's wussiness, and also what a douche Seth is. Hmm. Good Job, Trey and Matt.
Exactly, GM. I really was more offended by the crap show than the button. I didn't think it was funny. The greatest sin of all when skewering people. If you are going to do it, it had better be right.
I perfectly agree. Family Guy was the first show I bought the DVDs for (when the show was taken off the air) and as soon as I had the 3 seasons that were released I watched them into oblivion. I can't begin to tell you how hyped I was when they decided to bring the show back to the air. When the first of the "new" episodes aired, I thought to myself "Okay that was a little dry… Maybe they'll get there stride back after a couple of episodes" but nope it didn't.
Then when American Dad came out it just jumped the shark as far as I was concerned. Why they want to give Seth another show to stretch his already streched talents is beyond me.
If you want great humor, turn to old South Parks & Simpsons, or It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
Really? Tell us: when has it 'lampooned' Obama, or left-wing groupthink? When have atheists been 'lampooned'? I don't recall a single episode making fun of the pro-gay-marriage or gay agenda crowd.
What you fail to understand is that we have turned it off. The reason this is depressing news for most of us is that it shows the continued biased decline of our society. Katie Couric and Tina Fey get awards for 'destroying' Sarah Palin. Family Guy gets nominated for awards because it furthers a left-wing agenda. Al Gore gets an award for a movie that has tons of lies, but says what liberals want to hear.
That's not what those awards were intended for. Their meaning has been usurped.
Family Guy has never reached the level of South Park, Futurama, or the earlier Simpsons. It's simply not as funny, not as dramatic, and not as technically innovative. It's a shame Simpsons has fallen so far and Futurama is back in the freezer tube.
The only "agenda" here is one that any conservative should applaud heartily – the show in its current form makes any network that airs it loads of sweet sweet money, so they keep doing whatever it takes to keep it flowing. Why do you folks hate The Free Market?
Yeah, other than that … I might lose my Bleeding Heart Liberal Card over this, buuuuut – "Family Guy" gets a big MEH from me. I have a lot more respect for "South Park" even though it's exactly the same shock-jock-style humor that increasingly leaves me cold – Stone & Parker at least have the smarts to use an occaisional dose of factual real-world content to liven up their schtick. Comedy Central getting flak over their portrayal of Scientology or their pulling the image of Mohammed from a SP episode are indicators that their edginess isn't the bogus hipster variety.
Damn, I miss "Duckman."
"South Park is an equal-opportunity offender"
Oh really? In which episode does it offend Obama? He's a liberal whackjob, but sometimes he's funny…….sometimes…. I'd think the McCainPalin -Nazi reference was funny if something equally offensive was directed at the other side of the aisle. But it never is. McFarlane has his head firmly in Al Gore's lap too…
I still watch it occasionally, but The Simpsons is still leaps and bounds better than Family Guy will ever be.
I love Battlestar Galactica, the only tv show I'm aware few seasons were sub-par, but stiof to tackle seriously the War on Terror. The last few seasons were sub-par but still better than most of the more popular fare.
I was relctant to get into Friday Night Lights. Didn't like the movie, and the hype usually ruins it for me. But it is addictive. I like the Riggins character.
Did The Shield get any love? That was one of the best finales I've ever seen.
Okay, all this South Park talk is getting to me – southparkstudios.com, here I come!
And the best part about it was that it was a badly-needed catharsis for everyone, I think. At least, I assume. It certainly was for me. After countless months of politicking and everyone being at each other's necks (and, you know, the Other Guy winning the election), that episode was a welcome chunk of pure funny.
I think what actually sold me on the show was Parker and Stones absolute loathing for Barbra Streisand…………..I hate that old bat……
Actually just pulled some of the older Simpsons DVD's out! Some of this stuff is friggin' hilarous……
Hey guys, the world as we know it isn't going up in a cloud of smug! See this site for info on Emmy nominated South Park eps: http://www.southparkstudios.com/news/3691
For a while, I enjoyed Family Guy because it skewered liberal sacred cows in addition to the requisite conservative bashing, but this season I think it went over the edge. The "McCain/Palin" button on the Nazi was offensive (and inaccurate) as was the "bag of weed" song that glorified drug use. I didn't see the episode with Jesus or I probably would've found that offensive as well. I'm sure the atheist liberals loved that one though.
Last season, I tolerated Lois's preachy teaching about sex in addition to Brian's queer cousin and how the family supported his right to marry.
What I found particularly ironic was that Obama and his appointed thugs are more like the Nazis than any other U.S. administration in my lifetime. I'm sure that was lost on the libs and Obama-worshippers.
Now that I've stopped watching it, I found I don't miss it.
What's disgusting is the fact that truly amazing shows like the Simpsons and South Park were not the ones to do this. Their brilliance is in a league Family Guy could never reach.
The Emmys just became the Oscars.
Isn't South Park Studio's the best thing ever invented since the Pop Tart? Cept for Big Hollywood of course!
All hail South Park Studio's and wireless broadband………
I saw the episode where Stewie allegedly eats horse semen. It's not nearly as clear as it sounds. Peter decided to breed his brain-damaged horse by storing bottles of horse semen into the house refridgerator, which unfortunately were mixed in with the white milk bottles (In a previous episode, Peter finds out that legally he is mentally handicapped.) The humor supposedly comes from Stewie eating a bowl of cereal with what may or may not be horse semen. The expression on his face when he's seen eating a spoonful of cereal which may or may not have semen in it is what sells the humor.
Of course this kind of thing has been going on in the Emmys since The Flintstones were nominated for a best comedy emmy. The clearly funnier alternative was The Bullwinkle Show, just as the clearly funnier alternative to Family Guy is The Simpsons, King Of The Hill or South Park.
"The Academy wouldn't give FG the time of day for years, during which it was far funnier than anything the show submitted this year."
See, this is where we'd disagree. I don't regard Family Guy as having been very funny until about it's 4th or 5th season. Prior to that it was ridiculously uneven – a badly written, paced, acted and animated sitcom with the occasional very funny left-field reference or skit.
"Please. Don't tell US to "get over" the button joke…how do you think FG got the nomination in the first place?"
Well, since I didn't vote in the Emmys I don't know. And frankly, even if you DO accept the notion of a "liberal media conspiracy" it strikes me as unlikely to assume that ONE throwaway joke out of 3 half-hour episodes is what made the difference.
(continued)
(continued)
Now, if I had to GUESS I'd lean in the direction that it was that episode that earned them the nod, but likely more for the vintage of the gags. The yearly "road to" episodes are dumping-grounds for Seth MacFarlane's fixation on Golden Age Hollywood musicals and comedies, and this one in particular was basically a "Winds of War" spoof front-loaded with Borscht Belt "ethnic" humor that was old when Jackie Mason was young. I imagine this might've made it "funnier" to the Emmy bluehairs than the more contemporary jokes on Simpsons or South Park.
YUCK!! An Emmy travesty!! Besides, it has it's own catagory. ANIMATED!!!
What is this world coming to???
SOUTH PARK has six Emmy noms and two wins:
http://animatedtv.about.com/cs/news/a/awards_2.ht...
But they're all in the cartoon-ghetto "Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less)" line.
When were Emmy rules changed to allow cable series in? I thought the awards were only for prime-time commercial broadcast network programs — no cablers, no syndies, no PBS.
That's pretty much how I viewed it. The over-the-top celebrations vs the it's-the-end-of-the-world reaction was played very well and allowed people to laugh at the whole thing. …and my guy lost.
Am I wrong about this? No.
It's always 'whiteys' on television/movies who are lampooning 'Whiteys'. It's invariabley that way. Why?
….and Def Jam was over years ago, so we know it's not those great comedians. I used to watch.
There are far-superior animated series out there, just as funny, but definitely more worth your time.
Just sayin'.
Wow… perversion? I gather if it was slanted the other way.. it would be hilarious? I just have to say I am glad that we all have our own opinions and we can converse about it at length…. but it is funny how we are usually the ones that will give the benefit of the doubt and the liberals are usually….. no, no, NO, NO and NO…. but whatever, I am happy saying that I like it and I will continue watching it… a few of my co workers which are conservative, LOVE IT AS WELL!!!!!
The list is WAY too long. That's a problem, isn't it?
I always wonder why it is that we (the US) stay in the UN. Why are we giving all kinds of money in dues and upkeep just to have this travesty around? I LIKE to think it's because it gives us a means of "keeping an eye" on the thugs, but lately I'm not even sure.
I hate the fact that these criminals have the UN as an excuse to set foot on US soil.
The "Road to Rupert " episode was much funnier than "Road to Germany". And it didn't reference Bush if I recall correctly.
True dat.
No, it's a), basically if you insult Christians you have it made. For all the others you may have to explain at some stage depending on the voting results but insulting Christians will get you there even with some funky Republicans.
I just remembered one of the funnier episiodes where Peter had to go to some kind of sensitivity-training at work. His instructor was "Ms. Ironbox" and when he was asked to come to the front of the class and enact a scenario where proper interaction with the opposite sex was required, he ended the exercise by "honking" her breasts. My husband and I found this hilarious.
This made fun of what I consider to be "left-wing groupthink". Then again, the joke could be against those (like Peter and my husband) who treat women with disrespect by "honking" them. (My husband is actually VERY respectful, but he has a "different" sense of humor.)
But all in all, the right does get the harshest treatment, in my opinion.
I'm sure someone has tallied FG jokes as being VS left or VS right.
The sexual-harassment training with "Ms. Ironbox".
No, "The Simpsons" jumped the shark a long time ago too. I don't bother with it anymore; every episode has a gay reference it seems. The stories stuff a lefty message in somewhere instead of being funny.
SouthPark has not made a poke at Obama/Pelosi/Dodd et al yet, which I find very strange since there is so much ripe for the piking there. Maybe it is still "too soon" for them? Maybe Trey and Matt don't want to bother with being overtly political, especially at the expense of real humor (and I support that).
The closest they've come to Obama jabs is the episode where Kyle is a Christ-figure sacrificing himself for others' debts. It's a very deep, very funny episode and, despite seeming to mock Christ's sacrifice on then surface, it actually gets it right where His redemption is concerned.
Then there was "ManBearPig"- that was a jab at Gore.
Well, if they hate both sides, that's something to respect! LOL!
Countdown? As in "with Keith Olbermann"? I didn't know that, since I avoid idiots like KO whenever possible. Whats MacFarlane doing there?
This is a digrace. Seth MacFarlane is the smug hipster who wears communist T-shirts around. I use to watch Family Guy when it was basically a Simpson rip off. Now it is just a lame attempt to see how many EVIL convservatives it can offend. Note to MacFarlane, conservatives are not watching.
It is too bad Seth Macfarlene went down this route. The show used to be very funny before he became obsessed with offending conservatives. Oh well, he won't get my business anymore. He succesfully alienated many of his fans. The material isn't funny anymore and is borderline pathetic.
South Park on the otherhand is still doing great. The show has a strong conservative/libertarian schtick that I can get behind. And you can be sure they aren't going to play into the PC nonsense that everyone else bows to.
Yeah I think I stopped finding Family Guy funny right before the first time they canceled it.
A few months ago. MacFarlane was telling Kethy-poo that he was great and Keith was telling Seth that he was great and that THIS FAR LEFT SEASON of FG was great too.
sick and disgusting is Hollywood's idea of what passes as edgy and funny….it is not everyone elses. This show is vile.
yes
Excellent, Marie, you beat me to it!!
Waaahh, Waaahh!
That's OK, T. I don't think anyone is judging you for it, just stating how repulsive they find this cartoon. I think "Family Guy" has gone the way of Howard Stern, personally. When he used to do just interviews on CNN, he was actually funny, as he got more popular, he had to be more "edgy",in today's hollywood terminology, that means turning even more vile towards everything conservative, be it religion, politics, etc. I used to watch "Family Guy", it's just sooo predictable now in it's biased attitudes, it is sickening. Why does a cartoon need to go into politics, religion, etc, anyway, to get laughs?
I'm surprised someone didn't write in to MacFarlane and say "Hey, Seth? Ted Kennedy killed a woman. And not as an inexperienced teenager. No sir, as a fat, middle-aged, drunken lech who DUIed off a bridge and didn't even bother trying to save the lady. And, as a resident of Massachusetts, YOU KEEP VOTING FOR HIM, YOU COLOSSAL PARTISAN."
I would agree, but was that one submitted for this category?
Send da Obama a request to make you the Humor Czar then you can really make a difference….actually I don't care about the ugly juvenile humour that tends to be the province of the Left, but I do prefer that people have the freedom to choose their own entertainment….I choose very carefully. If I were to vote on this Emmy I'd vote for Spongebob or SouthPark.
You want to know the easiest and quickest way for a B list celebrity to get five minutes of free TV time to promote their latest venture? Just mention that you hate Obama, whine about the state of the company….you'll be booked on Fox & Friends, Glenn Beck within a matter of days AND you'll get a guest column on Big Hollywood.
Such a whiny bunch on this site – I've seen it happen lately with Craig T. Nelson, Victoria Jackons, and Daniel Baldwin….don't think that some agents aren't actually encouraging this, at this point. "Yeah, just bash Obama, it'll go on YouTube, and you'll get some good exposure in front of a 2 million senior citizens….they go to the movies, too."
Where were all of you five years ago when W started a prescription drug program with a $7 trillion deficit behind it? Oh, right, you were in power and just didn't care about it. Funny how losing elections makes people care all of a sudden….
Family Guy WAS my favorite show back before they were cancelled and then reincarnated. I remember how thrilled I was when Fox brought them back but after that first season I grew tired of Macfarlane's insistency on promoting his liberal agenda. Family Guy was a show that went after everyone, there was no protected class and NO PARTY POLITICS. Then 2008 came they were pretty much campaigning for Obama. I even heard Seth admit that he uses the show as a podium for his political ideas. There was even a feud between him and the South Park creators when Fox pressured Macfarlane to edit out an image of Mouhammad. South Park noted that Family Guy never cared who they insulted (namely Christians and Jews) but when it came to offending Muslims, they jumped in line with the rules of decency. I guess poking fun at Christians, Jews and anyone of Middle America is perfectly fine but not the figure of worship of a group of people who have made it their mission to kill as many Americans as possible. Isn't the point of film and television to ENTERTAIN THE VIEWERS? Then why am I not entertained? I'm sad that I lost a friend in Family Guy (Simpsons as well) but these are the days of a propoganda filled America.
Nobody was anywhere because there never was any republican program with a 7 trillion deficit behind it lying asswipe.
Family Guy insists upon itself.
http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/07/fox-abortion-famil...
New tidbit on BIG HOLLY WOOD!!!!
[...] a lot of credit if they assumed the role of watchdog and got some jabs in at Obama, but given the episodes the “Family Guy” team submitted for Emmy consideration and the show’s history of (sometimes vicious) attacks on Republicans, it’s impossible [...]
[...] our skepticism about Rush Limbaugh and Karl Rove will be appearing in upcoming episodes of the the left-wing Fox cartoon “Family Guy.” Mr. Limbaugh recorded his episode yesterday and discussed [...]
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