ABC’s ‘The Goode Family’
by John Nolte
–
This owned me at the six-second mark with the bumper sticker that reads, “Support Our Troops … And Their Opponents.”
What’s going on at ABC? First the miniseries “O” “V,” and now this…? Is it…
A. Our Manchurian Conservative Sleeper Agents throughout Hollywood really have been activated? In case you’re curious, the code word is … Eisenhower.
B. ABC discovered the sleeper agents and created these false promos to lure we righties in? And oh, the sinister chuckle they will enjoy while imagining our crushing disappointment after both programs are revealed for what they really are.
C. My wife’s correct about how I shouldn’t write about this stuff right after taking my back pills?
Debbie Schlussel has a whole lot more, including additional clips.
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75 Comments
I suspect that ABC realizes there will ba a conservative blowback against Obama and they are getting out ahead of it.The One has certainly helped FoxNews and Rush while he has actually hurt MSDNC.
any proper business model has at least one of the newtworks creating counterprogramming to the Kool-Aid crowd at NBC; therefore it's not utterly unbelievable that ABC or others would throw the occasional quasi-conservative bone…
Don't expect too much, however…
Don't forget, ABC also did the Path to 9/11 miniseries about the Clinton years…
John, you are going to make Weapon X so happy. He's been begging you guys to talk about this 'toon for several days.
It looks good, but we'll see what ABC lets them get away with.
I vote B.
Already got it on my radar. Looks good.
I love that they are trying to make the dog a vegan like them, except in it's desire for meat, it's killing squirrels and other neighborhood pets, thus killing more animals than they ever intended. Talk about your unintended consequences.
Oh, and their adopted white kid from South Africa. XD Mike Judge and company are freaking hilarious! Can't wait to watch this.
Too bad this is just a summer burnoff.
Agreed. Plus Judge is very talented. King of the Hill is no bastion of statist thought police.
Maybe this is their way of apologizing for The View.
One word of caution: The first season of K.O.T.H. had quite a LOT of, if not exactly conservative, then certainly overtly anti-liberal content. (Poking fun at social workers, enviros, and the like.) The POV became a bit more "covert" after that. I do still think K.O.T.H.'s a great series and THE GOODE FAMILY will hopefully build on K.O.T.H.'s legacy.
MSDNC – LOL! I'll have to remember that one.
Could this really be a satire that works for us? So far, it looks like it. Glad they set it in the Midwest. If they had set it in San Francisco, it wouldn't have been satire. Idiocracy is a brilliant satire, so I hope this follows that path.
Could this really be a satire that works for us? So far, it looks like it. Glad they set it in the Midwest. If they had set it in San Francisco, it wouldn't have been satire. Idiocracy is a brilliant satire, so I hope this follows that path.
If they could tie in Stuff White People Like (http://www.stuffwhitepeoplelike.com), it'll be a hit. The Goodes are exactly the ones talked about in the book.
This will get about one half of one season
Given the long production time for animation, this was likely in the works when Hillary seemed a sure shot. Looks like this is simply calling out the PC nonsense, with "environmentalism" shown as just more PC.
Not necessarily politically conservative, however… Well, King of the Hill gave us Texas rednecks as decent conservative people, and got dismissed as beer-drinking ignorant rednecks by liberals. This round is hitting them closer to home.
I predict it will be hailed as great among liberals, at least initially, as they'll interpret it as showing the correct way to be "sensitive." It can take awhile for self-important people to accept they're being mocked and not praised. Sometimes forever.
Mike Judge is a brilliant and even-handed satirist. A very rare breed these days.
I don't think this show sets out to be overtly "conservative", but, like other Judge productions, it will point out silly and unreasonable things that people do in an effort to fit in. It just happens that most crazy, counter-productive, unreasonable activity in our country is a product of the self-centered and self-righteousness liberal lifestyle.
When is comes to introspective thought and logical consistency, modern day "Progressives" make the old Southern Baptists look like objectivist scholars.
And yet "Path to 9/11" still hasn't been released on DVD.
I have my copy, though. Recorded it when it aired.
Prime-time cartoons are one of the few venues of network television where the right gets a fair shake. Yes, there will soon be three Seth MacFarlane cartoons on FOX, but "Family Guy" and "American Dad" have long been balanced out by the conservative populism of "King of the Hill" and "South Park's" mostly libertarian perspective. It looks like "The Goode Family" will continue the spot-on satire of liberal elites that Mike Judge began with Mr. Van Dreesen (sp?) in "Beavis and Butthead".
As for "The Simpsons"…for the first decade or so of the show's existence, it dealt out the political jabs on a pretty even basis, which is all I want to see. In the 1990s, as Sideshow Bob was being hauled away to jail he shouted that he will be back on the streets when the Democrats are back in power, and Grandpa assumed that he was getting checks for nothing for the same reason.
For the last eight years or so, we have gotten one-sided diatribes like the "War of the Worlds" Halloween segment that equated US actions in Iraq with the Martian invasion, and US troops with Kang and Kodos, the alien villians. A new "Simpsons" a couple weeks ago used Lisa, the show's most reliable left-wing id, to dismiss Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead" as "the bible for right-wing losers". Corresponding jabs at the left have become few and far between.
I sat stunned when I watched the King of the Hill carbon credits episode. It was 100 percent ridiculing the idea. I've never seen anything like it on TV. It was great.
The funny thing is that these folks are NOT a parody or extreme. Walk into any natural food store and observe. They are just flippin wierd, They live in a space/time where they see things, like CO2 as a pollutant (someone ought to tell the plant life this, as they love CO2.)
Perhaps they also see dead people.
King of the Hill did Texas, now we get the Midwest. It's still too soon after Northern Exposure for Alaska, guess Hawaii is a write-off. Ugly Betty is covering NYC. We see enough of Floridian wackiness on CSI: Miami, from there to the Mason-Dixon line is labeled by Dukes of Hazzard. The "normal white areas" already get varying amounts of satirizing by practically all sitcoms, LA is hit so often it's as funny as a two-legged dog, you wince while you laugh, and Frasier covered Seattle as well as pompous elitists in general.
A hard look at San Francisco is due, but even PBS couldn't pull off a full and honest documentary without critics complaining it must be fake, let alone the side effort to force the FCC to regulate obscenity on public TV. Guess you're safe from terrorists picking your town for that theoretical nuclear attack, while there'd be an outcry against the loss of *innocent* life (expect the disclaimer) the snickering of the "Sodom and Gomorrah" commentary would dampen outrage below what they'd find acceptable.
B. ABC discovered the sleeper agents and created these false promos to lure we righties in? And oh, the sinister chuckle they will enjoy while imagining our crushing disappointment after both programs are revealed for what they really are.
"…and you've given over yourself. Calm. Cool. Entirely without incident." "No. Not without incident."
C. My wife’s correct about how I shouldn’t write about this stuff right after taking my back pills?
Oh come on, you're better that way.
Sounds like a promising series…too bad for ABC that I don't watch network or cable television anymore.
I tried posting a link then Editing it so it worked, and site said I can't edit a deleted or moderated comment. Just Google the name with DVD, there's a source.
Perhaps they also see dead people.
Well they look at Obama and see JFK or MLK Jr, sometimes both.
Oh come on, what can ABC do for a replacement, resurrect Notes from the Underbelly? It's already been recycled into In the Motherhood, which has bombed, and they're losing Scrubs. They don't have anything else!
The dog's name is Che. I definitely need to watch this.
MIKE JUDGE RULES!
They're gonna need to do a lot more than this!
Crap! Sorry, Bev, I meant to give you a thumbs up (and would give you more than one if I could), but I hit the other thumb instead. I should know better than to do this with my two-year-old on my lap. Sorry about that! I need a break.
So this is what happened to Beavis and Butthead when they aged – vote B.
But I'm game. "Office Space" was pretty good. Looking out for being crushed though.
No kidding. You may wanna copyright that, steevy.
This isn't a surprise. Mike Judge lives in Austin, where the liberal craziness gets pretty irritating. It's easy for even the most moderate person to start making fun of hippies after a while.
I may watch it. My usually television is mostly Fox News, A&E, or the Discovery Channel. I stopped watching Dirty Jobs when Mike Rowe went on the green kick.
Just glad to see Judge, Altschuler and Krinsky, the backbone of King of the Hill, still cranking out pro-America/anti-Modern Liberal greatness.
Haven't watched a Simpsons episode since that "War of the Worlds" segment, MR. At least we have the 2-8 (and part of 9) seasons to enjoy forever … forever … forever … for– d'oh!!!
You both just got a thumbs-up. Team.
Judge's Idiocracy isn't perfect, but it's a durn good lashing on modern American society and its logical future.
I've done thumbs down on the wrong comment. I just did thumbs up for the thread as penance.
Thanks Mike Judge. Keep up the good work. This should be a great vehicle to poke fun at the elite liberal scum.
A must see. Im there
While Miles is only trolling and assuming the show will be canceled because making fun of political correctness is not going to generate viewers, I am not sure I disagree with his conclusion.
Much like "Path to 9/11" and even Mike Judge's "Idiocracy", I wonder if this one will even survive the summer. I get the feeling ABC isn't going to want to deal with the outcry from the Left over this.
"WWAGD…What would Al Gore do?"
Good stuff.
Idiocracy got entirely burried. I never even heard of it until it showed up on Showtime at 3:00 am one night. Since that time, almost every conservative I know has managed to find that movie — even without prompting. They could have had a huge hit if they'd actually tried marketing it.
I can't wait for this show! The trailer is hilarious. I especially love the dog, Che, who is a forced vegan! Thanking you in advance ABC!
No need to apologize. I gave you a thumbs up because you have a two year old on your lap and can type at the same time!
Mike Judge is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life.
Mike Judge was a genius with Beavis, but this show looks unbelievably lame. As though it can't decide which side of the aisle to be on. And that just spells trouble. My prediction –cancelled in 4 weeks.
This series may actually make me do something I haven't done in well over a decade: watch something on ABC.
I don't think it has to decide which side of the aisle it's on. As others pointed out above, The Simpsons poke fun at everyone for the first decade it was on, and was a huge success. King of the Hill pokes fun at Hank, but it has great affection for him too.
Could be, I'm thinkin the trailers are intended to guage reaction. Hard to believe these shows would not be cancelled by the DNC and "offended" unless the massas of the plantation believe they can turn a decent buck.
LOL, it is not a satire there. How could you set it in SF, except as an "Adams Family" type? I've got it -"Deliverance" with the lefty inbred wackos hunting trekking conservatives.
I like the concept. But what hunting weapons would the locals use? I suppose nerf balls wouldn't be too violent.
I had no idea it was Mike Judge..count me in! I used to love Beavis & Butthead when they would hysterically mock the latest music videos…I was a total 80s big hair rock band lover but would howl with laughter at how Judge managed to show the pure hooky stupidness of some of those videos. It's going to be a good ABC year..
Perhaps someone over at ABC is doing marketing polls and has finally figured out that since the content of network television is so blatantly liberal and hostile to the conservative viewpoint they are losing that audience in its entirety.
While I am inclined to watch the new V and this Goode show the problem for me is that it would end up supporting a network that makes liberal editorial decisions. If these shows were to appear on a new network channel that was run by conservatives I would be more inclined. Over the years I have noticed that on liberal networks conservative viewpoints seem to be "managed" when aired. They will edit what is on the show to emphasize either one conservative thought they can overcome or two what they would rather we deal with. This is why I love Redeye so much. Libertarian and Conservative perspectives are given free reign to be as they are with no ultimate liberal filter from a PC network executive.
+1 for Equilibrium reference.
*MissQuinn*
Idiocracy was pretty great, but had some enormous pacing problems in the third act that barred me from watching it again. This new Judge thing looks totally terrible, like a one-note KOtH. I could really care less if someone wants to take the piss out of the self-congratulatory environmentalist crowd–there's definitely fertile ground for satire there–but this looks so on the nose and embarrassing, it's surprising it's coming from Judge. I guarantee you they will air fewer than 10 episodes of this.
Ive read the V pilot script, and it was flat out UNCANNY how totally on-the-nose the V propaganda mirrored the Obama campaign message. I thought, wow, how wonderfully subversive this is! If tehy actually shoot it as written itll be seen as majorly controversial. Here's hoping….
Agreed, Mike. It is possible to have fun with a viewpoint without ridiculing it, and Judge & co. have certainly done that with the Hill family by surrounding them with other lifestyles and points of view. Part of the intrigue of THE GOODE FAMILY will be how OTHER characters will react to the Goodes and their pretensions.
Idiocracy could have been a better movie, but then what movie can't. Still, all of the conservatives I know have had a definite, strong reaction to the movie. That tells me that it could have been a big success. But I think it's clear that they tanked the movie by refusing to support it with anything other than minimal marketing. And I think the reason is clear, I think they were terrified that the movie would generate a TON of anger from minority groups.
As for the new one, we have to wait and see. I would have said the same thing about Bevis and Butthead and King of the Hill when I first saw them. And keep in mind, this appears to be ABC's first attempt to get hipper by grabbing Judge from Fox. I think they'll run with him until and unless the show becomes untenable.
It could just be a marketing ploy by ABC to add some Conservative lines to draw in the audience and then sucker punch them with liberal doctrine. It happens all the time.
Absolutely true but since there is no conservative owned network on regular TV, what's a conservative to do?
A concise and killer column.
Rambler is right. I have the first 8 seasons on DVD and from the get-go the show hamered both sides with ruthless efficiency.
"No child has ever meddled in the affairs of the Republicans and lived to tell about it!" -Sideshow Bob
"Grandpa, didn't you wonder why you were getting checks for doing absolutely nothing?" "I figured cause the Democrats were in power again."
One episode featured Birch Barlow, a Rush Limbaugh stand in. "Author of the best selling book, Only Turkeys Have Left Wings."
Judge has never let met down, and I think this will be yet another one of satirical art masterpieces.
"I'm catching more fish now then I was catching in the 80's… And those were the Reagan years" -Hank Hill
This show looks incredible. I can't wait to watch it with my Lefty neighbors and friends as it pulls back the onion layers of how pathetic their ideology is…WWAGD.
A couple other great bumper stickers you can see if you look closely: "Peace Begins on Your Plate" and the even better "Earth First. Ask Questions Later."
Haven't been excited about a new show in about ten years. I am now.
Just remember, we're not laughing with them. We're laughing at them.
I'll watch AND write ABC to ask for more episodes.
A drop of sanity in a sea of idiocy.
It's true, this show looks like my Nor-Cal neighborhood! Can't wait to watch and laugh!
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