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Ten Strikes: Why Family Guy is Awful


A look at ten reasons why “Family Guy” is absolutely terrible.



5. The "Family Guy" Movie

"It's good because they drop F bombs without being bleeped!" And that makes sense, why? Now don't get me wrong, "Family Guy" isn't the only series to try and rob its fans blind, but it's been pretty obvious to all who saw the alleged "Family Guy" movie that it was only just a cheap excuse to make some money by taking three disconnected episodes and slapping them together. Separately they're mediocre episodes, together they make for an awful movie that was rather nonsensical and features one of the most drawn out excruciating eighties references in the climax.

4. Stealing From “The Simpsons”

Yet another fact of the series is that Seth McFarlane and crew only present the illusion of originality. Most of the series is nothing but rehashes of concepts and plots from "The Simpsons.” Tom Tucker is such an obvious Kent Brockman wannabe, Peter is a dumber fatter Homer, Stewie is just a toddler Bart Simpson, many key scenes are taken from the more historic Simpsons episodes, and they’ve even fiddling with the opening sequence for comedy. McFarlane may love "The Simpsons," but judging by his propensity for knocking off the series, he REALLY loves it.

3. Musical Numbers

Seth McFarlane loves musicals, and Seth McFarlane can sing well. How do we know that? Well, he's shoved it down our throats since the first episode. McFarlane now looks for every single excuse to sing whenever possible and simultaneously the musical numbers are also incredible crutches for terrible writing. Why else would McFarlane look for every single excuse to include them? To rip off "The Simpsons," who popularized the plot element? Well, that too, but they didn't use it as a crutch. We get it, you can sing, you have a great voice, now shut up and try a well written episode without cutaways, eighties references, and musicals.

2. Cut Away’s = Comedy?

McFarlane's show was allegedly originally supposed to be a series of animated sketches for Mad TV, and boy does it show. The cutaways were always smoother in the start of the series, but inevitably it became such a crutch that "Family Guy" is pretty much just a sketch show with the Griffins acting as a clothesline for the gags. They pop up every ten seconds, are painfully long, have zero relevance to the story, and nine times out of ten aren't even funny. Another reason why I hate the cutaways...

1. They Really Love the 80's

The eighties references! Hey everyone, remember "The Facts of Life"? Remember "The Breakfast Club"? Remember "Mask"? Remember "Never Ending Story"? Do you want to see them spoofed non-stop? Well, you'll get your wish as the crew behind "Family Guy" will pummel you incessantly with endless eighties references that would probably have been hysterical in 1993, and are now nothing but dated attempts at referential humor. The crew at "Family Guy" have become so excited with reminding us of the eighties that there’s even an entire episode where Pete travels in time thanks to the Grim Reaper, which ends as a cheap excuse to set the entire episode in the eighties AND reference "Back to the Future." Attn: Seth McFarlane, the eighties sucked. Stop using nostalgia to bait audiences. Just because you remember it, doesn't make it comedy.

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Ten Strikes: Why Family Guy is Awful: COMMENTS

by Wraith

Friday April 04, @17:23pm
PEOPLE... seriously.
STOP... stop making this fatso think that he's important.
BIG deal he wrote something about family guy !?
Arguing against him is like screaming at a cockroach.
It's silly.

by TwofertheShow

Friday April 04, @08:20am
Wow. So this writers opinion is the gospel? First off, dated or not some of us happen to think its funny. Second, if you say SP isn't preachy, you clearly don't watch it enough. Third, lots of shows have spoofed Star Wars. Oh, and that would be before Robot Chicken. Your point is? As for Meg, what ever. The audience laughs, which is all that matters. Oh, and lots of shows spoof themselves. Again, FAIL. Oh, and TV shows made into movies are ALL just about making some money. This is getting long, sorry. As for stealing from the Simpsons, are you saying the Simpsons has never stolen a plot, or did you miss the whole 24 episode? All shows eventually snag plots from other shows. Heres a tip for ya.... musicals draw ratings, no matter the show. And some of them are even good. Family Guy, as many before, have had hit and miss musicals. Again, you like saying the Simpsons pioneered a lot of aspects of TV formula. Do you even know about shows like Fame? Or (as bad as it was) Coprock? On to cutaways (we're almost done here people) you say Mcfarlanes show was supposed to be short sketches for Mad TV, but do you even know how the Simpsons got its big break? As short animated sketches for The Tracy Ullman Show.... (GASP!!) in the eighties. And that brings us finally to the reason I decided to write this mini book. You say the eighties sucked, I say your too damn young to remember the eighties. What if I said the Nineties sucked? Does it matter? Nope, because your beloved Simpsons is infact doing a 90's grunge themed episode this coming sunday infact. Oh, and Family Guy is pretty much aimed at the adult community, therefor you wouldnt know most of the references on it anyway. Ill give you a box of donuts if you can tell me what show they spoofed when Brian had the red crystal in his palm and they came to get him because he was too old. Those of us who knew what that was, thought is was pretty funny.
I guess what Im getting at is, if your going to write a scathing review of something, you should know more about the genre then what two other popular shows are doing, and you should watch those shows first before putting them on pedastals. Its clear you dont like Family Guy. Some of us do. A commonly used phrase for people like you is , Opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one, and they all stink.

by Junkyard

Tuesday April 01, @17:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by beincheezy View Post
Are you just angry because "Family Guy" doesn't feature enough women who look like beef jerky?
Yes!



Finally.

by beincheezy

Tuesday April 01, @16:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Junkyard View Post
I'd like to point out that while all of you think you are qualified to comment on whether or not Family Guy is funny, not one of you has said anything that is even remotely amusing. The next person to post a comment that pwns either the writer or his detractors so hard that we all laugh, wins.

If you cannot think of one funny thing to say, than you are not qualified to speak out on matters of a show's inherent "funny-ness". Your response was not funny, therefore you FAIL and your opinion is invalid. NEXT.
Are you just angry because "Family Guy" doesn't feature enough women who look like beef jerky?

by Junkyard

Tuesday April 01, @11:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by CrypticHill View Post
I love Family Guy, I watch it any chance I get. I love that they can't stand Meg...hehehe it's great!
FAIL
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