More Griffiney Goodness

Post by **Esrever** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 3:23 pm

Oh, the Simpsons.... I used to be a HUGE Simpsons fan, but it's hard to remember just how good it was. You know how you can go back to an old game or movie or book that you haven't seen in awhile and kind of "rediscover" how good it was? I can't rediscover the Simpsons anymore. I think I've seen every early episode at least four-hundred times... every line of dialogue is permanently burned into my brain. That's no fault of the creators, but it does suck the enjoyment out of watching the show now.

Plus, the show is terrible now. At least with Family Guy, it's reasonable to assume that new episodes will actually be good. Meanwhile, the Simpsons has turned to crap, and it's grown so overexposed that I'm sick of the whole cast. Like the old country song goes, "How can I remember you if you won't go away?" ;)

Also, how is Brian Snoopy?

Post by **Popcorn** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 3:36 pm

He's a smartassed, intellectual dog. And potentially a Beagle. In any case, the overriding joke is the same: the pet dog is (and (and considers himself to be) intellectually and culturally 'superior' to its owner(s).

Family Guy is a mysterious amalgam of every established cartoon and sitcom character in American history. It has the despairing-but-loving mother and housewife, the teenage kids (one male, one female, one smart, one unruly), the dog (witty and sarcastic) and the baby. And the head of the family is an overweight, incompetent beer-guzzling idiot.

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 4:36 pm

Calling Family Guy derivative is like calling Virtua Fighter derivative because Street Fighter came first.

Family Guy certainly does owe alot to the Simpsons, but even more to "traditional" sitcoms, particularly The Honeymooners and the Flinstones, which, of course, was basically an animated version of the Honeymooners. Family Guy seems well aware of this fact and often pokes fun at itself (particularly the Flinstones references).

It certainly didn't create the mold, but it mimics with aplomb and plenty of its own style. Plus, as Esrever pointed out, Family Guy is the only such series still produced that's any damn good.

Neo Yi · Post by **Neo Yi** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 4:41 pm

Oh, the Simpsons.... I used to be a HUGE Simpsons fan, but it's hard to remember just how good it was. You know how you can go back to an old game or movie or book that you haven't seen in awhile and kind of "rediscover" how good it was? I can't rediscover the Simpsons anymore. I think I've seen every early episode at least four-hundred times... every line of dialogue is permanently burned into my brain. That's no fault of the creators, but it does suck the enjoyment out of watching the show now.

Exactly how I feel. Big Simpsons fan I am.

Plus, the show is terrible now. At least with Family Guy, it's reasonable to assume that new episodes will actually be good. Meanwhile, the Simpsons has turned to crap, and it's grown so overexposed that I'm sick of the whole cast. Like the old country song goes, "How can I remember you if you won't go away?" ;)

I'll admit, the new ones aren't and will never be as good as the classics, but I still watch Simpsons religiously. 7 days a week...
~Neo

Post by **Pepperidge** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 4:42 pm

Wait wait... how is Meg "smart"?

Post by **Popcorn** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 4:48 pm

Calling Family Guy derivative is like calling Virtua Fighter derivative because Street Fighter came first.

It's possible to produce something of a particular genre without stealing character and plot templates.

Light Speed · Post by **Light Speed** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 4:57 pm

Family Guy is funny because of random stuff that you were never expecting to happen. The Simpsons was funny, but its jokes were usually part of the plot. I still watch the Simpsons up to three times a day since Fox plays it at 5, 6 and 10. I never watch it on Sundays though, that crap is garbage.

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 5:42 pm

It's possible to produce something of a particular genre without stealing character and plot templates.

Y'know, even Homer Simpson is based on Jackie Gleason's character in The Honeymooners.

Post by **Popcorn** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 5:55 pm

Deny that Family Guy uses every character cliche of its genre. Multiple times. You can't and you know it-- and that's my sole criticism of an otherwise good show.

Early Simpsons is still better.

j-man · Post by **j-man** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 6:37 pm

I would think of a witty retort or a carefully planned argument for Family Guy over Simpsons, but I'll just settle with a short and to-the-point "fuck you". It seems to work at least 95% of the time.

Light Speed · Post by **Light Speed** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 6:40 pm

I dunno, the first 3 seasons of the Simpsons weren't that great. Then it got really good, then it sorta started to go to hell. From a humor standpoint you really can't compare them because they make you laugh in completely different ways.

Post by **Esrever** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 6:44 pm

I thought Family Guy used cliched characters deliberately. I mean, isn't it supposed to be essentially a parody of American sitcoms? The characters aren't just cliches... they're extreme exaggerations of the usual cliches. Peter isn't just the dopey Dad -- he's so ignorant that he's actually a kind of reprehensible human being. Stewie isn't just the mischevious child -- he's a psychopath who wants to murder his own mother. Chris, Brian, Quagmire, etc etc etc... they're funny because they're mocking the very stereotypes on which they're based.

The Simpsons was originally intented to be exactly the opposite... they only sitcom on TV where the characters seemed like a real family, and not a sitcom family. But of course, that was a long time ago. :/

Light Speed · Post by **Light Speed** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 6:50 pm

I think Popcorn is just trying to disagree with everyone to make himself feel special. Well you aren't special!

Wyvernlord · Post by **Wyvernlord** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 6:58 pm

I'm still a fan of the Simpsons, even though the newer episodes suck. The episodes when they visited New York and Japan were probably the funniest I've ever seen. Still, the show just doesn't stack up to Family Guy or South Park. At least I think so.

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 7:01 pm

Esrever wrote:I thought Family Guy used cliched characters deliberately. I mean, isn't it supposed to be essentially a parody of American sitcoms? The characters aren't just cliches... they're extreme exaggerations of the usual cliches. Peter isn't just the dopey Dad -- he's so ignorant that he's actually a kind of reprehensible human being. Stewie isn't just the mischevious child -- he's a psychopath who wants to murder his own mother. Chris, Brian, Quagmire, etc etc etc... they're funny because they're mocking the very stereotypes on which they're based.

This was always my assumption, as well.

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 9:15 pm

Deny that Family Guy uses every character cliche of its genre. Multiple times. You can't and you know it

I don't know, have I tried to do that? I think I'm saying that it doesn't matter. The point is that this has nothing at all to do with the Simpsons. I would argue that the Dick Van Dyke Show is superior to the Simpsons. But it's completely irrelevant. They both qualify as sitcoms and that's it.

Nobody's crusading against prime Simpsons. If you want to pick a fight, you can just poke somebody in the eyes.

Ash Holt · Post by **Ash Holt** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 9:54 pm

I honestly don't really care if every character on Family Guy is based on a clichÃƒÂ©, because Seth did it in such a way that it isn't too apparent by simply taking the clichÃƒÂ©s to new extremes, and at the end of the day, Family Guy is still one of the funniest cartoons I've ever watched.

All in all, I'd say it's about on-par with Futurama, better than the recent and early seasons of The Simpsons, but I'd say that five or six season stride The Simpsons hit beginning around season four or so is pretty much superior to any other sitcom I've seen.

Locit · Post by **Locit** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 10:41 pm

All in all, I'd say it's about on-par with Futurama, better than the recent and early seasons of The Simpsons, but I'd say that five or six season stride The Simpsons hit beginning around season four or so is pretty much superior to any other sitcom I've seen.

Comparing Family Guy and Futurama has always seemed wierd to me. They're just so different I can't imagine calling one better. That said, I always get a much better vibe out of Futurama, though on a totally different level than Family Guy.

Neo Yi · Post by **Neo Yi** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 9:28 am

I'm still a fan of the Simpsons, even though the newer episodes suck. The episodes when they visited New York and Japan were probably the funniest I've ever seen. Still, the show just doesn't stack up to Family Guy or South Park. At least I think so.

Blah, the new York epsiode was one of the most boring epsiodes I've ever seen. Of course, it's not as boring and bad as the one where Bart met the drunken cowboy.
~Neo

Light Speed · Post by **Light Speed** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 4:49 pm

The New York episode is a classic and you should die for ever saying anything bad about it.

Go on, die.

Post by **Segaholic2** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 5:40 pm

Which New York episode? The one where their car is illegally parked between the WTC or something like that?

Neo Yi · Post by **Neo Yi** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 7:34 pm

The New York episode is a classic and you should die for ever saying anything bad about it.

Go on, die.

*protects self* Make me. Go on, DO YOUR WORST!!! *whips out thy wooden swords*
~Neo

Light Speed · Post by **Light Speed** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 9:38 pm

Segaholic2 wrote:Which New York episode? The one where their car is illegally parked between the WTC or something like that?

Yeah, that one.

Spazz · Post by **Spazz** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 10:17 pm

The Japan episode is one of my favs. I actually bothered to <i>download</i> it.
<i>"Knife goes in, Guts come out..."</i>

Locit · Post by **Locit** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 11:34 pm

...that's what Osaka Fishing Concern is all about.

Brilliance. Sheer brilliance.