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New Family Guy disowned

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Also by Mike Peters:

Simpsons to hit silver screen (May 4, 2007)
Hats off to three funnymen (April 27, 2007)
Kings of Comedy list needs revision (April 20, 2007)
TV execs clean out best shows (April 13, 2007)
End of 'Punk'd' better be true (March 30, 2007)

by Mike Peters

Friday, November 10, 2006

"Family Guy" sucks. Allow me to elaborate.

Once I pledge my allegiance to a show, I rarely turn my back on it. For example, I still watch "Saturday Night Live" and have rarely missed a new episode of "The Simpsons" in the past decade and a half despite their ups and downs.

However, I am about to turn my back on "Family Guy," mainly because I feel as though "Family Guy" has turned its back on me. "SNL" and "The Simpsons" get credit for trying — an A for effort.

On the other hand, I get the sense "Family Guy" is completely on autopilot and not even trying to entertain me anymore. When I watch now, it's as if Seth MacFarlane says, "No need for a compelling storyline to thread the non sequiturs together. They're random. They're obscure. They're funny and can carry the show. By the way, I love money." The current season of "Family Guy" gets an F for effort.

Let us travel back to the show's premiere following some "Super Bowl" in 1999 between the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons. I don't care about football and only remember who played because of the hilarious "Simpsons" joke in which Homer and his bar pals put mugs in front of their mouths with the teams' names added later.

I recall watching "Family Guy" after this Super Bowl and the "Simpsons" episode and immediately falling in love. From that day on, I made it a point to watch new episodes. In fact, I also predicted it was not going to last and began recording each episode onto VHS. Keep in mind, this was before the TV-on-DVD and TV-on-the-Internet booms, or at least before I was savvy to their possible existence.

According to my VHS catalog, the earliest episode I recorded on its original airdate was "Chitty Chitty Death Bang," the third episode and one of the best. This was back when Lacey Chabert was the voice of Meg instead of the barely tolerable Mila Kunis, although both are awful choices to voice the character.

Once season two came around, I was a full-fledged fanatic. I continued to record episodes. After watching "Death is a Bitch," I sent Stewie an e-mail at his address, loismustdie@yahoo.com. Not only did this turn out to be a real e-mail address, but it served as an underground newsletter to keep "Family Guy" on the air for a third season, a movement that I like to think I had a small part.

When the show was canceled, I was devastated. However, at least I had my VHS collection. Soon the DVDs were released, the show caught on, everyone started liking it and finally it was picked up for a fourth season. At first, I was ecstatic. Then I saw the premiere. I was disappointed, but not heartbroken. Then came more episodes. I began to wonder why I liked the show in the first place.

To find out, I watched the first season again. The contrast between the old and the new episodes lies mainly in the frequency and efficiency at which flashbacks and non sequiturs are used. The old episodes used these devices when they either furthered the plot or were seamlessly inserted in a way that didn't demand explanation, whereas new episodes force in these moments.

Also, recent episodes rely too much on bringing back characters that were funny during their first appearance, but do not function well as regulars. For example, Greased-up Deaf Guy and Evil Monkey references are getting depressing and embarrassing.

Another thing I notice about new episodes is their dependence on jokes that go on for longer than they should. This can be funny if done correctly.

For example, in the second season episode "Wasted Talent," Peter trips and hurts his knee. He goes on to make the same pained noise for quite some time. This is funny. It works. Later, he gets kicked by a Chumbawumba and makes the same noise. This time, it does not go on forever. The reference to the previous joke is enough, and this works.

However, if this were to occur in a recent episode, both instances of the noise would go on forever, rendering the second occurrence annoying and unfunny. Earlier this season in the episode "Mother Tucker," Stewie and Brian get a radio show. This is a great premise with endless possibilities, but several times throughout the episode, they dwell on the "morning radio shows have really long introductions complete with wacky noises and echoed voices" joke. This appeared so many times, I seriously lost count. The observation was mildly amusing the first time, but got more annoying every time it arose. This example is merely a microcosm of the macrocosm that is the show's recent crappiness.

To give "Family Guy" some credit, last Sunday's episode addressed both of my first two concerns. At one point, the vaudeville duo (characters I have hated from the beginning) made another appearance. I was this close to changing the channel when Stewie suddenly shot them both dead, then asked the viewers if they were happy now. Yes Stewie, I was happy. Now go shoot your staff and hire competent writers.

Later, Stewie made an analogy with Peter going after a hockey coach. There was a brief pause, and then Stewie asked if a clip was going to be played. He realized there was no clip and continued. The reason I describe these moments is because they show that at least "Family Guy" is aware of its flaws, which is the first step to fixing them. Unfortunately, I don't see this happening.

As if the show's diminishing quality isn't enough, "Family Guy" DVDs are not being released in complete seasons anymore in an apparent attempt to take advantage of their so-called hardcore fan base. Volumes Three and Four constitute the fourth season. When combined, they cost a whopping $50 or more; $50 for one season of a half-hour animated show? This is ludicrous, and I refuse to support this in any way. Not to mention, I don't like the episodes contained in the discs.

I still enjoy the first three seasons, and will forever defend their honor, but the recent work has been so subpar, I honestly wish the show never returned. It is tainting the earlier quality work and alienating its previously devoted fans.

To sum up my point, new "Family Guy" sucks. If you want to see "Family Guy" in its heyday, I'll gladly lend you a tape.

Mike Peters is a senior focusing on communication arts, film and business. Want to borrow his old "Family Guy" tapes? Send him an e-mail at mpeters@badgerherald.com.

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Anonymous (November 11, 2006 @ 10:00am):

Amen to that.

Mike T

Anonymous (November 16, 2006 @ 10:13am):

you'll watch simpsons and snl religously but not family guy anymore?! lol... The Simpsons are just plain aweful, they don't even try anymore, they just crank out canned episodes, SNL is by far the largest waste of time on tv, it hasn't been funny since will farrell left, and it was barely funny then, you'd have to go back at least 15 years to find a consistantly funny SNL cast, but you slag family guy because of a few "sub par" episodes, it appears that your sense of humor is as stale as SNL & The Simpsons. may as well get on your rocker on the front porch and start shaking your fist at the noisy kids on your street gramps. VHS Tapes? it's 2006, ever heard of DVD's? i bet you listen to 8-tracks in your el camino too... "yes.. yes.. your anguish sustains me..."
-Stewie Griffin

Anonymous (November 19, 2006 @ 7:24pm):

I'm not going to swoop so low as to type this whole message with my caps lock on although i feel tempted.
My message is simple YOU ARE WRONG, YOU ARE WRONG. (Notice how by only putting the key bit in capitals it is so much more effective).
As Each new series of Family Guy comes out my only thoughts have been "sure they CAN'T make it as funny as they have in the past, there's only so much one show can do".
HOW WRONG I WAS.. FAILY GUY LIVES ON!
It continues to be THE single funniest show on earth.
(IMHO)

Keep writting, keep thinking, but never let me hear such slander again! ;)

Anonymous (November 21, 2006 @ 11:38pm):

I hate the new episodes because the personality of the show has changed. There's too much swearing, sexuallity is everywhere in every episode, and the characters have changed completely. The show is about 90% harsher compared to the regular catholic family of season 1. Now, they're all sick minded and dysfunctional (much like The War at Home, but that show sucked from the start).

Anonymous (November 22, 2006 @ 12:06am):

They all do too many drugs, totally out of character from their original personalities (especially lois, who is now a drug abusing lesbian who swears in front of her children, the exact opposite of her original character in seasons 1-3) Stewie is a completely different person. The show is shooting itself in the foot with a machine gun. THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS WRONG WITH THE NEW EPISODES!!! The same thing is happening to the Simpsons, but no one really cares.

Anonymous (November 28, 2006 @ 6:56pm):

That totally sums up my opinion. Well done. I'd like to add to that list of overused characters, Herbert the Pervert aswell as the Evil Monkey, Vaudeville Guys and Greased Up Deaf Guys. Technically, I haven't been a fan since the beginning, more like a few years ago (after it was cancelled) and I was really looking forward to a new season and after the first few episodes, I came out of denial and realised just how terrible the new episodes are, and I can only find 5 episodes out of the 27 season 4 episodes that were legitimately entertaining. I also hate the overuse of flashbacks that are not only forced in but unfunny and I found the character shifts to be quite annoying:

Stewie has gone from an evil genius with a feminine side (hilarious) to flat out gay and annoying (stupid)

Peter gets stupider every episode and is now an exaggerated Homer Simpson (though he always kinda was

Brian's gone from an intelligent alcoholic to a drunk with political opinions

My favourite character (giggity) has gone from a hilarious pervert to a nut that does a stupid dance after every double entendre

Meg has gone from a solid character with great lines that is also hated by the rest of the family to a character the whole family abuses

Chris has gone from a hilarious fat idiot to absent.

Anonymous (December 2, 2006 @ 3:23pm):

If you think that family guy is the best show on television, I have to make a note to avoid whoever did your labotomy

Anonymous (December 11, 2006 @ 5:04pm):

raf_njotea@hotmail.com

As you might presently yourself fully be aware of, my grammar sucks and I downright love Family Guy.

I think the problem most people are faced with is that the show IS indeed changing, but this change is not one down- or upward, it's a change on the same level.

The show is exploring new ideas, is crossing boundaries etc... Why does it have to be the same over and over again? I want the show to change, take Stewie: I like him better now when he's an effeminate, yet more intelligent and sarcastic 1-year-old bent not so much on world domination or Lois' death anymore, but still focused on personal gain and power. But I guess that's just a question of taste and you know: "De gustibus et coloribus non est disputandum", you cannot argue about people's tastes or preferences.

Still, I think you should see that the show remains the same old Family Guy in a way, just in a somewhat new coat. I personally adored season 4 (Fat Guy Strangler; Peterotica; Brian the Bachelor; PTV; etc. etc.), and I think it's the best FamGuy season so far, the new 5th season still has to convince me, even though there are some episodes already that are extremely well done and funny, with roll-on-the-ground-and-laugh-till-you-get-
tears-in-your-eyes-references to Zinedine Zidane's headbutt, Britney Spear's dietitian, Q-Bert, Masturbater and Commander and many many more.

Admittedly, there are too much references to the same characters (Herbert the Pervert, Vaudeville...) and the show has gotten perhaps a bit too 'harsh' (perfect example is the exponentially increasing censor-beeps in almost each single episode now), but come on; if you really liked Family Guy in the first seasons, these things should not be a valid reason to give up on the show.

You know what I think? I think it's only yourself you're bringing loss and remorse to if you are not watching the show anymore, because it still is immensely stupid, absolutely intelligent, truly hilarious, and the best freakin' cartoon TV has ever seen up to now!

Give it another chance!