tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904713839696769313.post2157022173635584205..comments2024-02-26T00:27:47.712-08:00Comments on Cross-Up: Let's discuss Family Guy (Part 1).Voltechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01038586008627390463noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904713839696769313.post-75269669237047828472013-11-10T21:15:12.809-08:002013-11-10T21:15:12.809-08:00Yes, you're exactly right. Those jokes -- any...Yes, you're exactly right. Those jokes -- any joke, FG-born or otherwise -- can work, but it takes a certain level of skill and savvy to pull off. Even if a joke is targeting or slamming someone or something. I'd like to think that once upon a time, FG understood that. Nowadays it doesn't. Granted that's probably because writing duties have been passed off to a new staff, but the way things are now you'd think that the manatees are running production.<br /><br />"One of the greatest crimes a piece of work can do is bore you to tears, you know."<br /><br /><br /><br />Quoted for truth. That's probably why I can't stand FG now; I'll watch it, and watch it, and watch it, and try to soldier on in spite of the headache the show's giving me, and I just want to shout "TELL A JOKE!" The random approach just doesn't work.<br /><br /><br />Then again, a part of me wonders if FG is really as random as it tries to be...but that's a topic for another day.Voltech44noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904713839696769313.post-18316234337810811852013-11-10T09:14:39.359-08:002013-11-10T09:14:39.359-08:00Well, the only one of the gags shown that had the ...Well, the only one of the gags shown that had the potential to be funny was the Carl Sagan redneck one. I dunno, maybe the whole god debate is just something that HAS to be made fun of to lighten the dire mood it always created between individuals. Of course, in the hands of a better writer and comedian (or picking one someone else like Richard Dawkins or William Lane Craig), it could work.<br /><br /><br />Good thing I generally can't stand sitcoms, or animated comedies. Sure, Big Bang Theory is adorkable in short bursts, and South Park made me belt out into hysterics once or twice... but it's shows like The Simpsons I can't stand. After reading this, maybe it was wrong of me to put the yellow-skined, blue-haired mutants at the bottom of the barrel. Talking, bloodthristy babies and a dog walking upright is SO much WORSE. At least the Simpsons make me chuckle. Family Guy makes me ask why it exists.<br /><br /><br />Its just boring. There's nothing to it. Maybe that's another reason to hate it. One of the greatest crimes a piece of work can do is bore you to tears, you know. The jokes give me no reaction, save for maybe a raised eyebrow. <br /><br /><br />Random slapstick is just not my thing. Dry banter between lovable characters is more natural and far superior. No need to guess which model Family Guy follows.Melanie Lightnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904713839696769313.post-27029753358384540632013-11-09T21:49:16.458-08:002013-11-09T21:49:16.458-08:00Oh yeah, I liked FG's first few seasons, too. ...Oh yeah, I liked FG's first few seasons, too. Those I don't mind watching, even now. But you can almost pinpoint the exact moment where FG goes from being entertaining into...well, whatever you'd want to call it now. (I'd use "terrible", but that's not nearly a strong enough word.) I'd argue the Conway Twitty cutaways -- and how sad is it that I have to use the plural form? -- are the biggest signal, but there are probably other telltale signs. It'd just require me to think more about FG, and my soul is already wailing in pain as it is.<br /><br /><br />I've actually been thinking about THAT gag, but I haven't decided how (if at all) to integrate that into the discussion. I don't feel like I can talk about FG without talking about The Simpsons, but what I want to bring up might not be directly related to THAT gag. We'll just have to see how it goes.Voltech44noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904713839696769313.post-74452541430594360642013-11-09T15:55:48.648-08:002013-11-09T15:55:48.648-08:00I actually liked Family Guy's first few season...I actually liked Family Guy's first few seasons, I don't think it suffered from quite the same issues of coherence and utter lapses into non sequitur bullshit insanity. I may tempt your fate by asking, but are you going to cover the gag that almost soured the relationship between Matt Groening and Seth McFarlane? I don't want to mention it if you don't know what it is, because it is really horrible.Grahfnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904713839696769313.post-12550569752955811822013-11-08T22:11:26.703-08:002013-11-08T22:11:26.703-08:00Fun fact: I had to consult Urban Dictionary to fin...Fun fact: I had to consult Urban Dictionary to find the meaning of FFS. How shameful, leaving such clear openings in my Net Fu offense.<br /><br /><br />You know, I've heard that The Cleveland show uses cutaways a lot more sparingly (I wouldn't know, since I haven't watched more than a few episodes of the first season), and comes out better because of it. Same goes for American Dad; as far as I know, it doesn't use cutaways at all. I can tolerate, and every so often enjoy both of those shows. A correlation, perhaps? Who's to say.<br /><br /><br />(The answer is yes.)<br /><br /><br />Interesting to hear about "walking past FG", though. Of course, I can't help but wonder how people would react to walking past the Conway Twitty bits. Would they even know FG was on?<br /><br /><br />Conway Twitty. Damn. Just thinking about it fills my throat with caustic juices. I should probably go see a doctor about that.Voltech44noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904713839696769313.post-18773132991590076272013-11-08T11:28:59.544-08:002013-11-08T11:28:59.544-08:00The most potent point of this post is your complai...The most potent point of this post is your complaints of the cut away gag. If it would be used once or twice an episode with good comedic timing, the show would be tolerable. The proof of this is the walking past Family Guy makes the show funny phenomenon. <br /><br /><br />A friend was watching an episode of FG and I walked past twice. The one in question involved Peter being in a rehab clinic. His roommate, Cookie Monster, gave me two sincere laughs. <br /><br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C4-TsaNENo<br /><br /><br /><br />and here<br /><br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGTYgRh-PI8<br /><br /><br /><br />Any show can get lucky with gags. But FFS Family Guy just comes across as sad in it's desperate grabs for attention.Eric R. Jacksonhttp://dimanagul.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.com