Okay, watched the episode. The jokes were a bit out of place, but this is hardly the worst thing anyone can write. Brenda was clearly either afraid or in denial. Too many people end up like that. If this episode is that scary then it's because humans are bastards.
Yes, it would have been better if the law somehow intervened, if Brenda managed to leave herself (perhaps via a domestic abuse shelter), but it's still hardly the edgiest thing ever. It was harsh, but so is domestic violence.
The biggest criticism of the show since it began has been that it's absolutely nothing but a constant stream of jokes strung together without much of a story, any depth or drama or real writing.
They're rather abruptly overcompensating.
edited 2nd Nov '11 2:07:51 AM by scythemantis
bogleech.com for my writing, comics and cartoons.I'd rather they kept that concept rather than resorting to darker uneasy stories later on. What was making all the sadistic vulgar jokes bearable in the mid way seasons was the fact they were filtered by the show's immense whimsy and slapstick tone. Trying to give the show a Cerebus Syndrome at this point just comes off as kinda pretentious and Narmish rather than earnest or sentimental anyway.
The show has turned from slapstick, to sadistic slapstick to just plain sadistic. Hardly an improvement.
^
Agreed
Seriously, people need to stop dickriding American Dad. There is nothing fresh about that show nor over jaw dropping gut bustering humorous about it. I barely ever get a laugh from the show. At least Family Guy's previous seasons have managed to get a giggle out of me while I frown nearly 98% of the time it's on the air.
From most of the criticisms I hear about Family Guy it's because of the characterizations and relying on cutaway gags. Sometimes the gags in Family Guy vary greatly and extend from Peter's stupidity, to the childishness of him and his friends, to cutaway gags, to random blabbings of the characters. Seriously, it sounds the same as the people who claim "The Simpsons" is still funny. Newsflash it's not. The shows been dragging it's ass.
"I don't give a rat's ass about going to hell. I guess it's because I feel like I'm already there." -MugenYou just sound hard to please, really.
As a longtime watcher of Family Guy's old episodes(thank you local channels), I took a jab at some of the recent eps and I have to say.. it's fallen quite far. But the show as a whole.. I still appreciate. I like the cutaway gags(as long as they're not overdone within ONE episode) and the over-the-top wacky humor they show has satisfied me. But again, I've been mostly watching the older seasons.
I just watched that domestic violence episode and it left me dry. It didn't even offend or shock me, it was just.. flat. From what I hear, that's the direction of most eps now? Egad. Maybe I should watch an episode more or two as there's possibility I may have stumbled upon the worst example of the lot.
To go back to my quoted post, the reason people dickride American Dad is because it's indeed the freshest out of the main ones right now. The comedy isn't jaw dropping or gut busting or anything, nor does it have to be. I don't think a cartoon would ever reach that(except FG in his prime arguably.. well to me). But you know what? When it first debuted, nearly EVERYONE hated it. Because the hard-ons for The Simpsons/Family Guy were still raging on. Well.. okay maybe not Simps, they were still pretty far into the seasons then.
But then the show started coming around. Thus the reason the tide has turned, which is basically what it is: Seth stopped taking FG seriously and seems to have put on effort in AD.
edited 9th Jan '12 11:48:34 PM by BlackCudder
I'm a conservative libertarian,, and I don't have a problem with the bias on Family Guy. I have a problem with that the producers are spending so much time using the show as a political message that is isn't funny.
edited 6th Mar '12 5:52:04 PM by Slicer37
My main issue with the show is the lack of character development, and the overly mean-spirited humor. I don't mind mean-spirited humor if it's actually funny, or amounting to something, but on Family Guy, it just seems to be there for the sake of being "edgy". Regarding character development, you can still have interesting characters while maintaining an air of Status Quo Is God (The Simpsons used to do this okay), but this show doesn't seem to even try.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge." -Albert EinsteinI've realized the older I get this show isn't that funny when you're not 12 anymore, but I still can't deny the show still has great moments, and some things I'll always find funny. Namely the James Woods episodes, The Heart of Dixie episode, and any time the show references something from the 80's. Oh, Herbert is pretty great too, especially when he sang "I Know What Boys Like".
My PM box is always open to anyone who wants to talk/vent.

Holy shit even CNN is talking about this episode.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/showbiz/2011/10/31/exp-sbt-family-guy-gone-too-far.hln
edited 1st Nov '11 2:24:45 PM by FFmax