I Feel that family guys downfall stems from the fact that the writers handle political issues really badly.
I mean like the atheist episode could have had shown not all religious people are intolerant than the episode could of had it’s message come a cross less mean spirited, or how they promise that they’ll show a transgender person in a sympathetic light yet have a character vomit for 30 seconds after finding out they had sex with them.
Edited by shackwave on Jan 6th 2019 at 12:23:22 PM
The problem is that Family Guy has been rendered a husk by years of trying to appeal to shock value and shoving into the audience's face "hey look, absolutely no one in this cartoon is remotely likeable", sometimes valuing this direction more over any actual punchline or humour. It's revelled in trying to be the most adult-iest adult cartoon out there, and now other adult cartoons have managed to top this with more subtle humour and characterisations, it doesn't have much of an identity anymore (helped not the least by Seth's team making two rather similar vulgar sitcoms).
You can see episodes these days attempting to go for more psychological earnest storytelling like Bojack Horseman and Rick and Morty but the problem is they're still stuck with these flat and mean spirited characters.
Edited by Psi001 on Jan 6th 2019 at 12:54:07 PM
I think time has taken it's toll on American Dad the same way. Maybe not as blatantly and obnoxiously as with Family Guy but it's definitely dumbed down.
The thing that I miss most about Family Guy was how damn hyperactive and cartoonish it was in the early days. It complimented the randomness and attempts at Crossing The Line Twice because of the hilarious mock-whimsicality of it all. Modern episodes keep the unrealistic characterisations and acting, but have this dreary sluggish bleakness about them. It all just feels more bland.
Edited by Psi001 on Jan 6th 2019 at 1:00:54 PM
The biggest problem, which applies to a lot of Seasonal Rot adult cartoon sitcoms, is that the jokes that precedent over the characterization
The characters have become total bastards.
Like for example The Cleveland Show. Season one, Cleveland & Donna were generally decent people & parents, fast forward to season 4 the last season, complete & total bastards who barely give a damn for their kids.
This extends to all Mc Farlene shows, after enough seasons they all become total pricks.
"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
I remember The Cleveland Show being at least a bit nuanced compared to Family Guy (likely because it had only run for so long). It at least wasn't sociopathy comedy non-stop and more very arrogant and selfish characters that had to be put back in line.
The only I think kinda hit the extremity was Cleveland Jr, because we know that any sweet character has to be the butt of non-stop "secretly evil" jokes in an adult work.
Edited by Psi001 on Jan 15th 2019 at 2:28:01 PM
So in the latest episode there's a line where Peter, in a scene where he fights Donald Trump (yes this really happens) says that his show won't make fun of gays anymore.
Too late. Too effin late. You had literally 18 years to decide what you want to make fun of or not. They cite the "changing values of the world with a show that has been around for 20 years" as the cause of their decision, but no. Why NOW? Why NOW of all times do you ever consider restricting yourself from a joke? How do we know you won't break that promise, just like you did with the "no 9/11 jokes" rule you broke countless times over!?
I sat through the entire episode of "Trump Guy" and I did not laugh a single time. That was the laziest and least creative writing I have ever witnessed. It was like the writers just dumped r/politics and the Huffington Post all over everything, then screamed at it until it congealed into something.
The episode was 75% propaganda, 20% strawmen arguments, and 5% self-promotion. You'll notice there's no percentage left to include humor. Humor took a backseat to Trump Derangement Syndrome this time.
My one-word review seems fitting, given the episode's subject:
Sad.
Edit:
For those who don't feel like looking it up:
Propaganda: information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view
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As to Trump Derangement Syndrome, here's something from the other wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_derangement_syndrome
Edited by Sabbat on Jan 18th 2019 at 1:56:29 AM
Don't worry, I wiped my shoes before stepping into your echo chamber.Yeah I can tell I'm going to be the odd one out here but I feel like I watched a different episode.
This episode suffered from the typical problems people seem to have:
- comedic sociopathy in spades and most of it directed at Meg
- forced, on-the-nose jokes that Crosses the Line Twice
And it suffered for being topical, which makes Family Guy's lack of sensitivity towards all things all the more problematic. It doesn't meet that elite, hypothetical echelon of tasteful, highbrow humor, but then I never really watched Family Guy for that. Meg's reaction to Ivanka, and Peter and Trump fighting their way past the Giant Chicken (who doesn't even know they're there) is just funny.
Trump spends the episode looking like an Oompa Loompa, being a delusional sex offender, being mistaken for a dried-out squash, and even gets into a Chicken Brawl with Peter where Melania actually wants Peter to win. They even fight their way through a press conference where one of Trump's cabinet denies that Trump is fighting Peter Griffin right behind her. If there was a pro-Trump sentiment in this episode then I missed it.
If I were offended by low-hanging fruit then I wouldn't say this episode was all that good, and truth be told the past 12-13 seasons probably haven't been either. That said, low-hanging fruit is still fruit so I wouldn't say this episode was utterly devoid of humor.
I mean, unless Rotten Tomatoes marks it like 11% rotten or something.
This being the first episode I've watched this season it didn't seem all that bad.
Edited by Soble on Jan 19th 2019 at 8:47:26 AM
I'M MR. MEESEEKS, LOOK AT ME!@ Soble: It'd be a funnier Take That! if Trump and Peter get along swimmingly because they're assholes. Only for the Clintons to get mad and challenge Trump because Bill wants to hang out with Peter.
Trump jokes are so overused the dead horse has been beaten to the bone, its meat processed and eaten, and the skeleton reanimated then whipped a second time. At this point I want him to lose re-election only so we don't have to talk about him anymore and can move on to something fresh to make jokes of
Edited by RJ-19-CLOVIS-93 on Jan 19th 2019 at 6:39:05 AM
@RJ-19-CLOVIS-93
That actually would have been better. It took thought and careful consideration, unlike the writers do for modern episodes. I could see Trump and Peter getting along, while not caring about the harm they do. And as you said, Clinton would come in like a jealous ex-boyfriend that Peter is hanging out with Trump over him.
Like, is this episode propaganda? Sure. So are most Marvel Comics these days. They're still legible.
Strawman arguments? Chris did a "both-sideism" in a 10-second fourth wall break, but Chris has been the character the show uses to present controversial arguments with the rest of the cast for awhile now (check out the Multiverse and Star Wars episodes where Chris, being voiced by the creator of Robot Chicken, gets picked on by Peter). Strawman arguments played in a comedic context are easy sources of humor.
Self-promotion? This is a cartoon. Every single episode where they break the fourth wall to make fun of themselves is self-promotion. Check out "Emmy Winning Episode" where they break the fourth wall completely because the Griffins are mad that they haven't won an Emmy, so they decide to spoof Modern Family.
And, again, the Take That! against Trump was pretty blatant, so I'm going to need Trump Derangement Syndrome defined to me within the context of this episode.
Edited by Soble on Jan 19th 2019 at 8:57:34 AM
I'M MR. MEESEEKS, LOOK AT ME!One of my favorite Family Guy TV parodies was one for Brady Bunch where Jan says she saw Greg smoking a cigarette.
Mike makes Greg endure some horrible punishment and gives Jan an equally severe punishment for tattle-telling.
Mike Brady was a loving father but his discipline would get a little excessive (especially the episode where he made his kids use a pay phone in their own house).
Edited by amadeussyracuse on Feb 17th 2019 at 12:50:52 PM
No, Mr. Bunker, "this here" is justice

Edited by Soble on Jan 3rd 2019 at 11:08:59 AM
I'M MR. MEESEEKS, LOOK AT ME!