I doubt even Atheists can find that funny, most of the Atheists that I've met on here had actual senses of humor. Thats like me going up to another Christian and saying, "Why did the Atheist cross the road.... to spend his life in eternal damnation"
See, that's not funny. Its just stupid.
So is the "Who would listen"
I've seen some hilarious "anti"-religious jokes on the Escapist, Hell, I've even chuckled at most of them.
I'm all for religious humor, I have laughed at a lot of jokes that Family Guy have made about religion. There was one joke that showed God using miracles to pick up chicks. Thats pretty funny, not complicated but it got quite a few chuckles out of me, and best of all its not offensive(unless your an extream prude). However some people dont see to grasp this. Being out rite offensive is not entertaining, its just rude.
HandsomeJack: Family Guy < South Park The reason for me is simple. Family Guy brings politics to the table and only makes fun of people on the other side of the issues from them whereas South Park leaves noone safe or unmarred. That is why South Park is satire and Family Guy is just artists venting at people they dont like. If you cant see humor in yourself, dont take it outta someone elses hide. Like you I stopped finding Family Guy funny after about the 3rd season for that reason, whereas I used to hate South Park, but by about season 4 it really grew on me because I realized just how intelligent that show is despite its crassness.
HandsomeJack: Family Guy < South Park The reason for me is simple. Family Guy brings politics to the table and only makes fun of people on the other side of the issues from them whereas South Park leaves noone safe or unmarred. That is why South Park is satire and Family Guy is just artists venting at people they dont like. If you cant see humor in yourself, dont take it outta someone elses hide. Like you I stopped finding Family Guy funny after about the 3rd season for that reason, whereas I used to hate South Park, but by about season 4 it really grew on me because I realized just how intelligent that show is despite its crassness.
That is one thing I do like about south park. no matter what their opinions are they are not biased, they offend everyone. but im just adding to what he said. so as Chicago Ted put it.
Family Guy has definately changed what from what it was to what it is. When it started it was a parody of the conventional "Moral of the week" sitcoms where there would be an issue, then someone would learn an important lesson about respect, or tolerance, or understanding, and the episode would be resolved. The show used to twist and warp it's morals, so that either the morals made no sense in any real context, or weren't learnt at all. Sure, the show did cutaways even then, but they were set up with a subversive nature.
One of the best example of this is probably the breakfast machine. We're told that it was a bad purchase, a waste of money. However then we cut back and find out why it was a waste of money. The end result was that it shot Peter. This alone would be funny, but then you find yourself thinking "Why would he even sit there in front of a gun waiting to be shot?" and you're laughing at it again.
Nowadays it's stripped away many elements of plot. Rather than taking the conventional plot of a sitcom, and warping it to suit the show, they just shove the show into really random situations. The entire parody element has been dropped, and a lot of the cutaway gags have lost there subversive nature, being played completely straight, to the point where you can see the joke coming.
As people have said, the characters too have changed. Peter went from a loving, if somewhat stupid father who was trying to do the right thing but getting it wrong a lot, to a total jerkass who does things just for the sake of a cheap laugh. lois has gone from a straightman to Peter's antics, and the voice of reason to this highly sexualised mother who doesn't seem to care about her kids. Chris has all but disappeared, and Meg only shows up to remind the audience that they're not supposed to like her. Brian has become a mouthpiece for the writers, and Stewie went from an evil baby nobody could hear, or pay attention to, to an obviously gay child whose only lines now seem to be about how gay he is.
But the supporting cast too have to be blamed for the shows shift. In particular, the over-reliance on one dimensional, one gag characters like the peg legged and peg armed pirate, or the pedophile, or the overly polite effeminate guy, or that damn giant chicken. These characters bring nothing new after there first appearance, and keep showing up to make the same joke. Since they're so flat, interaction with them is limited, and purely to do the same joke as last time.
Compare that to shows like The Simpsons. The supporting cast on The Simpsons is huge, covering just about every role you'd ever need. Very few of these characters appear every episode, unlike the supporting characters of Family Guy, and they have more than one use. Characters like Police Chief Wiggum, for instance, serve not only to make jokes about bad police officers, but in being Ralph's father, he gets to make the stupid son jokes, as well as the perceivable romantic attention between the other two main officers Eddie, and lou. Now look back at Family Guy's support cast. Out of all of them, only Quagmire, Cleaveland, Joe, and possibly Mayor West (due only to his sheer insanity) get that kind of variety in there jokes.
But Family Guy's biggest change is the amount of fan service it provides. I don't mean that in the sense of panty shots and cleavage, but rather just how many jokes get recycled. It's as if the writers seem to think "hey, people loved that gag first time, lets use it again", even though the reason it was good first time was because it was so subversive and unexpected. The sheer amount of gags that are throwbacks to old gags is ridiculous, and it only seems to get worse, the more episodes Family Guy makes.
As people have said, the characters too have changed. Peter went from a loving, if somewhat stupid father who was trying to do the right thing but getting it wrong a lot, to a total jerkass who does things just for the sake of a cheap laugh. lois has gone from a straightman to Peter's antics, and the voice of reason to this highly sexualised mother who doesn't seem to care about her kids. Chris has all but disappeared, and Meg only shows up to remind the audience that they're not supposed to like her. Brian has become a mouthpiece for the writers, and Stewie went from an evil baby nobody could hear, or pay attention to, to an obviously gay child whose only lines now seem to be about how gay he is.
Brian was helarious in the first episodes. he almost had a role reversal with peter, like when he hit peter with a newspaper for not doing what he was supposed to. Your absolutely right about him becoming a mouthpiece for the writers, particularly Seth Macfarlane, If you listen to Macfarlane in any interview he sounds and acts exactly like Brian.
Dr Namgge: But Family Guy's biggest change is the amount of fan service it provides. I don't mean that in the sense of panty shots and cleavage, but rather just how many jokes get recycled. It's as if the writers seem to think "hey, people loved that gag first time, lets use it again", even though the reason it was good first time was because it was so subversive and unexpected. The sheer amount of gags that are throwbacks to old gags is ridiculous, and it only seems to get worse, the more episodes Family Guy makes.
Remember the vaudeville duo? one of them shows up and try's a trick or something, then messes up, and says "play me off" then does a dance. This was funny because it was so random. Then they started doing it again, and again, untill stewie actually kills them, and tells the audience that they arent comeing back as if he knew we were getting annoyed. But wouldent you know it, they ending up comeing back anyways. Also the black weatherman who yells suddenly was one of those, funny the first time, jokes that they used, over, and over, and over. Get some new material.
I never found it funny. But, the difference is, I don't care. I mean, it's not like you make commitment to enjoy it with money like with a film or a game so complaining about a TV series being poor is like... it doesn't matter, you know? Just put something else on.
Phoenix Arrow: I never found it funny. But, the difference is, I don't care. I mean, it's not like you make commitment to enjoy it with money like with a film or a game so complaining about a TV series being poor is like... it doesn't matter, you know? Just put something else on.
Really I can change the channel? I thought I was obligated to watch it by the gods of television.
Ok people, this is a review. This is how I feel about a show I used to love but is now shit. I wrote this to see if other people knew why it changed, or to see if they feel the way that I do. I know I don't have to watch it, and you don't have to post a pointless comment.
IanBrazen: Really I can change the channel? I thought I was obligated to watch it by the gods of television.
Ok people, this is a review. This is how I feel about a show I used to love but is now shit. I wrote this to see if other people knew why it changed, or to see if they feel the way that I do. I know I don't have to watch it, and you don't have to post a pointless comment.
And you don't have to act like a defensive knobhead. Chin up darling, it's the internet.
But fine, I'll answer your question. The problem with Family Guy is that there is no variety. Someone's bound to come and say "but it has a varied cast" but that is what the point is not. The jokes are repeated and if they aren't just copy pasted, then they have identical... themes if you will. So, naturally, people will get bored of it. But then maybe not seeing that the average age of a Family Guy viewer is 10. Hey, I can sympathise, I grew up when The Simpsons first came out and it took 8 years for the repetition to sink in.
And you don't have to act like a defensive knobhead. Chin up darling, it's the internet.
But fine, I'll answer your question. The problem with Family Guy is that there is no variety. Someone's bound to come and say "but it has a varied cast" but that is what the point is not. The jokes are repeated and if they aren't just copy pasted, then they have identical... themes if you will. So, naturally, people will get bored of it. But then maybe not seeing that the average age of a Family Guy viewer is 10. Hey, I can sympathise, I grew up when The Simpsons first came out and it took 8 years for the repetition to sink in.
sorry to get all defensive like that but your probably the sixth person to say "just dont watch it". Its the review section. And i do agree, there is no varied cast, and most of the characters are one trick ponys.
Ryuk2: Family guy was funny? Are you high? When someone says that Family Guy is funny or entertaining at least for retarded kids, i want to punch them in the face.
You want to punch retarded kids in the face? You are sick.
IanBrazen: (Sorry according to some people this is long, skip some paragraphs if need be.)
I remember when "Family Guy" used to be funny. I remember watching it with my brothers, and almost peeing in my pants cause I laughed so hard. Now a days I cannot find it funny at all.
Cannot and do not are two different things. You do not find it funny, unless you have some severe trauma, it's not that you "cannot" find it funny.
I was watching TV in my bed, attempting to go to sleep when a more recent episode of "Family Guy" came on. The episode was about Brian, the dog, going out with a (human) woman and withholding sex from her because he thinks that's what made his relationships fail with all his other (human) girlfriends.
It's not a great episode, I find it odd that you're mentioning the fact that Brian is a dog, we all know that.
The show opens with everyone at a costume party. Peter is Laura Bush, and Lois is the "guy she killed", they explain this joke by just saying over and over "Laura Bush killed a guy." and after saying that four or five times they move on. I just want to ask real quick. How is this supposed to be funny? "Family Guy" has done plenty of political jokes before, but they are all really basic or explained with a reference.
It's not that they're explaining a joke, they're making one. The thing is,, it's not just a joke, it's a stab at the hypocritical system of power. The fact that a former first lady killed someone is a big deal. It was informative, I didn't know she had but once I read about it I realised the point they were making.
"Heres two symbols of the republican party, an elephant and a big fat white guy whose threatened by change."
This is meant to be a simple blunt joke about the republicans and refers to the simplicity of the argument.
Thats funny; "Laura Bush killed a guy" is not. I have never heard of Laura Bush killing anyone so I cannot find this funny[sic]
Again, it's meant to be more of a commentary, the joke is in the shock of the matter.
I am not sure if this is a political joke, hell I'm not even sure it is a joke. Maybe its just a cheap shot at Laura Bush, and if so they have forums and blogs for that, you dont have to put it in your cartoon.
I don't see how it's a cheap shot, this public figure ran a Stop sign and a man died as a result. It would appear that this has had no affect on her stance or progress in life.
Anyways, Brian is upset because he cant get into a steady relationship (with a human), maybe because heis s too intellectual, or his standards are too high, or maybe because he is a dog. He finds a girl who is looking at a book on atheism so to strike up a conversation he pretty much says "wow your an atheist, so am I." This is okay but I would never go up to a girl and say "wow youre a Christian, so am I." but come to think of it I have done much worse to get girls to talk to me.
It's not trying to relate to your life story! It's not written specifically for you so why does it need to go into situations that you would consider normal?
They make a lot of lame jokes about how neither of them believes in God. For example Brian says something like "I almost prayed that I would see your again, but" and they both chime in "who would hear it?"
I think this is taking a shot at both atheists and the overwhelmingly religious culture in the US.
I would just like to say that I have no problems with atheists, my own brother is an atheist, and what you believe or do not believe is your own business, but these jokes are just lame. I half expected a funnier joke to be played on top of it like in an older episode they did, where they parodied the show "Girlfriends".
Again, it's a cartoon and not written for you so why would they consider your view on religion or lack thereof?
But no, those were the jokes.
Ill wrap this up soon because I got so bored with the episode that I went immediately to bed. Ever since the show was renewed by Fox it has changed. All the characters have changed and some of them are pretty much nonexistent. Chris and Meg are sometimes left out entirely, and Lois has just become unlikeable and annoying.
Peter is more of a stupid jerk than the lovable simpleton he used to be. In one episode he doesn't let Joe, the wheelchair bound police officer, come into his restaurant because the actor Mark Harmon is not disabled.
Brian who used to be the straight man for peter and Stewies antics has become the main focus of a lot of episodes, with Stewie and peter only having very small parts. This wouldn't be bad but this is a comedy show the straight man should not be the main focus unless the funny guy is there with him the entire time. If Bud Abbot, from "Abbot and Costello", or Brain from, "Pinky and the Brain", went solo it would not be very entertaining. Bud Abbot would have a normal, uneventful day, and Brain would make plans for world domination by himself.
However my biggest issue is with Stewie. Stewie was my favorite for the longest time; He was the equivalent of an infant James Bond villain. He always was making death rays, and weather machines, to try to kill his mother, take over the world or just make sure he didn't have to eat broccoli. Now he is just a flamboyant future homosexual who is now more of Brian's sidekick. Every now and then he goes back to his evil ways but those are few and far between. It wouldn't be so bad if he had started out this way, but I just liked him as an evil genius better.
It's called character development. Otherwise it would be stuck repeating seasons one and two.
For awhile I just thought it was me and I didn't like the humor anymore, but then I watched a few older episodes from season 2, and I couldn't stop laughing. So family guy has changed, I just don't know why. The more I watch the newer episodes, the less and less I like it. By the way, Laura Bush killed a guy. Funny huh.
You don't have to like it, stick to the Simpsons if that's what you want. the show has been on for 10 years and it has evolved.
Lois: Peter, you're acting like a child. Peter: A child? Well, if I'm a child then you're a pedophile and I'll be damned if I'm going to be lectured by a pervert.
funny shows can only live for so long until the director cannot find any more funny things to bring out. I know a director who's films aren't as funny as his earlier films. Spongebob isn't as funny anymore, it's absolutely predictable.
C.O.C: Dudes what you guys bashing the poor dude for its mean I think he gets it space watch this ---------- ---------- Thats two spaces omg does that make me like super man..no no it doesnt. Anyway to answer the questions im with you exactly here I used to find them great my friend had the first 4 seasons on dvd and we watched them all the time now they just seem to of dropped all subtlities (That said they never had many to start) it's now just mindless jokes..wrong word. I dont know what youd call it anyway im going to go rant in the corner now
If you had distributed those two spaces throughout your post it might have been readable.
umm can i pretend I meant to do that, to umm like make my post more anti space?
I dunno, I rather liked the Road to the Multiverse episode (this season's opening episode). 420 from season 7 I also liked, but the latest two to come out this season I found to be...okay.
The reason Multiverse was so good was because it got out of the norm and provided an opportunity for a wide range of jokes, and I think they used that well. The one with Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase, and the one about Lois being Jewish I didn't find to be quite as strong, I think because it wasn't quite as out of the norm. They've already picked on the Jews quite a bit, and the whole spy thing with Chevy and Dan seemed really...contrived. Like they were trying too hard to bust that norm again.
Considering the show is in it's 8th season, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that some of their original fanbase is losing interest. I think at this point the show is coming down with a bit of the "Spongebob syndrome," where the original fanbase is going to have to decide if they like where the show is going, or if they're going to hop off and preserve their fond memories of earlier seasons.
C.O.C: Dudes what you guys bashing the poor dude for its mean I think he gets it space watch this ---------- ---------- Thats two spaces omg does that make me like super man..no no it doesnt. Anyway to answer the questions im with you exactly here I used to find them great my friend had the first 4 seasons on dvd and we watched them all the time now they just seem to of dropped all subtlities (That said they never had many to start) it's now just mindless jokes..wrong word. I dont know what youd call it anyway im going to go rant in the corner now
If you had distributed those two spaces throughout your post it might have been readable.
umm can i pretend I meant to do that, to umm like make my post more anti space?
I find that in the new episodes, the jokes are ruined either because there is too much explanation or lack thereof. many references are ruined when they are explained for those of us who don't get it, but at the same time many references are obscure and as far as i'm concerned, any name could be put in the place of the one they used. I don't know who mark harmond is, and i dont't get why the goonies are in the sewer. If you're going to make a reference to something, it should be obvious to the people who know of the item they're referencing, and just be another line to the rest. Family guy makes a joke, then holds up a big sign saying "THIS IS WHY THE JOKE IS FUNNY".
colinpiscool: I find that in the new episodes, the jokes are ruined either because there is too much explanation or lack thereof. many references are ruined when they are explained for those of us who don't get it, but at the same time many references are obscure and as far as i'm concerned, any name could be put in the place of the one they used. I don't know who mark harmond is, and i dont't get why the goonies are in the sewer. If you're going to make a reference to something, it should be obvious to the people who know of the item they're referencing, and just be another line to the rest. Family guy makes a joke, then holds up a big sign saying "THIS IS WHY THE JOKE IS FUNNY".
It reminds me of a joke they did before. where they referenced Benjamin Disraeli and cut away then Benjamin Disraeli looks at the camera and says "you dont even know who I am." Now they would probably make the joke anyways even if you still dont know who he is. sometimes it seems the jokes are made more for the sake of the writers than the audience.
I just consider the series to have gone stale for the overuse of the same gags, making jokes about obscure things and also for SDeth mcFarlane using it to spout his own political views so many times an episode.
Plus there was that godawful "The Bird Is the Word'" joke was was nto even funny and went on and on and on and on...
tbh family guy stopped being funny around season 6 it went from simple and well used refrences mixed with a decent story to really stupid plots with constant random flashbacks to things that are completely irrelivant to the point. http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/103674 . i support all your views on that episode. The aethiest jokes were extremely distasteful(and to clarify im not an aethiest i am a nihilist). They were just crude if anything and it seemed if the writers wanted anything it was to strike up controversy by hitting a sensitive topic.
HandsomeJack: Family Guy < South Park The reason for me is simple. Family Guy brings politics to the table and only makes fun of people on the other side of the issues from them whereas South Park leaves noone safe or unmarred. That is why South Park is satire and Family Guy is just artists venting at people they dont like. If you cant see humor in yourself, dont take it outta someone elses hide. Like you I stopped finding Family Guy funny after about the 3rd season for that reason, whereas I used to hate South Park, but by about season 4 it really grew on me because I realized just how intelligent that show is despite its crassness.
I could not agree more.
Spoiler: Click to View
Honestly I have been thinking the same thing for a while now. I hate it when partisan politics are brought into social satire. Its gone from a playful mocking of American Culture to the alienation of a large and legitimate part of our population. (And the jokes aren't even funny!)
Honestly I have been thinking the same thing for a while now. I hate it when partisan politics are brought into social satire. Its gone from a playful mocking of American Culture to the alienation of a large and legitimate part of our population. (And the jokes aren't even funny!)
Wow i honestly could not have put it any better.
(this thread doesn't seem to want to die. oh well)
I still find it funny. But maybe you are maturing. Or you've watched one too many episodes.