Do Shows Like Family Guy and South Park Sometimes Go Too Far

[guywithashovel]

I like both shows in moderation, but even I can't deny that sometimes the humor gets pretty extreme and/or crude. The reason I bring this up is that I read that several months ago (back in March), Family Guy put out an episode in which they did a piece called "Terri Schiavo: The Musical." I found out about this when I stumbled upon this blog while doing an unrelated Google search (love when stuff like that happens). Now, I have not seen the Family Guy piece, and I suspect that the same is true for many of the commenters on the aforementioned blog, which is apparently an online breeding ground for deranged right-wingers. Nonetheless, since I haven't seen the piece, I really cannot comment on it for myself.

Point is, do you think these types of shows go too far in their quest for shock value?

[MadMike]

Sometimes, and I'm a big fan of both shows. But when nothing is sacred, once in awhile even I'm going to be offended.

The one time Family Guy went too far, in my opinion, was the episode where they showed the nazis storming in and looking for Anne Frank and her family, who was hiding in the attic, and Peter gave them away by eating potato chips loudly.

That was one time I didn't laugh, but shook my head and thought, "Not cool!"

Another one was when they flashed back to the funeral of Lois and Peter's "oldest son."

[Greenday]

If people didn't find it funny, they wouldn't make shows about it. They like to prove that freedom of speech exists (at least the creators of South Park do). Hell, terrorists threatened them for the Muhammad episode. I'm just mad I missed the unedited version.

[Rageaholic]

I think they do sometimes. I rarely watch either show, but some of the stuff just screams "We want to offend people!!". I don't like that kind of stuff. Both shows are pretty funny, but I like them cause they are funny, not because they try to offend people.

[DrFaroohk]

I'm a big fan of inappropriate humor, so I might be a little biased, but I don't think they go too far at all. There have been jokes that dug at me a little bit too but that's just the show. Take it or leave it. You can't act like they've gone too far just because YOU personally found a joke offensive. You might not have liked it when they made fun of Jews, but you're ok with making fun of Christians? That's just personal preference, and not the show going too far.

[MadMike]

You can't act like they've gone too far just because YOU personally found a joke offensive.

I'm aware of that. That's why I didn't throw a fit and say "I'm never watching this show again!"

You might not have liked it when they made fun of Jews, but you're ok with making fun of Christians?

I'm not sure if this was directed towards my comment above, but I wasn't upset because they were making fun of jews. I just thought it was inappropriate that they were making fun of an innocent family getting captured and killed by the nazis.

[AdminAssistant]

I'm not a fan of South Park, but I do love Family Guy. (It seems to me that South Park is more about mocking recent world events, whereas Family Guy is pretty much pure comedy.) I recently saw a Larry King interview with Seth MacFarlane, and he said that he's an "equal opportunity offender." Basically, they ARE out to offend everyone, because then no one person or group can say that they were singled out. He also said they make two versions of each episode, one for Fox to air, and the other to be put out on DVD.

Also, the Family Guy riffs on Star Wars are EPIC. I'm just waiting for them to release I've Got a Bad Feeling About This so I can buy all of them as a set.

[ArenaBoy]

It varies with the person. Monty Python has a movie with a song titled Every Sperm is Sacred, for some that'd be too far while for others it'd quite hilarious.

MadMike, out of curiosity what episode was it with the oldest son? Don't think I've seen that episode.

[MadMike]

MadMike, out of curiosity what episode was it with the oldest son? Don't think I've seen that episode.

I'm not sure which episode it was, but it showed Peter and Lois standing beside the grave of "Peter Griffin Jr." Lois is crying, and he's telling her, "I just thought if I shook him, he'd stop crying. I was sort of right..."

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Shows like that try to push the envelope. Sometimes I think "That's too far" while I'll enjoy something that someone else says "That's too far"

When I do find something that is beyond my comfort zone, I just make the point of watching something else and making the decision to not watch that episode again.

The best thing is to take control of those decisions and to make the one that you feel is right. If the show is getting offensive or not enjoyable (as the Simpsons is getting for me for their lack of originality), then by all means change the channel. If it's only one episode, don't watch it that week.

Too many people get upity over these shows and forget that while they have to complain, we likewise have the right to enjoy what they do not.

[infinitemonkies]

People like being offended. They get off on the feeling of moral superiority.

Many years ago, it was famously reported that people who hate Howard Stern listened, on average, nearly twice as much to his show than his fans do.
Married with Children once ran ads bragging that they had more weekly viewers who hate the show than those who liked it.
Denis Leary mentioned in the introduction to one of his books that he was intentionally setting out to piss off absolutely everyone, sooner or later.

It's a really cheap and effective gimmick for ratings. Hit somebody's hot-button issue, and enjoy the enormous amount of free publicity as they scream and rant and call for public banning. Like I mentioned in the 'To ban, or not to ban' thread; 2 Live Crew became internationally famous because Tipper Gore called for their album to be banned. Millions of people who would have otherwise never even heard of the band, and certainly had never listened to rap before, bought it just to see what was so bad about it.

[Boozy]

I'm not a fan of South Park, but I do love Family Guy. (It seems to me that South Park is more about mocking recent world events, whereas Family Guy is pretty much pure comedy.)

I'm exactly the opposite. South Park is a far superior show to Family Guy. South Park has redeeming value. It's satire, and their episodes have a point. Family Guy is just out to offend for cheap laughs.

I watch both shows, and laugh at both shows. But Family Guy is just not anywhere near as clever.

[Red Panda]

I don't think I've ever been offended by either show, except for when Family Guy offends my sensibilties by going a full episode without being funny.

The closest I think I've come is when Stewie and Brian were trapped in the elevator and Stewie convinced Brian to eat the contents of his daiper. It was such a squirky moment, but I think it was a good joke in the end. The build up was brilliant and it completly pushed the envelope. The whole time your thinking there is no way they will go through with it, there has to be some sort of twist but in the end the actual twist is that there is no twist. It was a very clever moment.

[anakhouri]

I have been made kind of uncomfortable by South Park before, and I did think one Family Guy skit where they made fun of Michael J. Fox for having Parkinson's was not cool.

But if they weren't usually funny, I wouldn't watch them. Everyone makes missteps; I like SP better than FG though, because SP usually makes a solid, relevant point about something while FG just wants to offend people.

[Plaidman]

MadMike, out of curiosity what episode was it with the oldest son? Don't think I've seen that episode.

Was one of the throwaway gags rather then the focal point of the episode with OJ Simpson playing Golf, and Peter beliving he is innocent, sets out tomake the town think he is innocent. They belive him. Oj then predicitaly goes on a killing spree.


HUH: After doing some research, this isn't the first time they did this gag. They once had another daughter, which Meg murdered in front of Chris. He brings it up, and both Lois and Peter just tell him "it was a dream. Shut up. It was DREAM"