Relative merits
For ages I was of the opinion that The Simpsons ruled the animated roost. They were, in my opinion, unassailable: smart and irreverent, excellent use of pop culture references, and all that good stuff.
But then... Enter Family Guy.
(Yes, I know I’ve been here before, but bear with me).
Perhaps it’s because The Simpsons seems to have lost some steam. Hell, it’s been on for SIXTEEN seasons. That’s like 300 in human years. Or perhaps it’s because I’m a complete degenerate with an evil, twisted sense of humor (a badge that I wear with beaming pride). Whatever the reason, I just find Family Guy more funny.
Like two mighty teams taking the field, it’s a question of personnel.
Peter vs Homer
Yes, both are blubbering idiots, but Peter’s bigoted, sexist view of the world makes for more of the funny. You can count on multiple "Jesus, I can't believe he just said that" moments from big Pete every episode. Yep, Homer's got his moments, too, but those usually involve him doing something stupid as opposed to offensive.
Trust me, offensive is funnier.
Lois vs Marge
While Marge can show a bit of the wacky, there's an underlying psychotic in Lois that occasionally erupts to the surface. Also, many of her offhand comments to Meg about how women should act towards men are just priceless. It’s no wonder Meg is such a mess.
Chris vs Bart
Chris’s complete lack of brain power again makes for more of the funny. Sure, Bart's a mischievous lil' scamp, but would he ever have a fight with a lamp because Homer told him it just smacked him? I think not. Score another for the FG posse.
Meg vs Lisa
This one's pretty much a draw. Both characters are the overlooked middle child, but Meg takes more abuse. Peter's complete disregard for her existence can put me in stitches more than Lisa's moping.
Stewie vs Maggie
Are you kidding?
Stewie vs Mr. Burns
A more apt parallel, don't you think? While Mr. Burns's Scrooge-esque greed and capitalist machinations are amusing... come on, folks; this is Stewie we're talking about. What's funnier than an infant with an evil brain, pure ego and a world conquering ambition? If I were to ever have a child, I'd pray every night for it to be Stewie.
Then there's Brian, who I could write pages about. His world weary attitudes remind me a lot of... me ("I don't know, darling. Should I hate him?" Sorry, wrong movie).
Add to this standout characters like Cleveland, Joe and Quagmire (aalllllright!) and you’ve got a tasty soup, no?
Me like a da sauce.
This blog entry does, however, completely eliminate any questions about my geekiness.
Sigh.
Sending the tiny hairs in my cochlea screaming in terror:
L7 - Smell The Magic
(fast and frightening)
Bit Shifter - Life’s A Bit Shifter
(think Mario Brothers with balls and a better senses of humor)
Plumbline - Pin Points
(cello glitch? sweet. sign me up)
Various - Rekall's Override Mix
(de drum and de bass set de pace...)
Various - Rekall's 33 Mix
(...all over de place)
But then... Enter Family Guy.
(Yes, I know I’ve been here before, but bear with me).
Perhaps it’s because The Simpsons seems to have lost some steam. Hell, it’s been on for SIXTEEN seasons. That’s like 300 in human years. Or perhaps it’s because I’m a complete degenerate with an evil, twisted sense of humor (a badge that I wear with beaming pride). Whatever the reason, I just find Family Guy more funny.
Like two mighty teams taking the field, it’s a question of personnel.
Peter vs Homer
Yes, both are blubbering idiots, but Peter’s bigoted, sexist view of the world makes for more of the funny. You can count on multiple "Jesus, I can't believe he just said that" moments from big Pete every episode. Yep, Homer's got his moments, too, but those usually involve him doing something stupid as opposed to offensive.
Trust me, offensive is funnier.
Lois vs Marge
While Marge can show a bit of the wacky, there's an underlying psychotic in Lois that occasionally erupts to the surface. Also, many of her offhand comments to Meg about how women should act towards men are just priceless. It’s no wonder Meg is such a mess.
Chris vs Bart
Chris’s complete lack of brain power again makes for more of the funny. Sure, Bart's a mischievous lil' scamp, but would he ever have a fight with a lamp because Homer told him it just smacked him? I think not. Score another for the FG posse.
Meg vs Lisa
This one's pretty much a draw. Both characters are the overlooked middle child, but Meg takes more abuse. Peter's complete disregard for her existence can put me in stitches more than Lisa's moping.
Stewie vs Maggie
Are you kidding?
Stewie vs Mr. Burns
A more apt parallel, don't you think? While Mr. Burns's Scrooge-esque greed and capitalist machinations are amusing... come on, folks; this is Stewie we're talking about. What's funnier than an infant with an evil brain, pure ego and a world conquering ambition? If I were to ever have a child, I'd pray every night for it to be Stewie.
Then there's Brian, who I could write pages about. His world weary attitudes remind me a lot of... me ("I don't know, darling. Should I hate him?" Sorry, wrong movie).
Add to this standout characters like Cleveland, Joe and Quagmire (aalllllright!) and you’ve got a tasty soup, no?
Me like a da sauce.
This blog entry does, however, completely eliminate any questions about my geekiness.
Sigh.
Sending the tiny hairs in my cochlea screaming in terror:
L7 - Smell The Magic
(fast and frightening)
Bit Shifter - Life’s A Bit Shifter
(think Mario Brothers with balls and a better senses of humor)
Plumbline - Pin Points
(cello glitch? sweet. sign me up)
Various - Rekall's Override Mix
(de drum and de bass set de pace...)
Various - Rekall's 33 Mix
(...all over de place)
posted by Ben at 10:41 AM
3 Comments:
i think mr. weed (original surname "bermudagrass") vs. mr. burns should also have been considered. unless mr. weed's closet homosexuality would qualify him as comparison to smithers. then there's quagmire, who's just despicable, and cleveland, who's so understated (kudos to mike henry and the writers for making him a quiet suburban black guy instead of some ghettofied caricature that would've been out of place on spooner street).
joining you in the geek line.
dude you downloaded and listened to two of my mixes and felt compelled to mention them on your blog? this fills my heart with warm red blood! your tunes rock; i still play empryean eyes and binary, on occasion... yes i know i'm a big record geek --rekall
oh hi ben, my hero worship of dj abstract got the better of me there for a sec ; thanks for downloading those mixes and postin' about em tho! ;-)
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