Comments on: Family Guy Sucks… Video Proof http://www.seanpaune.com/2007/05/12/family-guy-sucks-video-proof/ Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:21:01 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Sean P Aune http://www.seanpaune.com/2007/05/12/family-guy-sucks-video-proof/comment-page-1/#comment-16444 Sean P Aune Sun, 13 May 2007 15:25:06 +0000 http://seanpaune.com/2007/05/12/family-guy-sucks-video-proof/#comment-16444 Shari - I totally agree with you that is difficult to avoid similar gags, and I also agree Simpsons retread some stuff from the classic comedy teams. There is a point though when you are even retreading the dialog exactly that you have to go "wow... that really is just plain laziness". Shari – I totally agree with you that is difficult to avoid similar gags, and I also agree Simpsons retread some stuff from the classic comedy teams. There is a point though when you are even retreading the dialog exactly that you have to go “wow… that really is just plain laziness”.

]]> By: Shari http://www.seanpaune.com/2007/05/12/family-guy-sucks-video-proof/comment-page-1/#comment-16443 Shari Sun, 13 May 2007 08:48:18 +0000 http://seanpaune.com/2007/05/12/family-guy-sucks-video-proof/#comment-16443 To be fair, even South Park recognized that the Simpsons have made so many episodes at this point that it's nearly impossible to avoid repeating something they've done ("Simpsons Did It"). Also, the Simpsons themselves have ripped off a lot of their scenarios and gags from even older sources. The bit where the dogs eat every bite as Home tries to eat is definitely a retread of something older and oft-repeated (likely the Marx Brothers or Three Stooges). The Simpsons has an older writing staff that is aping a lot of things which their audience has not been exposed to so they get credit for being more original than they really are. In many cases, such "rip-offs" are unconscious as people don't even remember their exposure to such things and it pops to mind as what they believe to be a unique thought. I'm not saying "Family Guy" is great or "The Simpsons" is bad but just that this clip is very misleading. There is an extremely high likelihood that anyone with knowledge and access to old comedy ("I Love Lucy" would probably be a big one as well) could probably put together a similar clip showing the Simpsons "ripping off" these sources. To be fair, even South Park recognized that the Simpsons have made so many episodes at this point that it’s nearly impossible to avoid repeating something they’ve done (“Simpsons Did It”). Also, the Simpsons themselves have ripped off a lot of their scenarios and gags from even older sources. The bit where the dogs eat every bite as Home tries to eat is definitely a retread of something older and oft-repeated (likely the Marx Brothers or Three Stooges).

The Simpsons has an older writing staff that is aping a lot of things which their audience has not been exposed to so they get credit for being more original than they really are. In many cases, such “rip-offs” are unconscious as people don’t even remember their exposure to such things and it pops to mind as what they believe to be a unique thought.

I’m not saying “Family Guy” is great or “The Simpsons” is bad but just that this clip is very misleading. There is an extremely high likelihood that anyone with knowledge and access to old comedy (“I Love Lucy” would probably be a big one as well) could probably put together a similar clip showing the Simpsons “ripping off” these sources.

]]>