If you tuned into Fox last night to watch the Animation Domination premiers of The Cleveland Show, Family Guy and American Dad, you would have been disappointed to find that you had been duped into watching ninety minutes of musical cartoons—okay, I actually didn’t mind Cleveland’s Rocky montage, but I’m a sucker for any references to the Italian Stallion.
For a few seasons now, Family Guy has been going south. The flashbacks are starting to get old and almost every episode has a 3-5 minute segment in which the characters breakout into a highly choreographed show-tune. #WTF?
Yet even as Family Guy continuously failed to meet the same comedic standards, we could at least find refuge in American Dad.
Finally Seth MacFarlane had redeemed himself and given us a show that had all the humor of Family Guy, without the flashbacks or musical numbers. So to watch him take strides in the same direction with American Dad was frustrating, to say the least, and I often question if the 37 year-old billionaire is just messing with us—or maybe there’s more to it.
After watching the American Dad Musical, I began to draw connections between the two shows that I had previously overlooked.
Ever notice how both Family Guy and American Dad have a closet homosexual character that seems to co-exist with a significant, straight other? Think about it—Family Guy has Stewie/Brian and American Dad has Stan/Roger. Toss in the show-tunes and I’d say you have a hidden recipe for a writer with some internal struggles. But of course, that’s just a theory.
Even though this Sunday left Animation Domination fans with a feeling of disappointment, it pains me to admit that no matter what the merry billionaire does, we will still tune in week after week, in hope that the next episode will give us even a carat of the comedic gold that Seth Macfarlane used to mine.
Final Fraze
Now I have never been one to hate on someone for pursuing a passion, and it is clear that Seth Macfarlane has both a talent and passion for expressing his voice through music. With that said, you have to think of things through the perspective of your audience. What high school or college kid is going to want to watch a cartoon with characters that constantly breakout into song? Seth, dude, if you want to sing—sing. Be the best singer you can be, but please, for everyone's sake—keep it out of your shows.
Now I have never been one to hate on someone for pursuing a passion, and it is clear that Seth Macfarlane has both a talent and passion for expressing his voice through music. With that said, you have to think of things through the perspective of your audience. What high school or college kid is going to want to watch a cartoon with characters that constantly breakout into song? Seth, dude, if you want to sing—sing. Be the best singer you can be, but please, for everyone's sake—keep it out of your shows.
the cutaways and (most of) the songs are what i find funniest about family guy...but each to their own i guess
ReplyDeleteDon't mind the cutaways but totally agree about the singing. Every time he starts up a musical number, he literally irritates the crap out of me (which would also explain why after every episode of "Family Guy", my lounge resembles the streets of 18th century London.)
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