Watching Simpsons

Keith Olbermann, when asked about his ongoing feud with Bill O’Reilly, once commented that, “If you’re in my position … you punch upwards.” O’Reilly consistently has better ratings, but Olbermann is a man on the move, and he’s turned “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” the best show on MSNBC. His ratings are growing too. This dynamic – the upstart versus the entrenched – could also be applied to an ongoing feud in animation, one that pits fans of The Family Guy against fans of The Simpsons.

The both are satires on contemporary culture, and there is a number of similarities: an overweight and obnoxious dad, a mother that’s the brains behind everything, nerdy daughters, a baby that’s much more than what he/she seems, and so much more. Honestly, the difference really is in the writing and the style of delivery. However, it’s important to note that the Simpsons pioneered contemporary prime time animation. As such, it still sits on top of that medium. The Family Guy, as the younger upstart, has to “Punch upwards,” which makes the Simpsons it’s favored target – especially since the two shows share the same network and same programming day, Sunday.

Still, some critics ardently believe that The Family Guy is a better show. Andy Dehnart, writing on MSNBC.com, takes this position:

Still, “The Simpsons” (which debuted in 1989) has directly accused “Family Guy” (which debuted in 1999) of plagiarism in its own episodes. Whatever inspired its creation, “Family Guy” really stands apart because of its flashbacks, cutaways and throwaway references. They have made “Family Guy,” which just aired its 100th episode, the altogether better series.

Dehnart goes on to write:

Throwaway references aside, “Family Guy’s” satire is at once sharper and more obvious than “The Simpsons,” and because of its more aggressive approach, the series is often accused of being unreasonably stupid, pointlessly irreverent or unnecessarily offensive.

That it pushes against boundaries is indisputable. What other show, animated or not, would attempt a musical number with a song titled “You have AIDS,” or feature its main character recounting, in detail, his wife’s failed attempt to get an abortion?

First of all, Dehnart has missed something. There is one animated show that not only would do a musical number about AIDS, but it also featured a talking turd, Satanic animals, and a hate filled fat kid. I’m talking, of course, about South Park.

As for the cutaway scenes, some of them are indeed funny, but other times, they seem extraneous and tacked on, hindering the narrative pace of the episode. The other problem I have is the likeability of the characters. Peter is not Homer, and if one thinks about it, is a much meaner person.