I’m appalled! my 17 year old daughter is a huge The Family Guy fan.
I suppose it makes sense but she was surprised that Adam West was the actor who played Batman a zillion years ago on tv. Today at work I’m talking with a friend of mine who’s 25, and I told him the same thing, and he was just as surprised.
Now what surprised me is that I’m of the opinion that his character on The Family Guy is funny BECAUSE he was Batman.
Anyway… I just thought I’d share that.
Same for me. It’s the Batman connection that’s funny. Why else would they have him using his real name?
Don’t mess with Adam We!
The voice is perfect for the role. The fact that it’s Adam West only makes it better.
Yeah, the fact that its really West and not even just a very good impression makes it all the better.
The only reference to Batman involving West (as opposed to incidental references for the sake of throwaway jokes) I can recall was in that “supergriffins” episode. It’s not really relevant to any other episode, beyond West himself being a washed up B-list TV actor whose mind is clearly no longer in mint condition.
Interestingly, West did voice the animated Batman in the final (and in my opinion, best) season of “Superfriends”, by which time they’d dumped that dorky title in favour of The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians.
I probably shouldn’t go down this road, but I think Family Guy makes a lot of references I wouldn’t expect its audience to get. But West never struck me as one of them-he does a lot of I-used-to-be-Batman voice work, too, so it’s not like he’s a secret. I’m 25 and grew up on reruns of the original Batman. I feel bad for people who aren’t in on that.
“Some days, you just can’t get rid of a bomb!”
Well yes, but I’m not sure that anyone younger than me gets the joke.
Like Shatner, that West is able to participate in such self-depreciating humor does make it more funnier.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPlBgpyDZW8 -
“All of this singing is contagious. I’ll sing too. Adam Weeeest, Aaaadam Weeeest. A little bit softer now. Adam West. Aaaadam West. Adam West Adam West Adaaaam West…I’ll come out when they’re all gone.”
I don’t watch the Family Guy although I do scan through the top videos on Youtube. Apparently they had Adam do a SuperMan reference that involved Alex Trebek:
and someone repeated it on the real Jeopardy: http://youtube.com/watch?v=BHnX-fqlo1M
He also did the voice of the “Grey Ghost” in an episode of Batman: The Animated Series.
West also plays Gotham City Mayor Grange on the current animated “The Batman” series.
He also plays Adam West, AKA “Catman” on The Fairly Oddparents.
And Mr. North, retired star of The Fearless Ferret, on Kim Possible.
He also appears on a Simpsons episode, at some sort of car show (I think), where he slags Keaton’s performance as Batman and starts talking about doing the Batoosi. Bart and Lisa have no idea who the crazy man is and back away with the “Don’t make eye contact … don’t make eye contact…” mode
What I wonder is, is he in on the joke here?
Adam West is insane…in a harmless, but definitely insane way. Years and years ago a friend of mine was at a car show of some sort, and Adam West was the guest of honor. He was meeting the members of the car club my friend was part of, and one guy’s name was Thomas, and another was Jerry.
“Wait! Tom…Jerry. Tom…Jerry. Tom AND Jerry. Tom and Jerry. I think we have something there!”
Is that the one where Dr Smith came on to Bart and the Robot said “Danger, Bart Simpson, danger!” 
That was the bi-mon-sci-fi-con episode. I’m not sure if West appeared in that one too, but I do remember he appeared in the “Mr Plough” episode. He was at a car show with the Batmobile and started talking about the various actresses that played Catwoman, then started on his physique and how it was all real muscle under the costume
“Pure West.”
I love that scene.
I’d say he’s the living definition of “in on the joke.”
I remember seeing a Biography show on West that explained that before he got the Batman gig, he was actually known as a deadpan comic actor, so yes, I’d say he’s very much in on the joke.
It’s pretty hard to get a guy to make thirty-seconds worth of taffy-chewing noises in a recording booth if he’s not in on the joke.