# "Family Circus" diminished my view of humanity today **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 11, 2013, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-circus-diminished-my-view-of-humanity-today/671002 "2013-10-11T17:28:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-circus-diminished-my-view-of-humanity-today/671002/61 "2013-10-17T00:27:00Z")
> [@Peanuthead](#): > > The target audience for FC is young children. No, the target audience is parents or, more likely, grandparents of young children. Evidence: [Last Sunday’s strip](http://www.arcamax.com/thefunnies/familycircus/s-1402785), which probably won’t be understood by anyone under thirty, since it is set in a time when children went outside to play, and, not having any electronic forms of entertainment, could do nothing on a rainy day but stare sadly out the window. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-circus-diminished-my-view-of-humanity-today/671002/62 "2013-10-17T01:04:57Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Er… I sometimes kinda like Cathy. It’ll never be my favorite, but it’s comfortable. Sort of like Fred Basset. You’re fuckin with me, right?:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-circus-diminished-my-view-of-humanity-today/671002/63 "2013-10-17T04:33:51Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Not _Cathy_, right? I think that Cathy is universally disliked.:dubious: I’ve always disliked the Cathy strip. When it first came out in the mid-70’s I was a bit too young to be able to relate to it. When I got older I disliked it even more as I knew women like “Cathy” and didn’t like them. Also it never was very funny. But I can see how there is an audience for Cathy and “Between friends” and such. ---
**Author:** ![planetcory](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/planetcory/32/1032_2.png) [@planetcory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/planetcory)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-circus-diminished-my-view-of-humanity-today/671002/64 "2013-10-17T05:19:36Z")
> [@Peanuthead](#): > > The target audience for FC is young children. The target audience is old readers. As is most of the comics page. Benign familiarity is the order. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-circus-diminished-my-view-of-humanity-today/671002/65 "2013-10-17T06:23:02Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Er… I sometimes kinda like Cathy. It’ll never be my favorite, but it’s comfortable. Sort of like Fred Basset. > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Good jokes, crappy artwork. _Cathy,_ mean; not familiar with the other. Of course, it’s almost impossible to exceed this – great jokes, worthless pictures – as practiced by XKCD! Brilliant writing…and I could draw better with my left foot. [Fred Basset](http://www.gocomics.com/fredbasset/) has better art than Cathy, but the jokes are very weak. Friendly, but weak. > [@kayaker](#): > > You’re fuckin with me, right?:dubious: Nah. While neither Cathy nor Fred Basset are worth wasting my time on, I really don’t dislike 'em. I really can’t think of a better word to describe them than “comfortable.” Beetle Bailey also comes to mind: a guaranteed tepid half-smile, every single day. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-circus-diminished-my-view-of-humanity-today/671002.md?page=3)