# Pointless Family Guy Rant **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 4, 2009, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-family-guy-rant/495243 "2009-05-04T02:46:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-family-guy-rant/495243/21 "2009-05-04T19:19:35Z")
Honestly, that human women are having sex with Brian the dog is really not even a point worth focusing on. Bestiality doesn’t cross anyone’s mind when he hooks up with human women. You could make some psychological extrapolations based on the observation that Brian’s rational, intellectual side seeks human female companionship whereas when he’s just horny he goes for female dogs (Seabreeze the race dog, the dog porno mags), but by that point you’re taking the show too seriously. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-family-guy-rant/495243/22 "2009-05-04T19:33:00Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > I can’t wait for Cleveland’s series. It can’t be as bad as Family Guy is getting. > [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I can’t think of any Family Guy character less deserving of a spinoff than Cleveland. > > And apparently just today Fox announced the show will debut with two seasons! Cleveland’s series will be 2 episodes at best, they want a spinoff it should be Quagmire or Ollie. ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-family-guy-rant/495243/23 "2009-05-04T19:44:35Z")
> [@mr.jp](#): > > Also, the show was brilliant and underrated the first 3 seasons. Season 4 was ok. The rest of it was nothing special, a few high points, and a number really lousy episodes. > > I guess they should put the sword of Damocles over them again, so maybe they could put some energy into their writing. Watching the reruns of the first 3 seasons that are syndicated to the local CW channel or Adult Swim (Cartoon Network) really shows how much better the first run was compared to the current. I think the changes in creative staff coupled with capitalizing on only a few of the extreme elements of what made the show entertaining (i.e. the random callbacks, the drawn-out sequences) makes the current run a poor and incomplete clone. ---
**Author:** ![torie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@torie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/torie)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-family-guy-rant/495243/24 "2009-05-04T20:46:20Z")
> [@ProfessorX](#): > > Agreed, Quagmire or even Joe would be much better but oh well I do like the FG crew so I’ll definitely give it a try. Really? Both Quagmire and Joe are essentially one note gags. You’d either have to change the characters to make them near unrecognizable or tell the same joke over and over again. Cleveland has as much depth as one can expect in the FG universe. Plus, I love his voice. 🙂 And I’ll stick up for this episode of FG. It was laugh out loud funny, with some great visual gags (the guy who pushes his bangs out of his face with every word, Stewie’s hat was the same one that Eliza wears in _My Fair Lady_, especially funny when you consider Stewie’s voice is modeled after Rex Harrison in _My Fair Lady_.) and the Sting gag was laugh out loud funny. Brian _is_ McFarlane. It seems he uses the character to act out some frustrations. Hence, the many human women, none of whom he can connect with, really. Brian is a reasonable, intelligent, (if flawed) person marooned in an insane, unreasonable world. I can relate. I am officially over-thinking this show… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![filling\_pages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@filling\_pages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filling_pages)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-family-guy-rant/495243/25 "2009-05-04T21:17:11Z")
Honestly, the monologue gags made the whole episode worth it. “Let’s do it me style.” ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-family-guy-rant/495243/26 "2009-05-04T22:10:51Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > Please. I am so over the Homer/Peter/Stan character. What is it about fat, stupid men who can’t relate to their son, daughter, and third dependent? Stan is only Homer/Peter after rehab. It’s like watching some weird parallel universes: What if Charlie Brown grew up to be a small-town alcoholic who worked in a nuclear power plant? (Homer). What if Charlie Brown grew up to be a small-town alcoholic who married the daughter of a rich man? (Peter). What if Charlie Brown channeled his aggression into CIA training but never got over his basic insecurities? (Stan). Charlie Brown is a bad touchstone-for all his faults he was reasonably intelligent, idealistic, and compassionate. Replace with Beavis and/or Butthead, or perhaps Cartman, tho Cartman again is much more intelligent, if admittedly having about the same level of judgement, or Wisdom (if you are a D & D-er), as the characters you mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-family-guy-rant/495243/27 "2009-05-04T23:58:05Z")
> [@torie](#): > > Brian _is_ McFarlane. Does that mean McFarlane is an asshole? Because that’s a big reason I stopped liking the show, Brian turned into a total douchenozzle. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-family-guy-rant/495243/28 "2009-05-05T00:09:27Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Does that mean McFarlane is an asshole? Because that’s a big reason I stopped liking the show, Brian turned into a total douchenozzle. Not too far off actually… As a HUGE Family Guy fan my main beef with the show now is that it’s basically a “What does Seth think about…” It’s just one opinion of his after another after another. OK we get it you don’t like Bush/republicans/the war etc. etc. quit infusing it in practically every damn episode. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-family-guy-rant/495243/29 "2009-05-05T01:05:01Z")
> [@madtheswine](#): > > cleveland’s series will be 2 episodes at best, they want a spinoff it should be quagmire **or ollie**. it’s gonna fail! ---
**Author:** ![torie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@torie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/torie)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-family-guy-rant/495243/30 "2009-05-05T04:11:28Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Does that mean McFarlane is an asshole? Because that’s a big reason I stopped liking the show, Brian turned into a total douchenozzle. Don’t know the man personally, so I couldn’t tell you. Just extrapolating off of some of his statements in interviews. 🙂 And Brian is my favorite character. > [@SpazCat](#): > > it’s gonna fail! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-family-guy-rant/495243/31 "2009-05-05T04:29:59Z")
I’m sure someone much cooler than me made this observation a long time ago, but it just occurred to me . . . Family Guy was good in its first run, and no one watched it so it got cancelled. When they brought it back they had to make it suck to appeal to the masses. In hindsight, Stewie was the show’s “hook”, and he’s a joke that was destined to get old fast. A baby. Who talks. And wants to take over the world. And hates his mom. Woo. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-family-guy-rant/495243/32 "2009-05-05T07:01:36Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Not too far off actually… > > As a HUGE Family Guy fan my main beef with the show now is that it’s basically a “What does Seth think about…” It’s just one opinion of his after another after another. > > OK we get it you don’t like Bush/republicans/the war etc. etc. quit infusing it in practically every damn episode. I agree with this mostly but there are times when Seth is a bit more reasonable. Like the time Brian urges Lois (who’s working at a TV station) to expose a Rush then he finds out Michael Moore is involved so Brian is then like “Oh well forget it.” Lois then questions Brian’s hypocrisy. ---
**Author:** ![ekweizn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7c8e57/32.png) [@ekweizn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekweizn)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-family-guy-rant/495243/33 "2009-05-05T08:41:34Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > In hindsight, Stewie was the show’s “hook”, and he’s a joke that was destined to get old fast. A baby. Who talks. And wants to take over the world. And hates his mom. Woo. I’m pretty sure his hook changed from world takeover and matricide to being (un)ambiguously gay. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-family-guy-rant/495243/34 "2009-05-05T08:47:10Z")
> [@torie](#): > > Both Quagmire and Joe are essentially one note gags. Cleaveland’s equally one note - it’s just that his single note only works as a support to the other characters. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-family-guy-rant/495243/35 "2009-05-05T12:28:34Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > OK we get it you don’t like Bush/republicans/the war etc. etc. quit infusing it in practically every damn episode. Don’t forget blonde actresses! An episode will be rolling along, and suddenly there’s a cringeworthy, cruel “joke” that amounts to “[blonde, probably aging actress] looks old/odd/ugly! Haha!” I love Seth, but I wouldn’t exactly be surprised if the story broke that he’d been murdering women who look like Kathleen Turner and Kim Cattrall and stashing them in his crawlspace. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-family-guy-rant/495243/36 "2009-05-05T13:41:17Z")
Another one who came to it late still think its great. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-family-guy-rant/495243/37 "2009-05-05T14:00:36Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Okay, I hear the show is doomed anyway. But I really wish its last days weren’t spent dithering about Brian’s love life. Whoa, hot babes digging sex with a dog. Oh, that’s so daring and edgy. You know what, no it isn’t! It’s just boring! What is this “The Hills” girl like Brian’s sixth or seventh human girlfriend? And they’re all the same. Can’t he find a bitch who likes him? > > Say, why don’t we pair up Brian with a female armadillo? At least that would take some imagination. He could get leprosy or rabies or something. > > I can’t wait for Cleveland’s series. It can’t be as bad as Family Guy is getting. I love the show, but I have to admit the bestiality aspect has always bugged me. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-family-guy-rant/495243/38 "2009-05-05T15:16:03Z")
I think it’s really funny. I didn’t watch the first season, but I thought it was funny before it got cancelled, and i think it’s funnier now. Also, middle-aged queen Stewie is much better than matricidal Stewie. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![johnspartan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a183cd/32.png) [@johnspartan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnspartan)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-family-guy-rant/495243/39 "2009-05-05T15:24:49Z")
I don’t know if I’d call it jumping the shark, but the problem with Family Guy is you can look at it before and after the point where South Park lambasted their entire creative process. (For those who didn’t see it, SP basically claimed every Family Guy episode is “Peter, I can’t believe you invited your old girlfriend to dinner.” “You think THAT’S bad, remember the time I…”, then some completely random flashback involving a celebrity reference unrelated to the plot). Seth MacFarlane then, basically, took SP’s caricature of his show and turned his own joke into a caricature of the caricature. There were even some episodes afterwards where Peter came out and said “See! See, we did tie it all together!” To be fair, South Park’s guilty of this a bit themselves. It’s not like having a monster with Patrick Duffy as its leg isn’t “random”. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-family-guy-rant/495243/40 "2009-05-05T15:38:29Z")
> [@johnspartan](#): > > To be fair, South Park’s guilty of this a bit themselves. It’s not like having a monster with Patrick Duffy as its leg isn’t “random”. Well, also to be fair, that was like 12 years ago. And their beef is more along the lines of the jokes not having anything to do with the plot. Errr, lack of plot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-family-guy-rant/495243.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pointless-family-guy-rant/495243.md?page=3)