# Simpsons 12/11 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 12, 2005, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-12-11/335189 "2005-12-12T01:23:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-12-11/335189/21 "2005-12-12T09:23:03Z")
It strikes me as unprofessional and rather sour-grapes-ish for the Simpsons to keep on slamming Family Guy like that. Come on, there’s enough room for two (or three, or four) animated family sit-coms on TV. And it’s not as though the Simpsons even invented the genre: adjusting for cultural inflation, there’s about as much difference between the Family Guy and the Simpsons as there is between the Simpsons and the Flintstones. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-12-11/335189/22 "2005-12-12T12:14:18Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Well, I, for one, thought it SUCKED. But I’ve been watching the season 6 DVDs lately, so my perspective has been skewed by recent exposure to actual good episodes. Yeah. That’ll do it. Maybe that’s why they start with the lousy episodes and build up to the higher quality episodes: to lower everyones standards. This episode was good by the newer standards and not bad by older and higher standards. There were some good bits. I liked the educational video and the police shooting up the birthday party was funny if a bit long. Glad to see the running rake gag has kept up. The globe bit was also funny.I loved the Family Guy/American Dad references. That alone was worth the price of admission. I’m still not sure why Bob needs a family though. Smells a bit like Poochy to me. I really wish they had given Bob a line after his prison uniform was revealed. Without it, the bit just seemed forced. Having Lisa get drunk and do it was kind of a cheat. The end was a cop out. Too quick of an exit after the build up. Overall, it was good. It wasn’t great, but it was good. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-12-11/335189/23 "2005-12-12T12:49:42Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#): > > It strikes me as unprofessional and rather sour-grapes-ish for the Simpsons to keep on slamming Family Guy like that. Come on, there’s enough room for two (or three, or four) animated family sit-coms on TV. And it’s not as though the Simpsons even invented the genre: adjusting for cultural inflation, there’s about as much difference between the Family Guy and the Simpsons as there is between the Simpsons and the Flintstones. Particularly since The Simpsons is still receiving much higher ratings than Family Guy. The underdog attacking the Goliath is one thing; a show with 13 years under its belt picking on Family Guy just seems pathetic. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-12-11/335189/24 "2005-12-12T12:50:13Z")
A nice touch – as their jet was landing in Italy, they passed a few Leonardo Da Vinci flying machines. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-12-11/335189/25 "2005-12-12T13:07:07Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#): > > It strikes me as unprofessional and rather sour-grapes-ish for the Simpsons to keep on slamming Family Guy like that. Come on, there’s enough room for two (or three, or four) animated family sit-coms on TV. Yeah. Plagiarism is such a strong word, and there aren’t a lot of parallels. Let’s see-- #1 – the dad is fat and stupid. Okay. And #2 is… uh… he sometimes hangs out at a bar with his friends. Sorry, I got nuthin’ for #3. Damnedest sort of plagiarism I’ve ever seen. It was a good episode, otherwise, though. I loved it when Roberto dropped his bambino and he had that little shocked moment. Perfectly hit the way toddlers can do a couple of emotional one-eighties in a matter of seconds, except usually it’s glee that has a brief stunned interruption, rather than murderous rage. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-12-11/335189/26 "2005-12-12T13:20:53Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#): > > adjusting for cultural inflation, there’s about as much difference between the Family Guy and the Simpsons as there is between the Simpsons and the Flintstones. Yoink! I am going to steal this concept, and write a "What sit-coms had Dumb-Dad characters, and which was the stupidest? OP. ---
**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:** [December 12, 2005, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-12-11/335189/27 "2005-12-12T14:34:21Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#): > > It strikes me as unprofessional and rather sour-grapes-ish for the Simpsons to keep on slamming Family Guy like that. Come on, there’s enough room for two (or three, or four) animated family sit-coms on TV. And it’s not as though the Simpsons even invented the genre: adjusting for cultural inflation, there’s about as much difference between the Family Guy and the Simpsons as there is between the Simpsons and the Flintstones. Remember way back when they were attacking _Dinosaurs_? ---
**Author:** ![Amok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f17d59/32.png) [@Amok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amok)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-12-11/335189/28 "2005-12-12T15:12:59Z")
“Say it! Say it!” “Oops, looks like we’re gonna need another Timmy.” I loved _Dinosaurs_ way back when. But I don’t mind _The Simpsons_ taking shots at other shows. It’s funny. And some of the shows they’ve made fun of deserved it. Like _Fish Police_. ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-12-11/335189/29 "2005-12-12T16:01:41Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > Yeah. Plagiarism is such a strong word, and there aren’t a lot of parallels. > > Let’s see-- #1 – the dad is fat and stupid. Okay. > > And #2 is… uh… he sometimes hangs out at a bar with his friends. > > Sorry, I got nuthin’ for #3. 1. Wife is attractive, sensible, and VERY forgiving. 2. Son is an underachiever. 3. Evil genius charactar. Stewie = Mr. Burns. Harborwolf and I have joked about it before. Family Guy episodes read like rejected Simpsons episodes. One of these days the Simpsons’ writers are going to put a lock on their dumpster, and the Family Guy writers will suddenly run out of ideas. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Petey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f1d935/32.png) [@Petey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petey)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-12-11/335189/30 "2005-12-12T16:13:35Z")
1. Use of flashbacks for jokes (even though the Simpsons have stopped doing this so much) It’s obvious if there wasn’t a Simpsons, there never would have been a Family Guy. It doesn’t mean Family Guy isn’t funny, but to deny its roots is sticking your head in the ground. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-12-11/335189/31 "2005-12-12T16:16:53Z")
Marge isn’t attractive. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-12-11/335189/32 "2005-12-12T16:20:45Z")
> [@middleman](#): > > Marge isn’t attractive. Not with that hairdo, at least. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-12-11/335189/33 "2005-12-12T16:21:10Z")
geez, it was a joke, people! They weren’t “attacking” they were “poking fun.” It’s what they do! Y’all are making like it’s a vendetta or something. Good episode. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-12-11/335189/34 "2005-12-12T16:29:55Z")
> [@vibrotronica](#): > > geez, it was a joke, people! They weren’t “attacking” they were “poking fun.” It’s what they do! Y’all are making like it’s a vendetta or something. > > Good episode. Vendetta! Vendetta! Vendetta! Vendetta! Look I’m on an 8th grade level too. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-12-11/335189/35 "2005-12-12T16:48:57Z")
> [@Thudlow Boink](#): > > Remember way back when they were attacking _Dinosaurs_? “It’s like they’ve taken our lives and put them on the screen.” “This show is funny! See? They have a baby just like us!” ---
**Author:** ![Mikemike2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikemike2/32/305_2.png) [@Mikemike2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikemike2)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-12-11/335189/36 "2005-12-12T16:51:41Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > Particularly since The Simpsons is still receiving much higher ratings than Family Guy. The underdog attacking the Goliath is one thing; a show with 13 years under its belt picking on Family Guy just seems pathetic. And another two seasons stuck under its cap 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-12-11/335189/37 "2005-12-12T16:53:05Z")
> [@Al Bundy](#): > > “It’s like they’ve taken our lives and put them on the screen.” \*Well, not really, but it sounds like something he coulda said. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-12-11/335189/38 "2005-12-12T18:50:35Z")
> [@Alias](#): > > 1. Wife is attractive, sensible, and VERY forgiving. > 2. Son is an underachiever. > 3. Evil genius charactar. Stewie = Mr. Burns. 1. Style of humor heavily reliant on pop culture references. > [@vibrotronica](#): > > geez, it was a joke, people! They weren’t “attacking” they were “poking fun.” It’s what they do! Y’all are making like it’s a vendetta or something. The animosity seems to be real, though. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-12-11/335189/39 "2005-12-12T19:27:54Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > 1. Style of humor heavily reliant on pop culture references. > > The animosity seems to be real, though. Seth recently told the Onion AV Club, “They [the Simpsons writers] hate our guts.” ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-12-11/335189/40 "2005-12-12T19:29:04Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > Seth recently told the Onion AV Club, “They [the Simpsons writers] hate our guts.” Then it must be true. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-12-11/335189.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simpsons-12-11/335189.md?page=3)