# South Park vs Family Guy: why no retaliation? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 29, 2008, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-vs-family-guy-why-no-retaliation/465680 "2008-09-29T05:33:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [September 29, 2008, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-vs-family-guy-why-no-retaliation/465680/41 "2008-09-29T21:47:45Z")
It occurs to me that maybe Family Guy DID respond. Just not with a counterattack. I don’t know if the time-line works, because I don’t know when the SP episode aired, but… Family Guy, last season, had an episode where Peter, Quagmire, and Cleveland are talking…Peter says something about Scrubs, Quagmire responds positively, but Cleveland replies that he hates shows that cut away for some random crap (something to that effect…he was criticizing Scrubs for its cutaway scenes, anyway), then they cut away to a random scene of Hitler juggling on a unicycle. They eventually went back to the scene, and Peter kicked the crap out of Hitler, saying ‘See? We were going somewhere with that!’, as part of a different gag, but it still feels like ‘you think our cutaways are random? Well, they are, so what?’ ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2008, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-vs-family-guy-why-no-retaliation/465680/42 "2008-09-29T22:10:54Z")
[QUOTE=Wikipedia] During his “class day” address at Harvard University on June 7, 2006, Seth McFarlane, in character as Stewie, referred to the “Cartoon Wars” arc with the comment “[…] and TV-shows that seem to think they can skate by with random jokes about giant chickens that have absolutely nothing to do with the overall narrative. The boys at South Park are absolutely correct: those cutaways and flashbacks have nothing to do with the story. They’re just there to be ‘funny’. That is a shallow indulgence that South Park is quite above, and, for that, I salute them.” [/QUOTE] You can see it [here](http://www.iklipz.com/MovieDetail.aspx?MovieID=9997bb9f-cff9-478b-804e-df69992ebb68). ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-vs-family-guy-why-no-retaliation/465680/43 "2008-09-29T22:15:17Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > And Scientology is still what it was before: a small cult supported by rich celebrities. A cult with a lot of money, that does everything it can, in and out of the courts, to destroy people it sees as enemies. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2008, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-vs-family-guy-why-no-retaliation/465680/44 "2008-09-29T22:19:40Z")
> [@Baldwin](#): > > Thanks! So, AG stands for Angelina Jolie. Never would have guessed that. Me neither. I saw the episode, in fact, but it was a while ago–had to look up the synopsis on wiki to see what happened. ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2008, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-vs-family-guy-why-no-retaliation/465680/45 "2008-09-29T23:44:00Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > What was their position on stem cell research? Taking on the anti-smoking movement is nothing. Nobody’s said anything new about that from a comedic standpoint in 15 years, if not longer. They helped make mockery of Scientology more mainstream, but everybody who had heard of it already knew it was ridiculous and people were already laughing at what Tom Cruise was doing. And Scientology is still what it was before: a small cult supported by rich celebrities. I don’t remember the stem cell episode too clearly, except for Christopher Reeve snapping open an aborted fetus and devouring its stem cells. They’ve absolutely mauled $cientologist celebrities, PETA, NAMBLA, Mormons, etc. I don’t always agree with them, but I do think they’re funny. And frankly, we all need the piss taken out of us every once in a while. I think that _South Park_, at its best, is humorous on a level that is several steps above what _Family Guy_ shoots for. I know that after I saw the SP episode parodying FG, I’m unable to look at FG the same way again. Their formula is so obvious that I just sit there waiting for it: “Hey, Lois, remember the time the NOUN did the VERB?” And then it cuts to the noun doing the verb. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-vs-family-guy-why-no-retaliation/465680/46 "2008-09-30T13:11:38Z")
> [@Baldwin](#): > > A cult with a lot of money, that does everything it can, in and out of the courts, to destroy people it sees as enemies. I know. And? I was aware of their idiocy and criminality long before South Park did it. The Trapped in the Closet episode was funny, but the truth is, this is not some defining social issue. It’s one more case of celebrity stupidity. That’s the only reason anybody cares about Scientology - it’s because it gives them a good reason for a long hard laugh at some dumb actors. So I don’t think it’s any different from them mocking Britney Spears. ---
**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:** [September 30, 2008, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-vs-family-guy-why-no-retaliation/465680/47 "2008-09-30T13:33:18Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#): > > I know that after I saw the SP episode parodying FG, I’m unable to look at FG the same way again. Their formula is so obvious that I just sit there waiting for it: > > “Hey, Lois, remember the time the NOUN did the VERB?” And then it cuts to the noun doing the verb. _I learned something today…_ ---
**Author:** ![Orr\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ee59a6/32.png) [@Orr\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orr_G)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-vs-family-guy-why-no-retaliation/465680/48 "2008-09-30T13:36:13Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#): > > “Hey, Lois, remember the time the NOUN did the VERB?” And then it cuts to the noun doing the verb. Giggidy. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-vs-family-guy-why-no-retaliation/465680/49 "2008-09-30T13:39:07Z")
> [@mobo85](#): > > It wasn’t her usual voice actor, it was an impersonator. And if it’s the scene I’m thinking of (one that didn’t air in the US), it involved Quagmire attempting to rape Marge and then killing every single member of the Simpson family. I thought it was funny, but I don’t know if that could be considered a friendly jab at the competition. That would be an interesting interpretation of the word “friendly.” ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-vs-family-guy-why-no-retaliation/465680/50 "2008-09-30T16:44:05Z")
Would South Park’s “Imagination Land” be eligible for an Emmy in '09 if they decide to submit it, or am I getting the time lines mixed up? The trilogy got great ratings if I remember correctly. It may be their best bet, (so far), for an Emmy next year. I’m just asking because “Make Love, Not Warcraft” seems like it’s was originally aired ages ago. As far as the South Park Vs. Family Guy discussion’s concerned, I enjoy both shows. I can bare to miss a new episode of Family Guy, but new episodes of South Park are mandatory viewing. I probably watch more Family Guy as a whole, since it’s not difficult to catch repeats, and it’s more of a casual experience. They’re just very different shows, which is what I think Parker and Stone were generally getting at with “Cartoon Wars”. Yes they make fun of Family Guy, but they don’t insult it’s fans, and they also poke fun at their own show. I think they were just sick of people stopping them on the street and constantly referring to a show that they particularly don’t care for. McFarlane made the right move by not really addressing the situation. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-vs-family-guy-why-no-retaliation/465680/51 "2008-09-30T16:46:24Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > McFarlane made the right move by not really addressing the situation. That graduation speech comment is actually pretty funny! I was unaware he could do humor that didn’t involve dragging out unfunny jokes or references to shows his viewing audience is actually slightly too young to remember. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-vs-family-guy-why-no-retaliation/465680/52 "2008-09-30T16:59:50Z")
Ooops! I missed the few posts that addressed this. That and IMDB doesn’t have the 2008 Emmy wins posted yet [apparently](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0121955/awards). ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-vs-family-guy-why-no-retaliation/465680/53 "2008-10-01T04:59:23Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > Would South Park’s “Imagination Land” be eligible for an Emmy in '09 if they decide to submit it, or am I getting the time lines mixed up? The trilogy got great ratings if I remember correctly. It may be their best bet, (so far), for an Emmy next year. I’m just asking because “Make Love, Not Warcraft” seems like it’s was originally aired ages ago. The Emmy they just won _was_ for Imaginationland, beating out Family Guy’s Star Wars special. (?) [Link](http://www.animationmagazine.net/article/8900) EDIT: Sorry, didn’t realize there was a second page. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-vs-family-guy-why-no-retaliation/465680.md?page=2)