The Great Debate: The Simpsons vs. Family Guy

[StrongBad]

For me, Simpsons wins hands down b/c it boasts a much more subtle and intellingent type of humor and doesn't rely on continuous non-sequitar references to keep the humor going.

Bear in mind that I'm talking of the shows prime years (seasons 3 through 9)

Family guy is great in a different sort of way. In my opinion though the experience of the episodes are great the first time around b/c of the sheer element of surprise. The episodes become less and less funny upon continuous viewing unlike Simpsons imo.

Agree? Disagree?

[DS1]

1. I prefer the characters in FG much more

Stewie is the standout, he really makes the show.

Keep in mind, the Simpsons has 3x the amount of seasons, and you've decided to eliminate its first three which really isn't fair.

[anti_shrub]

2. Family Guy, hands down

Of course it didn't get the chance to become a sad parody of itself like the Simpsons did.

[StrongBad]

3. That is true

I often cringe when I set aside some time to watch the new eps they are cranking out. There are occasional funny bits but there is a freakin guest star every damn episode that it becomes annoying. It is as if the show has become a celebrity promo gig.

[Fenris]

4. I don't really think there is much of a contest

The Simpsons wins

BUT

In fairness, Family Guy had a two season run (not counting "season 3"). Had it had more time to grow, it could have made up for any shortcomings it may have had during its infancy. It was a damn funny show in any case.

[StrongBad]

5. Agreed

Welcome to DU!

[ProfessorGAC]

6. Yes, AND. . .

. . .The Simpsons did not have the frame of reference that did Family Guy.

They were able to hit the ground running, as the pavement was there due to the Simpsons.

Doing the hypotheticals like this, what if a show as smart as the Simpsons had not needed 3 years to find its true path?

True, the Simpsons is not as consistently strong as in year's past, but the Family Guy had a pretty great template from which to work, thanks to Matt and the boys.

Sort of a chicken and egg dilemma.
The Professor

[CanuckAmok]

7. I agree that the Family Guy is all about the element of surprise

It has incredible comic timing, and some truly hilarious bits, but it's just not as enduring as the Simpsons, IMHO because it's not as fundamentally intelligent.

And, as much as I love the Family Guy, it's suuuper-derivitive of the Simpsons.

Examples:

1) Episode based on catching a legendary fish
2) Episode featuring a fraudulent boat raffle
3) Basically same family dynamic (idiot husband with eating/drinking problems, sensible wife prone to occasional lascivious lapses in judgement, nerdy daughter, underachieving son, baby with elaborate fantasy life)
4) Adam West as guest star
5) Episode about computer failure on New Years 2000
6) Episode featuring trampoline
7) Episode where protagonist builds a tavern in his home
8) News anchor characters constantly embarassing themselves on camara
9) Constant flashbacks
10) Protagonist recalling events in his past as old movie clips

etc, etc, etc...

We actually took the time to write down all the similarities we could find, but now the list is missing (right when I need it most!). Mrs Amok and I found over 100 similarities in plot/characterization.

YES, I know we need more hobbies.

on edit:

both shows featured a series of trampoline jokes.

HOWEVER, that said, I want to see a spin-off series, in which Brian the Dog and Lenny and Carl from the Nuclear Plant rent an apartment together, and brian opens a bistro. The posibilities are endless! "With sexy results", of course!!

[tridim]

8. No spinoffs..

I'm just here to see HARDCORE NUDITY!

I say you should pitch that idea. With Futurama and FG dead, Groening and McFarlane are probably itching for something new.

Actually here's my dream team for a new series:

James L. Brooks (producer)
Matt Groening (producer, director)
Seth McFarlane (writer, director, voices)
David X. Cohen (writer)
John Krickfalusi (writer)
Billy West (voices)
Hank Azaria (voices)
Harry Shearer (voices)
Dan Castellaneta (voices)

[Harley Quinn]

17. screw-up post

n/t

[Harley Quinn]

18. Just to be fair...

Adam West as a guest really shouldn't count. He's the biggest. Whore. Ever. He's so desparate for a career again, he'll do just about anything his agent throws at him.

For my two cents, I love the Simpsons, but Family Guy occasionally makes me laugh VERY, VERY hard.

HQ-will watch anything animated once!

[RememberJohn]

9. Simpsons... but Stewie should have his own show.

[theemu]

10. How is this a debate?

The Simpsons is one of the most important shows in television history, a brilliant social satire of Americana which both is affectionate and rings true.

Family Guy is a cynical, poorly-animated series which takes the basic lineup of characters from The Simpsons (oafish father, doting wife, underachiever son, introspective daughter) and removes any of the affection and the majority of the social satire. Worst animated show on primetime since Fish Police, and you can quote me on that.

[noonwitch]

11. The Simpsons is the best

It's still one of the funniest shows on tv, even if it isn't as funny as it was a few years back. Rarely has there been a show that poked so much fun at everyone in an equal opportunity manner.

Family Guy is funny, just not up to the same standard. I do love when the characters have their little short fantasies. And Stewie is so funny.

[LSdemocrat]

12. I prefer the Simpsons, but . . .

For me the Simpsons is the better show for its full range of humor and a bit broader appeal, although Family Guy never really got its chance being cancelled after three seasons, also Family Guy, I think, is only funny to certain types of people (15-30 years old, probably male, and not easily offended).

[catpower2000]

13. The Simpsons, of course, but I love Family Guy...

Family Guy is hilarious and Stewie is genius. But the Simpsons is brilliant, it came first, and it's timeless, unlike Family Guy, which relies on a lot of pop culture references which won't be relevant or funny in five years. Yes, the Simpsons does that too, but they don't rely on it the way FG does.

Cat

[CanuckAmok]

14. I stand by what I just said, but...

I just remembered the Family Guy as having one of the funniest scenes I've ever watched:

Meg, embarassed as usual, mock-prays "please, God, just kill me"

A red dot appears of her forehead...

Cut to:

God, lining up with a laser-sighted sniper rifle. He squeezes the trigger slowly, then "RRRING", a telephone. God unshoulders the rifle and walks across his cloud to an occasional table with a rotary phone on it. He answers..."Hello...?" and pauses, and then, in a sexy bachelor voice, "Kaaaaren...!"

I guess you had to be there, but damn that's good times!


PS--Simpsons and Family Guy similarities v2.0: Toad licking, and also the dad impersonating a student to get into his kids' school, in order to help get the kid a date.

[JohnKleeb]

16. yeah both are sweet

abd also one of the best songs
We love to kiss your ass

[CanuckAmok]

19. "Just like the bad guy,...

"...in Lethal Weapon Two,
I've got diplomatic immunity,
So Hammer, you can't sue...
Can't touch me!"

[Kazak]

15. Pffft...

That's what you call a debate???

The Simpsons.

[Ediacara]

20. Are you kidding?

The Family Guy is hands down the LAMEST DUMBEST STOOPIDEST BORINGEST GROSSEST excuse for comedy ever.

A Ron Popeel infomercial would win vs TFG.

That being said, the Simpson's is fucking fantastic!!!!

[Ediacara]

21. Are you kidding?

The Family Guy is hands down the LAMEST DUMBEST STOOPIDEST BORINGEST GROSSEST excuse for comedy ever.

A Ron Popeel infomercial would win vs TFG.

That being said, the Simpson's is fucking fantastic!!!!

[SmileyBoy]

22. The Simpsons will ALWAYS have a special place in my heart.

But Family Guy induces a FAR greater amount of laughter, and encompasses much more humourous situations. The characters are more off-the-wall, and, while it was almost impossible to begin with, Seth McFarlane, creator of Family Guy, was able to make his show's "cartoon world" more unrealistic than the Simpsons. In my belief, that's the ONE THING that will give your cartoon humour. If you just go creatively bonkers, and let your mind go free, you'll suceed BIG TIME. Mike Judge didn't understand that with King of the Hill. He was able to make Beavis and Butt-Head less realistic, and that's why it was so funny. But King of the Hill was a failure, IMO. It's an animated sitcom.

But after digression, I will say Family Guy.

[Exultant Democracy]

23. hummm...

I don’t think you can compare the two to each other. While there are a lot of superficial similarities each shows basic premise is fundamentally different. It would be like comparing Leonardo Da Vinci to Salvador Dali, they both paint stuff, and sometimes they even use the same subject matter like the virgin with child, but to compare them you would first have to establish a standard, and any standard that would fit one, would be grossly unfair to the genius of the other.

[thermodynamic]

24. Apples and oranges, here's why

"Family Guy" often relies on knowing old commercials or other dated elements. It is fresh in a certain respect, but its reliance on 'old TV' does make it limited in scope as well. It still wraps some great plotlines around the 'reliance on 'old tv' material' though.

Seasons 1 and 2 are particularly sharp and some of them which do rely on 'old tv' are still funny as hell. Like the take-off of Post raisin-bran where the Sun announced it's a great morning with 2 scoops of raisins and then proceeds to dump large raisins all over the city, damaging roofs and crushing cars... absolutely hilarious stuff. And for that instance, you didn't need to know it was a Post commercial used out of context.

It's definitely geared to a certain audience (early 30-somethings or older people with a weird sense of humor who remember the old commercials.)

"Simpsons" is more mainstream and doesn't rely on warping 'old tv' to be funny.

But they're too dissimilar, really.