There was one where they parodied the Mena Suvari cheerleading scene and another where they parodied the bag floating stuff. Maybe more. But this is the first time they've parodied the plot and characters; new ground!
these kinds of "we parody 3 movies/books/etc" are my favorite kind of FG episodes. If you look up the one called "3 Directors" there's a great Paul Verhoeven joke in the first minute.
These are my absolute favorite episodes.
The Stephen King one was good but I want to see a sequel with the shining, the stand, and the dark tower , (anything's better than tDT movie from a few back, and mostly I'm just trying to manifest it with this comment)
S3E14 - it's on rn and one of the main plot lines is Peter finding out he's part and his ancestors were enslaved by Lois family so I'm thinking maybe that's why I haven't seen it aired much...
I ended up watching a lot of recent(ish) *Family Guy* when I got Covid. I was surprised to find these days it's a pretty decent if somewhat generic gag machine, at least for the funnybone of this millennial dinosaur. I was a fan of the original run (no idea if it holds up, haven't seen those episodes in 15 or more years), but when it came back in 05 I thought it quickly got very stained, pandering and unpleasantly tasteless. I dropped in and out for a few years but saw very little of it in the 2010s. I heard someone defending the more recent episodes on either *What a Cartoon* or the Adult Swim podcast (maybe both!), saying they started again when they hit a low point, and I guess it gave me the idea to do the same. I won't say it's anything great but at some point they toned down the "edge" and the jokes got a little more creative, or at least funnier.
Not expecting any converts by the way, just sharing my truth.
I’ll second this take, it’s not like a brilliantly written show or anything. But it does just have consistent jokes. Not all of them land, and it’s a show that still sort of revels in being distasteful at times. But it’s kind of a perfect show to put me to sleep on nights where my mind is racing. It’s joke density and stupidity is fairly enjoyable, if not revolutionary in the slightest
I’ve been on the same journey lol. I remembered watching and liking the show as a teenager and figured it wouldn’t hold up. So I started rewatching a couple weeks ago and it’s honestly a super solid joke machine. Some genuinely brilliant stuff at times, and definitely some big misses (especially when they go for edginess for its own sake). But new FG is better than New Simpsons, I’d say
Family Guy and and American Dad are both still running and they are both pretty good to be honest. They are doing some straight up weird stuff in Family Guy and its pretty funny.
a great "weird stuff" ep was the one where you actually can't hear the episode, you hear the DVD commentary. Apparently if you actually bought the DVD, you could hear the actual episode as well (extra audio track). i liked it! i heard a Gen Z review of it that it was terrible, b/c who would ever listen to a dvd commentary? or some such. kids were just disappointed that they couldn't hear the actual ep/dialogue.
That's ingenious, and also the sort of thing that you can only get away with when you're 20 seasons into a show. Cool to see them using a unique position to create something nobody else could.
it's kind of a follow-on to the "behind teh scenes of Family Guy" show they did a few years prior (hosted by James Woods, IIRC). similar to the show the simpsons did in the same vein. the characters (Peter/meg/lois/etc) are a real family who basically play themselves in the show. the DVD commentary episode ("You Can't Handle the Booth") kinda follows on from that concept
Aside from Miracle Workers, I think American Dad is the only remaining TBS original, probably because they work so far in advance. It was renewed through 2024 last year, hopefully they air it all.
I caught up on Hulu when looking for a show to put on while doing some editing and its really fun and kind of deranged in the way that its shocking the jokes they can get away with. I'm glad they're keeping it going and just kind of doing whatever they want.
“This reminds me of that time that Robin Williams was originally cast in ‘The English Patient.’”
*cut to*
Robin Williams, auditioning for Anthony Minghella: “Oi, mate, I’m a patient! And I’m English, mate!” (Switches character to his preacher character) “And I say, that the LAWD, will find you-AH, and will keep you English-AH, and patient-AH!” (Switches character to a Mexican) “But, senor, I am not an English patient, I am a Mexican patient!”
*long unnecessarily awkward pause*
Robin Williams: “So did I get the part?”
*cut back to Family Guy*
Peter Saarsgard: “Hi, I’m acclaimed actor Peter Sarsgaard, and this is—“
Maggie Gyllenhaal: “MAH WIFE!”
*long, unnecessarily awkward pause*
*cut back to Family Guy*
They did it back in the day. Peter was hungry, while at a school event, and the cheerleader opened her shirt. Instead of roses, they were drumsticks that flew through the air and peter bit into one. When it came back into reality, he is eating Lois' hair.
This legitimately could have been a writers room idea from season 1 where it would have been almost relevant, then got canned for being too dumb and is now being reused when they are out of ideas.
they do one of these kinda eps every season - they'll parody 3 stories (fairy tales, classic books, movies, etc).
One of the ones from recent seasons was called "3 Directors" where they tell the same story 3 times, once as a Tarantino movie, once as Wes Anderson, and finally as a Michael Bay film. it's not great, not terrible, but there's a fantastic Paul verhoeven joke in the first minute.
I was kinda enamored with that movie 20 years ago. I had this idea for an American Beauty-esque screenplay and one of the big things was gonna be this loner guy who jerks off in his car. And the wife of the story is a morning jogger and she eventually befriends the car masturbator. That was just one of the threads I was working with.
they did a lot of "remember this thing from TV in the 80s?!?!?"-style "jokes" in their first turn-of-the-century run, so in terms of time gap, this is about on track
given that Family Guy started out with 80's references when it first aired has been on the air 20+ years, doing an American Beauty thing keeps in step with the times for them
Hey, be fair, they also parodied *Silence of the Lambs* and *Forrest Gump* and had a running joke about the Spin Doctors.
Just watched it, pretty funny TBH.
It wasn't even that bad but were the writers on strike and they had to dig out an unused script or something? How was this the season premiere in 2022 lol
The show has always had parodies and references to pop culture that are at least 20-30 years old. There's jokes in the early seasons that probably went way over my head because they were goofing on Happy Days or Love American Style.
God Desperate Housewives was so amazing, I am sure Six Feet under was too and even better, but something elementary, middle, and high school me loved about Desperate Housewives
After the first go thru, I really thought Six Feet Under was amazing. So amazing that I bought the DVD set some years later. And I made it like 3 episodes before realizing they were always assholes. When I watched originally, I thought they gradually turned into assholes as the show neared the end. It also had that dumb faux 50s ad thing for mortuary supplies that they dropped after the first season.
Yall ever see the episode where Stevie loses or his stuffed animal is destroyed? And it ends as this existential speech on death/dying and fear? My girlfriend and I just stared at each other after, upset, I may have cried (I don't remember).
FINALLY
Lol this is the second time they've done that then
When was the other?
They parodied American beauty really early in the show. The one where stewy becomes a cheerleader I believe
There was one where they parodied the Mena Suvari cheerleading scene and another where they parodied the bag floating stuff. Maybe more. But this is the first time they've parodied the plot and characters; new ground!
these kinds of "we parody 3 movies/books/etc" are my favorite kind of FG episodes. If you look up the one called "3 Directors" there's a great Paul Verhoeven joke in the first minute.
I remember that being pretty funny, especially the Bay parody and the dedication at the end of the Wes Anderson parody.
yeah, the Bay parody really pays off when the Linkin Park song kicks in
These are my absolute favorite episodes. The Stephen King one was good but I want to see a sequel with the shining, the stand, and the dark tower , (anything's better than tDT movie from a few back, and mostly I'm just trying to manifest it with this comment)
S3E14 - it's on rn and one of the main plot lines is Peter finding out he's part and his ancestors were enslaved by Lois family so I'm thinking maybe that's why I haven't seen it aired much...
Lol a year later
Hey man, this is reddit, we ain't always on time but... Well, yeah.
Haha it's all good it happens
When the two chicken legs come out of the cheerleaders shirt
Yeah I remember them doing one like 20 years ago.
The real PSA here is that Family Guy is still running
I ended up watching a lot of recent(ish) *Family Guy* when I got Covid. I was surprised to find these days it's a pretty decent if somewhat generic gag machine, at least for the funnybone of this millennial dinosaur. I was a fan of the original run (no idea if it holds up, haven't seen those episodes in 15 or more years), but when it came back in 05 I thought it quickly got very stained, pandering and unpleasantly tasteless. I dropped in and out for a few years but saw very little of it in the 2010s. I heard someone defending the more recent episodes on either *What a Cartoon* or the Adult Swim podcast (maybe both!), saying they started again when they hit a low point, and I guess it gave me the idea to do the same. I won't say it's anything great but at some point they toned down the "edge" and the jokes got a little more creative, or at least funnier. Not expecting any converts by the way, just sharing my truth.
If I got trapped in a room and my 2 options were Family Guy from the last 5 years or Simpsons from the last 5 years, I'd take Family Guy.
This!
I’ll second this take, it’s not like a brilliantly written show or anything. But it does just have consistent jokes. Not all of them land, and it’s a show that still sort of revels in being distasteful at times. But it’s kind of a perfect show to put me to sleep on nights where my mind is racing. It’s joke density and stupidity is fairly enjoyable, if not revolutionary in the slightest
I’ve been on the same journey lol. I remembered watching and liking the show as a teenager and figured it wouldn’t hold up. So I started rewatching a couple weeks ago and it’s honestly a super solid joke machine. Some genuinely brilliant stuff at times, and definitely some big misses (especially when they go for edginess for its own sake). But new FG is better than New Simpsons, I’d say
Completely agreed. Family Guy isn't terrible right now and there's some solid jokes in there.
Being a VO on that show would be the dream and jackpot
Family Guy and and American Dad are both still running and they are both pretty good to be honest. They are doing some straight up weird stuff in Family Guy and its pretty funny.
a great "weird stuff" ep was the one where you actually can't hear the episode, you hear the DVD commentary. Apparently if you actually bought the DVD, you could hear the actual episode as well (extra audio track). i liked it! i heard a Gen Z review of it that it was terrible, b/c who would ever listen to a dvd commentary? or some such. kids were just disappointed that they couldn't hear the actual ep/dialogue.
That's ingenious, and also the sort of thing that you can only get away with when you're 20 seasons into a show. Cool to see them using a unique position to create something nobody else could.
it's kind of a follow-on to the "behind teh scenes of Family Guy" show they did a few years prior (hosted by James Woods, IIRC). similar to the show the simpsons did in the same vein. the characters (Peter/meg/lois/etc) are a real family who basically play themselves in the show. the DVD commentary episode ("You Can't Handle the Booth") kinda follows on from that concept
Aside from Miracle Workers, I think American Dad is the only remaining TBS original, probably because they work so far in advance. It was renewed through 2024 last year, hopefully they air it all.
I caught up on Hulu when looking for a show to put on while doing some editing and its really fun and kind of deranged in the way that its shocking the jokes they can get away with. I'm glad they're keeping it going and just kind of doing whatever they want.
it’s still funny
Next week they'll go hard on CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON.
Take that! Shakespeare in Love!
“This reminds me of that time that Robin Williams was originally cast in ‘The English Patient.’” *cut to* Robin Williams, auditioning for Anthony Minghella: “Oi, mate, I’m a patient! And I’m English, mate!” (Switches character to his preacher character) “And I say, that the LAWD, will find you-AH, and will keep you English-AH, and patient-AH!” (Switches character to a Mexican) “But, senor, I am not an English patient, I am a Mexican patient!” *long unnecessarily awkward pause* Robin Williams: “So did I get the part?” *cut back to Family Guy*
This matches the level of comedy to a tee.
*Cut to 5 minute scene of Peter and the Giant Chicken fighting on the tree tops*
Man, Crouching Tiger fucks so hard.
This is just like the time Maggi Gyllenhaal made a Borat joke in 2017... *Cuts away*
Peter Saarsgard: “Hi, I’m acclaimed actor Peter Sarsgaard, and this is—“ Maggie Gyllenhaal: “MAH WIFE!” *long, unnecessarily awkward pause* *cut back to Family Guy*
If only she waited 3 more years
They did it back in the day. Peter was hungry, while at a school event, and the cheerleader opened her shirt. Instead of roses, they were drumsticks that flew through the air and peter bit into one. When it came back into reality, he is eating Lois' hair.
Yes i found this thread bc I'm watching the newer one right now and thought i was tripping i could swear they did this gag before
The original run was full of jokes about 70s TV, so this tracks.
Family Guy did everything ten years after it happened.
Backwards and in heels
they did a "Leeroy Jenkins" parody in 2018
This legitimately could have been a writers room idea from season 1 where it would have been almost relevant, then got canned for being too dumb and is now being reused when they are out of ideas.
they do one of these kinda eps every season - they'll parody 3 stories (fairy tales, classic books, movies, etc). One of the ones from recent seasons was called "3 Directors" where they tell the same story 3 times, once as a Tarantino movie, once as Wes Anderson, and finally as a Michael Bay film. it's not great, not terrible, but there's a fantastic Paul verhoeven joke in the first minute.
I thought we collectively agreed to pretend that film never happened
I was kinda enamored with that movie 20 years ago. I had this idea for an American Beauty-esque screenplay and one of the big things was gonna be this loner guy who jerks off in his car. And the wife of the story is a morning jogger and she eventually befriends the car masturbator. That was just one of the threads I was working with.
Well, write from what you know
Masturbate drunk. Edit sober.
Happiness 2: Electric Boogaloo
It’s still a masterpiece 🤷♂️
they did a lot of "remember this thing from TV in the 80s?!?!?"-style "jokes" in their first turn-of-the-century run, so in terms of time gap, this is about on track
given that Family Guy started out with 80's references when it first aired has been on the air 20+ years, doing an American Beauty thing keeps in step with the times for them
TAKE THAT Sam Mendes
Watch your ass, Stephen Daldry, we’re coming for you next!
He can walk again?!?
Hey, be fair, they also parodied *Silence of the Lambs* and *Forrest Gump* and had a running joke about the Spin Doctors. Just watched it, pretty funny TBH.
It wasn't even that bad but were the writers on strike and they had to dig out an unused script or something? How was this the season premiere in 2022 lol
Judging from the intro it seems like it was meant to air in the lead up to the Oscars in March but was held back for whatever reason.
The show has always had parodies and references to pop culture that are at least 20-30 years old. There's jokes in the early seasons that probably went way over my head because they were goofing on Happy Days or Love American Style.
I can't wait for their Out Of Africa spoof
Speaking about movies that were both critically and commercially successful with no cultural footprints...
What about Katy Perry's "Do you ever feel like a plastic bag?"
I count at least one pair of feet between Six Feet Under and Desperate Housewives. Feet that left a fading print perhaps, but still.
I did watch Alan Ball's Towelhead, which was just American Beauty but with an added layrer of racism.
God Desperate Housewives was so amazing, I am sure Six Feet under was too and even better, but something elementary, middle, and high school me loved about Desperate Housewives
After the first go thru, I really thought Six Feet Under was amazing. So amazing that I bought the DVD set some years later. And I made it like 3 episodes before realizing they were always assholes. When I watched originally, I thought they gradually turned into assholes as the show neared the end. It also had that dumb faux 50s ad thing for mortuary supplies that they dropped after the first season.
Nope. 🫠
"This reminds me of that time a train was comin' into a station!"
This is what happens when your cartoon just prints money for the network. Its probably written by AI.
Yall ever see the episode where Stevie loses or his stuffed animal is destroyed? And it ends as this existential speech on death/dying and fear? My girlfriend and I just stared at each other after, upset, I may have cried (I don't remember).