Posted by
Jack Fisher on Friday, April 10, 2009 4:10:19 PM
This week, Brent Bozell dedicated a whole column to condemning ABC for it's friendly portrayal of Seth MacFarlane, creator of the hit show "Family Guy."
Fox's "Comedic Genius"
It was by no means an indictment. Bozell spent the whole column giving his opinion on how he thought MacFarlane and Family Guy were pure smut and that having them on the airwaves is somehow an afront to god, America, and everything good in the world. Needless to say, he goes a little overboard just as other anti-MacFarlane camps have done such as the Parents Television Council, a strongly Christian Conservative group. But through all this outrage they all miss one simple component and that's humor.
Family Guy is not meant to be serious. It is a slap-stick, over-the-top, outrageous show that makes no secret of it's primary goal, which is to get laughs. And for it to be on the air for over 100 episodes and 2 cancellations, it's a safe assumption that it succeeds. As a fan of the show myself, even I get offended by some of the jokes they do. But by and large few shows make me laugh louder and more fully than Family Guy. Anybody can hate Seth MacFarlane for his profane sense of humor, but the man does have talent in being able to craft a show like this. Plus, he does multiple voices including Setwie, Peter, and Brian. You don't have to like him, but for the fans he has he's doing something right.
This is what critics never realize. Humor by definition is NOT meant to be taken seriously. It is not an agenda. It is not afront. It is what it is and that's a joke. So when a show comes along that makes a joke about God or Jesus that offends Christians, that isn't meant to insult them. It's just meant to stir laughs. It's been done in comedy for years. George Carlin was the master of it and lasted 40 years in showbuisness, offending a lot of people along the way especially religious people. And in a free society, people have a right to make these jokes. It's a part of free speech. But people DON'T have a right not to be offended. MacFarlane said it himself in the interview. Nobody is putting a gun to someone's head and forcing them to watch it. People have the power to change the channel or not listen. But that doesn't satisfy some people like Brent Bozell. It can't just be ignored, it has to be condemned. Not only is this wrong in a free society, it shows no sense of humor.
Comedian Lewis Black said it best when he describe radical islamists as people having no sense of humor. In Islamic countries, making a joke about religion can get you killed. There is no room for humor in a society like that. But this isn't the Middle East. This is the United States of America. Freedom of speech is in the constitution. People like Bozell have a right to speak out against what they don't like, but to actively seek the censorship and obliteration of something as menial as a TV show is not only insulting to American principles it's downright idiotic, much more so than anything Family Guy has ever done.
Family Guy is a lot of things, but it's essance is humor. Look no further than the following clip for all you need to know: