There is no television show that uses as much rhetoric as Family Guy. The show's creator, Seth McFarland, is clearly not a George W. Bush supporter. Throughout the show, Bush is depicted having the intelligence and competence of an elementary school child. McFarland puts twists on real events to get his point across. For instance in this clip, Brian finds the former president hiding in a tree house instead of taking action to help the city of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Family Guy made Bush a recurring character in their flashbacks, which are a mainstay of the show. McFarland uses his show to show his audience his views in a humorous way that sticks with those who watch it. As a loyal Family Guy viewer, I can speak to that. I can pretty much recall any of the flashbacks that make fun of different celebrities, in particular, the former president. This obvious rhetoric actually has turned many viewers off from the show, who feel that it is more propaganda than comedy. McFarland stands by his show’s political rhetoric and political incorrectness, even though he faces criticism from all angles. Family Guy stretches real-life issues for many of the one-liners and flashbacks it uses to show McFarland’s opinions. Family Guy is known for being a show that uses a lot of rhetoric to pass its opinions through to its audience, and there is no more evident use of that than with the criticism of George W. Bush.
Props to using a Family Guy example! I personally love the show, and I think it's important that you pointed out the clear bias inherent in the show's comedy. I find it ironic that Family Guy is on FOX, which though has a motto of fair and balanced, is viewed as preaching a right wing agenda.
ReplyDeleteLove the clip.
ReplyDeleteI think its important to note that while Family Guy certainly pokes fun at Bush the younger, their satire and criticism are pretty much pointed at anything and everyone worth comment. Like so many shows of this type, South Park in particular comes to mind, political incorrectness is the name of the game. Its not so much about making the criticism as it is about making the point that people ought to break free of PC restrictions and make these observations themselves.
Family guy has always struck as a little more classy than South Park just because they're able to make humor out of the pure illogical decisions made by some politicians rather than resorting to swearing, nudity etc etc. Also,I don't want to confuse you with my statement-- I'm a South Park fan.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to keep reading this blog.