http://persephonesboxblog.blogspot.com/2006/05/you-are-what-you-watch.html
On to comedy. I love Family Guy, most of the time. I love South Park too, and was very conscious the first time I saw it that if I had been with a group of people instead of alone, I would have restrained my laughter. But generally, that's more about toilet humour than sexism. Family Guy is blatantly racist and sexist. There's one episode in particular that's playing in my head, "Father, Husband, Brother?". In it Peter, the dad, finds out that he had a black relative, so he further explores his black roots. It's shockingly racist. A side-plot has Stewie, a toddler of sorts, tying up the head cheerleader at the local high school in order to take over the cheerleading team. At the end, the resident sex offender, Quagmire, finds the teenager tied up and is delighted at his luck. I found the ending of that one hard to watch, yet the rest of it didn't bother me at all! It's all about safe scares and which characters I identify with.
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Jess B said...
After reading your blog I am very interested in your comments about Family Guy and South Park. I am doing a blog about family guy in relation to a Women's and Gender Pop Culture Class (Http://wgspopculture.bogspot.com)
I think that Family Guy is making a commentary about the way people are ignorant- and that aspect of the show is supposed to provide humor; however, I think the message can be lost when teenagers or racists/ sexists are watching the show and using it as a vehicle to continue their biased thoughts.
Please check out my blog and comment I would love to hear what you think.
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I think that, like studies done on All in the Family, half the audience recognizes it as satire and laughs at Archie/Peter Griffin, while the other half laughs with him, viewing his as similar to themselves. So it could be argued to further sexism and racism. There's lots of research on that old show if you're interested here and here.
One think I do prefer about South Park, though, is the equity in some of the relationships of the parents. I'm getting tired of the very standard stupid childish dad with a tolerant wife who mothers her husband - like in Family Guy, Everyone Loves Raymond, Simpsons, etc. South Park has some pretty weird characters, but at least the parents don't fall into that same boring stereotype.
Interesting comment you received--did you check out these links yet?
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