A Case of the Mondays
Everyone knows that Mondays blow. They mark the end of that two day charade that is the weekend, where you’re free to pretend your life is your own and that […]
The other day a co-worker and I were discussing the show American Dad! and how we felt like we were the only two people on the face of the Earth that enjoyed it. As if on cue, a second co-worker who had been listening in on our conversation blurted out “Do you smoke pot? Because if you don’t, you have no excuse for watching that piece of shit,” then walked out. It’s one thing to say you don’t like a show, but I was shocked that AD elicited such a response. It made me wonder why there seems to be no love for Stan and the rest of Clan Smith.
For those of you unfamiliar with the show, American Dad! centers around the aforementioned CIA agent Stan Smith and the rest of his brood, which is the usual Seth MacFarlane mix of a nuclear family and various creatures somehow gifted with the power of speech. (In this case, a talking fish. Seriously, what is up with anthropomorphised critters in every single one of Seth’s shows? He seems like a really intelligent and down-to-earth guy, but if they ever find a bunch of Cub Scouts hanging in a meat locker in his basement, I’ll be the first one saying “I knew it! The talking animals were a dead giveaway.”) It has the same sense of humor as his most successful creation, Family Guy, though it’s devoid of that show’s rampant non sequiturs, which I actually find preferable. So why doesn’t it garner nowhere near the same level of adoration?
Honestly, I don’t have an answer. Maybe it’s because the show possesses jokes highly similar to those found on Family Guy, but Futurama reeks of its Simpsons roots, and people still go batshit for it even though it feels about as fresh as Shatner circa Star Trek V. Perhaps people relate more to the Griffins than the Smiths, but if being able to closely identify with what you’re watching is what leads to ratings gold, Jersey Shore just got a whole lot scarier. At least I can answer why people hate Cleveland. It’s because he’s on at 9:30. What, were you expecting me to say something else?
Sandra on November 18, 2010
I’d like to shake second co-worker’s hand. That is all.