I have changed my Critical Investigation question to the following:
"How do Animated Sitcoms, such as The Simpsons and Family Guy represent the 'family' and why are these representations considered humourous?"
Family Guy
The Series
The series first aired in 1999 and still runs untill today. It has approximately 147 episodes and is on its 8th Season right now. The director of Family Guy is Seth McFarlane, who also does the voices of Peter, Stewie, Quagmire and Tom Tucker (the news reporter). Here is a short trailer for the 6th Season, which was released September 23rd 2007:
The series centres on a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris and Stewie; and their dog Brian.
It is set in the fictional city of Quahog, Rhode Island.
Here are the main characters:
Peter - (voiced by Seth McFarlane) is the main protagonist. He's irresponsible, obese and a heavy drinker. His IQ falls near the bordeline of mental retardation. And as we see through the series, he is known for having very complicated ancestry, including 2 different Irish fathers and an African American slave owned by his wife's ancestors.
Lois - (voiced by Alex Borstein) is the housewife/mother. SHe is seen as the stay-at-home mum, who has to juggle her piano lessons, kids and husband all in one day. And constantly has to dodge attacks from her matricidal son Stewie. She's revealed to be Jewish, even though she was raised Protestant. Even though she has an innocent appearance, she has elements of the "Angel Whore",, because in most cases she is represented as the morally intelligent and responsible one, but in other scenes you have her dressed in tight leather clothing, seducing her husband and making sex tapes.
Stewie - (voiced by Seth McFarlane) is the baby that behaves like an adult in many different ways, like his upper-class accent nobody understands but the dog, Brian. He talks very posh, carries weapons, invents new technology. In earlier seasons, he is known for trying to kill his mother, whereas in the more recent ones, he is portrayed as sexually frustrated, a bit nicer and with signs of homosexuality.
Chris - (voiced by Seth Green) is the second child. He's fat, dim-witted, blond and emotionally diffusive.
Brian - (voiced by Seth McFarlane) is the family's talking dog. He is portrayed as intelligent, often pointing out how ridiculous Peter's ideas are. He dates a lot of dumb human girls, which make him feel better about his knowledge. He enjoys opera and theatre and is an atheist.
Meg - (voiced by Mila Kunis) is the first child and only daughter. She is a self-conscious and unattractive girl who is treated like crap by her own family and most people from the city. She is mainly used in the series as a target for emotional and phyiscal abuse.
Representations
Women - the way the mother (Lois) is treated throughout the series, shows how women are represented as housewives. Most of the time, we see Lois making the dinner, tidying up after everyone else, being the organised one, the feeder. But she is also seen as a whore, because there are many scenes where she is noticeably in tight leather clothing doing sexual favours for her husband. She is shown as having these secret fetishes that nobody apart from her husband, and probably the pervy neighbour Quagmire, know about.
Men - there is a lot of controversy surrounding how men are represented in the series. On one hand, you have Peter, who is seen, at times, to be the dominant one, the drinker, the one who tries to take control. Yet at the end of most episodes, he is proven wrong and Lois is always the one that gets the credit for the happy ending. So, in that respect, Lois is seen as the dominant partnet.
Black people - they are represented very stereotypically. I wouldn't say the series is spitefully insulting the black race, but sometimes the humour is so over-the-top that people wonder whether they really mean it as a joke or wheteher they mean for black people to be portrayed like that on the show. Here is an example of a racist comment made in the series towards black people and their use of drugs:
Homosexuality - there is also a very stereotypical representation of gay men. There is one episode where homosexuality has come up in the news, and the host begins to describe how to look out for gay people. Here is the clip:
Media Forms
Overuse of phrases/sarcasm – even though they overuse a lot of their jokes, and they seem rather long and annoying, the abrupt ending creates sudden humour. For example, in the next clip, we see Stewie taking the mick out of Brian for his decision in writing a novel. The fact that the joke is extended through almost 2 minutes, makes it funny to watch. This gives the audience a sense of personal identification, laughing at other people's misery and annoyance is something many people tend to do, which is what the show is playing at in this clip:
Lengthy silences - create a tense yet funny atmosphere. For example, if one were to go to church, and sit through a lengthy mass and proceed to accidentally think of something funny, it is natural that one becomes anxious of the situation they are in and begin to laugh because of the fact that they know they shouldn't be laughing. Awkward situations happen to almost everybody, and Family Guy foresee situations where lengthly silences allow the audience to interpret what the characters are thinking, and possibly find it humourous.
Hyperbole and Satire – extreme exaggeration of certain events/people. The next clip introduces an episode where Stewie and Brian take a trip to Germany, and confront a tour guide for their false information about the duration of the Second World War. The idea behind this scene is to allow the audience to laugh at the extreme exaggeration of the German people and their stereotypical denial of Hitler's actions. It is known that many Nazi soldiers after the Second World War were interrogated for their involvement in killing 6+ million Jewish people during the war, and proceeded to deny their actions. Therefore, the show use this as a method to allow even the German people in today's society to look upon their history of denial in a more humourous way, rather than in sheer embarassment. Here is the link:
http://video.canadiancontent.net/43720662-family-guy-german-tour.html
Use of oppositional humour - this kind of humour is often used in contemporary media texts as a way to get the audience to put themselves in somebody else's shoes and understand a situation completely through the use of role reversal. For example, in the next clip, a talking horse's (Thunder) owner is considering putting him down for his broken leg, because he is unable to race. Yet the sudden reversal of roles allows the audience to understand, from the horse's point-of-view, what it would be like to be sat on and whipped to ride with a broken leg. Here is the clip:
Narrative
The narrative mainly follows Tvzetan Todorov's theory of Equilibrium:
Equilibrium - where all is as it should be
Disruption in Equilibrium - a disruption of that order by an event
Recognition of disruption - where there is a recognition that the disorder has occurred
Attempt to repair - An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption
New Equilibrium - a return or restoration of a new equilibrium.
In these states, narrative is not seen as a linear structure but a circular one. The narrative is driven by attemprts to restore the equilibrium. However, the equilibrium attained at the end of the story is not identical to the initial equilibrium.
Media Audiences
I would say that the primary target audience for this show would be 18-40 year olds. Even though the series has a late scheduling time (after 10pm), it is anticipated that many teenagers under the age of 18 would watch the show. Therefore, the secondary target audience would probably be 11-18 year olds. This is because the 21st Century is a very permissive society, and it is clear that shows that were traditionally considered as being harmful to children, are now increasingly becoming more and more acceptible. This has become a huge debate in terms of the shaping of people through the media. Some argue it is society that has changed the way we view media texts, as we are increasingly becoming more open-minded about the way we interpret television, especially comedy. Others argue that it is the media that is shaping society as we know it today, and are blaming those responsible for television broadcast for their transmission of obscene images.
The target gender would have to be both male and female. There are many stereotypical representations of both genders, and it seems that comedy is evenly distributed within the series. However, there is clearly an element of the male gaze within the show as it is obvious that the main protagonist is a man; Peter Griffin. Clearly the name of the show is Family "GUY" referring to the fact that the main character is male, so the audience is unintentionally receiving this text like a hypodermic needle, unaware that they are watching through a male gaze that is not only hitting on racist aspects, but could influence those of a younger generation to become more sexist in the way they approach women.
Furthermore, it is intended for some audiences to be able to personally identify themselves with some of the characters on the show. For example, Meg, the daughter, could be a role model for some girls who find themselves unattractive. Yet it could add an element of self-harm due to the character's "emo-like" nature of slitting her wrists in some episodes. This rebellious character could influence younger girls who personally identify with her, to recreate her actions of seeking attention without realising that they are being yielded through the use of Ideological State Apparatus through this text.
However, others may find it a positive attribute to receive self-gratification from the show. It seems Family Guy offers escapism to those who are unaware of what to do in certain situations. It's possible that it is not only the show that does this, but any kind of comic sitcom/show/series offers an easy way out of stressful situations and arguments. The use of humour tends to allow the majority of people to escape petty arguments and possibly find connect with their foe in finding something in common with each other's sense of humour.
Media Institutions
In the UK, Family Guy is shown most commonly on BBC Three at around 11pm. BBC Three is known for its teenage reality television and lack of advertisement. The only known break on the channel is a 60 second gossip news footage in between shows at a late hour. This is a huge advantage to those who dislike advertisements and would like to watch shows straight one after the other. This promotes the channel, and allows more viewers to be persuaded to watch BBC Three for these kinds of shows. Therefore, Family Guy is promoted through the use of the channel's popularity for its lack of breaks, allowing the production company to gross at a higher rate.
The Family Guy production company is 20th Century Fox. It is famous for its investment in Home Alone, and Home Alone 2: Lose in New York. This promotes the show, as some audience viewers would identify the production company and its logo, and be able to link it to a film they enjoyed watching, which was also produced by the same company. Therefore, it is another advantage that the production company is popular for its 20th Century films, which have become instant hits in well-known Hollywood.
The series first aired in 1999 and still runs untill today. It has approximately 147 episodes and is on its 8th Season right now. The director of Family Guy is Seth McFarlane, who also does the voices of Peter, Stewie, Quagmire and Tom Tucker (the news reporter). Here is a short trailer for the 6th Season, which was released September 23rd 2007:
The series centres on a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris and Stewie; and their dog Brian.
It is set in the fictional city of Quahog, Rhode Island.
Here are the main characters:
Peter - (voiced by Seth McFarlane) is the main protagonist. He's irresponsible, obese and a heavy drinker. His IQ falls near the bordeline of mental retardation. And as we see through the series, he is known for having very complicated ancestry, including 2 different Irish fathers and an African American slave owned by his wife's ancestors.
Lois - (voiced by Alex Borstein) is the housewife/mother. SHe is seen as the stay-at-home mum, who has to juggle her piano lessons, kids and husband all in one day. And constantly has to dodge attacks from her matricidal son Stewie. She's revealed to be Jewish, even though she was raised Protestant. Even though she has an innocent appearance, she has elements of the "Angel Whore",, because in most cases she is represented as the morally intelligent and responsible one, but in other scenes you have her dressed in tight leather clothing, seducing her husband and making sex tapes.
Stewie - (voiced by Seth McFarlane) is the baby that behaves like an adult in many different ways, like his upper-class accent nobody understands but the dog, Brian. He talks very posh, carries weapons, invents new technology. In earlier seasons, he is known for trying to kill his mother, whereas in the more recent ones, he is portrayed as sexually frustrated, a bit nicer and with signs of homosexuality.
Chris - (voiced by Seth Green) is the second child. He's fat, dim-witted, blond and emotionally diffusive.
Brian - (voiced by Seth McFarlane) is the family's talking dog. He is portrayed as intelligent, often pointing out how ridiculous Peter's ideas are. He dates a lot of dumb human girls, which make him feel better about his knowledge. He enjoys opera and theatre and is an atheist.
Meg - (voiced by Mila Kunis) is the first child and only daughter. She is a self-conscious and unattractive girl who is treated like crap by her own family and most people from the city. She is mainly used in the series as a target for emotional and phyiscal abuse.
Representations
Women - the way the mother (Lois) is treated throughout the series, shows how women are represented as housewives. Most of the time, we see Lois making the dinner, tidying up after everyone else, being the organised one, the feeder. But she is also seen as a whore, because there are many scenes where she is noticeably in tight leather clothing doing sexual favours for her husband. She is shown as having these secret fetishes that nobody apart from her husband, and probably the pervy neighbour Quagmire, know about.
Men - there is a lot of controversy surrounding how men are represented in the series. On one hand, you have Peter, who is seen, at times, to be the dominant one, the drinker, the one who tries to take control. Yet at the end of most episodes, he is proven wrong and Lois is always the one that gets the credit for the happy ending. So, in that respect, Lois is seen as the dominant partnet.
Black people - they are represented very stereotypically. I wouldn't say the series is spitefully insulting the black race, but sometimes the humour is so over-the-top that people wonder whether they really mean it as a joke or wheteher they mean for black people to be portrayed like that on the show. Here is an example of a racist comment made in the series towards black people and their use of drugs:
Homosexuality - there is also a very stereotypical representation of gay men. There is one episode where homosexuality has come up in the news, and the host begins to describe how to look out for gay people. Here is the clip:
Media Forms
Overuse of phrases/sarcasm – even though they overuse a lot of their jokes, and they seem rather long and annoying, the abrupt ending creates sudden humour. For example, in the next clip, we see Stewie taking the mick out of Brian for his decision in writing a novel. The fact that the joke is extended through almost 2 minutes, makes it funny to watch. This gives the audience a sense of personal identification, laughing at other people's misery and annoyance is something many people tend to do, which is what the show is playing at in this clip:
Lengthy silences - create a tense yet funny atmosphere. For example, if one were to go to church, and sit through a lengthy mass and proceed to accidentally think of something funny, it is natural that one becomes anxious of the situation they are in and begin to laugh because of the fact that they know they shouldn't be laughing. Awkward situations happen to almost everybody, and Family Guy foresee situations where lengthly silences allow the audience to interpret what the characters are thinking, and possibly find it humourous.
Hyperbole and Satire – extreme exaggeration of certain events/people. The next clip introduces an episode where Stewie and Brian take a trip to Germany, and confront a tour guide for their false information about the duration of the Second World War. The idea behind this scene is to allow the audience to laugh at the extreme exaggeration of the German people and their stereotypical denial of Hitler's actions. It is known that many Nazi soldiers after the Second World War were interrogated for their involvement in killing 6+ million Jewish people during the war, and proceeded to deny their actions. Therefore, the show use this as a method to allow even the German people in today's society to look upon their history of denial in a more humourous way, rather than in sheer embarassment. Here is the link:
http://video.canadiancontent.net/43720662-family-guy-german-tour.html
Use of oppositional humour - this kind of humour is often used in contemporary media texts as a way to get the audience to put themselves in somebody else's shoes and understand a situation completely through the use of role reversal. For example, in the next clip, a talking horse's (Thunder) owner is considering putting him down for his broken leg, because he is unable to race. Yet the sudden reversal of roles allows the audience to understand, from the horse's point-of-view, what it would be like to be sat on and whipped to ride with a broken leg. Here is the clip:
Narrative
The narrative mainly follows Tvzetan Todorov's theory of Equilibrium:
Equilibrium - where all is as it should be
Disruption in Equilibrium - a disruption of that order by an event
Recognition of disruption - where there is a recognition that the disorder has occurred
Attempt to repair - An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption
New Equilibrium - a return or restoration of a new equilibrium.
In these states, narrative is not seen as a linear structure but a circular one. The narrative is driven by attemprts to restore the equilibrium. However, the equilibrium attained at the end of the story is not identical to the initial equilibrium.
Media Audiences
I would say that the primary target audience for this show would be 18-40 year olds. Even though the series has a late scheduling time (after 10pm), it is anticipated that many teenagers under the age of 18 would watch the show. Therefore, the secondary target audience would probably be 11-18 year olds. This is because the 21st Century is a very permissive society, and it is clear that shows that were traditionally considered as being harmful to children, are now increasingly becoming more and more acceptible. This has become a huge debate in terms of the shaping of people through the media. Some argue it is society that has changed the way we view media texts, as we are increasingly becoming more open-minded about the way we interpret television, especially comedy. Others argue that it is the media that is shaping society as we know it today, and are blaming those responsible for television broadcast for their transmission of obscene images.
The target gender would have to be both male and female. There are many stereotypical representations of both genders, and it seems that comedy is evenly distributed within the series. However, there is clearly an element of the male gaze within the show as it is obvious that the main protagonist is a man; Peter Griffin. Clearly the name of the show is Family "GUY" referring to the fact that the main character is male, so the audience is unintentionally receiving this text like a hypodermic needle, unaware that they are watching through a male gaze that is not only hitting on racist aspects, but could influence those of a younger generation to become more sexist in the way they approach women.
Furthermore, it is intended for some audiences to be able to personally identify themselves with some of the characters on the show. For example, Meg, the daughter, could be a role model for some girls who find themselves unattractive. Yet it could add an element of self-harm due to the character's "emo-like" nature of slitting her wrists in some episodes. This rebellious character could influence younger girls who personally identify with her, to recreate her actions of seeking attention without realising that they are being yielded through the use of Ideological State Apparatus through this text.
However, others may find it a positive attribute to receive self-gratification from the show. It seems Family Guy offers escapism to those who are unaware of what to do in certain situations. It's possible that it is not only the show that does this, but any kind of comic sitcom/show/series offers an easy way out of stressful situations and arguments. The use of humour tends to allow the majority of people to escape petty arguments and possibly find connect with their foe in finding something in common with each other's sense of humour.
Media Institutions
In the UK, Family Guy is shown most commonly on BBC Three at around 11pm. BBC Three is known for its teenage reality television and lack of advertisement. The only known break on the channel is a 60 second gossip news footage in between shows at a late hour. This is a huge advantage to those who dislike advertisements and would like to watch shows straight one after the other. This promotes the channel, and allows more viewers to be persuaded to watch BBC Three for these kinds of shows. Therefore, Family Guy is promoted through the use of the channel's popularity for its lack of breaks, allowing the production company to gross at a higher rate.
The Family Guy production company is 20th Century Fox. It is famous for its investment in Home Alone, and Home Alone 2: Lose in New York. This promotes the show, as some audience viewers would identify the production company and its logo, and be able to link it to a film they enjoyed watching, which was also produced by the same company. Therefore, it is another advantage that the production company is popular for its 20th Century films, which have become instant hits in well-known Hollywood.
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