Family Guy - Simpsons Crossover Outrage

[Boges]

Time is a Flat Circle.

I remember when the Simpsons started out and it was considered (usually by the stuffy Right Wing type) as bad for society.

Simpsons is going on 25 years old now. It's ingrained in the culture of Western World. It's lost all of it's edge but it keeps going.

The Family Guy had a different path, it has always been more edgy and it actually got cancelled for a period but Fox brought it back and it's been around since. Anyone who watches the Family Guy knows what you're going to get. Seth MacFarlane is always looking to push his comedy to the edge.

Well this week the Simpsons and the Family Guy are finally doing a cross over.

And here we get our circle.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/celebrity-news/the-a-list/simpsons-family-guy-crossover-episode-under-fire-for-rape-joke/article20783978/

A joke that employs rape in the punch line is stirring up controversy on the long-awaited crossover episode of The Simpsons and Family Guy even before the episode airs.

The Associated Press reports that the contentious joke appears in this Sundays mashup between the two Fox animated series in which the Simpsons family and the Griffin clan meet for the first time.

In the trailer for the crossover episode released by Fox several weeks ago, Bart Simpson instructs genius-baby Stewie in the fine art of prank phone-calling.

As in countless Simpsons episodes past, Bart phones Moes Tavern and asks proprietor Moe Szylak whether there is anyone there with the last name Keybum, first name Lee.

After Moe bellows out to his barflies in search of leaky bum, patrons have a good laugh at his expense.

Stewie, of course, is suitably impressed and proceeds to make his own prank call to the same victim.

The Stewie version: Hello, Moe? Your sisters being raped.

You can watch the trailer here.

Katherine Hull Fliflet, the spokeswoman for the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) in Washington, D.C., told Associated Press she did not find the rape joke especially offensive.

I think the show is making it clear that rape is not funny by how they are positioning the joke, said Fliflet. Its my hope that would be the viewers take-away.

The Parents Television Council advocacy group, however, takes a different position.

I was blown out of my shoes when I saw the scene with the rape joke in it, PTC president Tim Winter told the Associated Press. It really troubled me.

That joke is very mild by Family Guy standards. Anyone who's offended has NEVER watched the Family Guy.

You can be offended by that, it's your right. But are we at a point in society where if it offends it should be banned?

If that's the case then Comedy will forever be stunted if easily offended people can simply get jokes censored because they are outraged.

Are the PC police replacing the moral majority in the goal to sanitize the entertainment we consume?

Edited September 25, 2014 by Boges

[overthere]

I am going to take my cue on this from the national caucus of the NDP, who hold the national franchise on Outrage Inc.

Whatever they say is fine with me.

[WWWTT]

Hey that was good!

Thanks for sharing

WWWTT

[Guest]

Being offensive should never be a reason for being banned. People should just be offended.

In this case, I don't think it is particularly offensive. I agree with the lady from RAINN, in that the dialogue made it clear that rape is not a joke, and not to be used as such. (Although they did use it in the larger joke, the joke wouldn't work if they didn't use something that was offensive)

Although I have to admit that's going by the description. I haven't seen the show. I haven't watched The Simpsons for a decade, and I've never seen Family Guy.

I did watch South Park regularly though, which I would never have been able to if being offensive got a show banned.

[Bonam]

But are we at a point in society where if it offends it should be banned?

Sadly, we as a society are indeed very close to that point.

[Moonlight Graham]

I think it just comes down to economic interests. If enough people don't like a joke it's going to get pulled from a show etc. so as to not piss off the consumers. It's not like some government body is taking away free speech, FOX has a choice here.

Edited September 26, 2014 by Moonlight Graham

[On Guard for Thee]

My goodness, are the kiddies having a little spat over their cartoons now? Sheesh!

[GostHacked]

I prefer South Park for real social/satirical comedy commentary. Family Guy and Simpsons have always been lightweights in that regard.