Assignment 1-4-3 Written Analysis 2

Assignment 1-4-3 Written Analysis 2

            As with nearly all television series, The Simpsons and Family Guy use a variety of entertainment methodologies to hold the interest of the viewer.  Referencing other aspects of pop culture is commonly employed, as are stereotypes.  Stereotypes are generally used to aid in explaining or describing an aspect of a show.  Rituals are also displayed as well, often to provide more depth and personality to characters.  The following discussion explains how these two concepts are used in Family Guy and The Simpsons.

            It has long been a tradition in the television industry to employ the use of stereotype or “stock” characters and locations.  This has been done for multiple reasons.  They are employed to save money on production (reusing costumes, animation cels, sets, etc.), used for comedic effect, or as a means of quickly explaining a person or thing.  Stereotypes can be applied to anything, and frequently are on both shows.  For example, the town of Springfield on The Simpsons is supposed to be a stereotypical town.  This is clearly evident by its name, as there is a Springfield in every state.  Quahog, Rhode Island, the fictional town in Family Guy is a stereotypical New England shore town.  Though several locations within the fictional towns are depicted on the shows, the idea of the town being a stereotype is so that the viewer can relate it to a place they are most familiar with.

            In addition to the towns themselves the show is rife with stereotypes.  Several characters within the shows are explicit or implicit stereotypes.  On The Simpsons you have Ned Flanders, the dedicated religious fanatic, Apu the stereotypical Indian character, Montgomery Burns, the mean-spirited rich person, and Barney, the town drunk as examples of explicit stereotypes, employed to explain more about the characters’ lives.  On Family Guy stereotypes are even more explicitly defined for comedic purposes, such as with “Asian Reporter Tricia Takanawa”.  Both shows also feature implicit stereotypes as well.  it is implied that Stewie Griffin is bisexual but it is never clearly defined.  Homer Simpson and Peter Griffin are considered implicitly stereotypical average men, while in actuality they live lives far beyond what most of us would consider average.  Homer and Peter are branded in this manner to help aid the viewer in relating with the situations they find themselves in.  Clearly, the stereotype is quite important to both shows.

            Rituals are often shown on Family Guy and The Simpsons as well.  Both Peter and Homer are commonly shown drinking at their local bars with their friends as often as they can.  Homer and Peter go to their bars to unwind with friends, to drown their sorrows, or even to plan their next adventure.  The Simpson family attends church on Sunday.  Bart and Lisa are frequently shown watching their favorite TV show, The Krusty the Clown Show.  Both are shown as being fans of the show, and both seem to care deeply about Krusty the Clown, despite Krusty’s often negative outlook on life and children.  Early on in Family Guy’s run, Stewie Griffin would frequently attempt to kill his mother, Lois.  Though it appeared to be quite important to Stewie, as of lately he seems to have moved on from his pursuit of his mother’s death.  These rituals demonstrate how stereotypes are used on both shows to provide more depth to the various characters. 

            After taking time to evaluate the stereotypes on The Simpsons and Family Guy I learned more about the reasons they are used on both shows.  Stereotypes are often discussed academically as being used for derogatory or offensive purposes.  I learned that this is not always the case.  Stereotypes allow the time that would be spent on character definition to be used to depict other events in the characters’ lives, such as what is happening to them at the present moment.  Even when stereotypes are being presented for derogatory purposes on the shows, they are being used to try to make viewers laugh, not to disparage people.  To add to the definition applied through the use of stereotypes, rituals are often depicted to add more depth to characters’ lives.  The intent can vary from trying to get the user to relate to the characters to simply showing emotional aspects of the characters that are not as apparent as they could be.  It was an eye opening exercise.

References

Brooks, J.L, Groening, M., & Simon, S. (Executive Producers). (1989). The Simpsons [Television series]. Hollywood: 20^th Century Fox.

Goodman, D.A., Callaghan, S., Sheridan, C., & MacFarlane, S. (Executive Producers). (1999). Family Guy [Television series]. Hollywood: 20^th Century Fox.