I've been watching this show since the beginning, but I've recently taken a real liking to it.
American Dad doesn't get enough attention as the other FOX cartoons, particularly Family Guy. Which is a shame, because not only is American Dad currently the best of that lineup, it has the creative chops that Family Guy has lacked for years.
Don't get me wrong. I still enjoy Family Guy. But the show today is regretfully inconsistent. By that meaning, had I known it would become such an annoying mess where it adopted a "We can do whatever we want!" style of humor, I wouldn't have joined the campaign to save it 10 years ago. It's not even the first cartoon to turn its back on its viewers after being revived.
American Dad, on the other hand has softened its initial emphasis on political humor, and by focusing on story and character development rewards its audience for staying loyal to the show. It has also become a better example of Seth MacFarlane's writing and acting abilities, namely thru Roger's life as a role-player.
Because of all that, American Dad has far outgrown its initial status as a Family Guy copycat, and has become a rare example, especially nowadays of a show that improves with age.
FOX seems eager to get rid of it for God knows why. I'm hoping this great show can stick around a little longer.
American Dad
-
ajmrowland
- Signature Collection
- Posts: 8177
- Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2009 10:19 pm
- Location: Appleton, WI
-
TheValentineBros
- Anniversary Edition
- Posts: 1119
- Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2007 8:26 am
- Contact:
I actually love American Dad! more than Family Guy. Why do Family Guy fanbrats complain about American Dad! and say that the show sucks and say that the creator must die for making that show, when it's made by the same person? They were hypocritical. I mean, they gave Family Guy a chance, why not American Dad?
-
Mickeyfan1990
- Collector's Edition
- Posts: 2562
- Joined: Sat May 05, 2007 12:24 pm
Re: American Dad
It got renewed for a 7th season recently. So...Semaj wrote:FOX seems eager to get rid of it for God knows why. I'm hoping this great show can stick around a little longer.
Anyway, really love this show! Been watching it alot lately than any other animated Fox show.
-
Disney Duster
- Ultimate Collector's Edition
- Posts: 14166
- Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2005 6:02 am
- Gender: Male
- Location: America
I like Amercian Dad better than Family Guy now, except sometimes Stewie and Brian can't be beat. But the alien Roger is my new favorite, and I like pretty much the whole cast overall more than Family Guy's. They really are funnier, there's actually some kind of innocence to them and something that makes them feel like they really are characters. I think it's that consistency some people mentioned.
But I feel bad for liking either of these shows. They are basically all making fun and light of the awful. There's a lot of shock value and humour that is so bad it goes beyond the term "dark humor". It's really offensive, it's worse than a guilty pleasure, it's like I laugh but feel terrible for doing it at the same time.
The creator of the show, Seth McFarlane, even once said on a talk show that some things were seen as "okay" because they have catchy, nice songs. I feel both shows feel good and "okay" because they have brightly colored cartoon characters and an upbeat tone.
I just wonder, where will it go from here as American keeps laughing at the offensive and making fun of the worst stuff we can think of?
Not to mention that Seth McFarlane, who revealed he was an atheist but said he didn't have an agenda, actually does push his atheistic views just like an agenda on both shows, though for some reason I think American Dad does it less than Family Guy, and sometimes shows the other view, aka possible existence of spiritual things.
But I feel bad for liking either of these shows. They are basically all making fun and light of the awful. There's a lot of shock value and humour that is so bad it goes beyond the term "dark humor". It's really offensive, it's worse than a guilty pleasure, it's like I laugh but feel terrible for doing it at the same time.
The creator of the show, Seth McFarlane, even once said on a talk show that some things were seen as "okay" because they have catchy, nice songs. I feel both shows feel good and "okay" because they have brightly colored cartoon characters and an upbeat tone.
I just wonder, where will it go from here as American keeps laughing at the offensive and making fun of the worst stuff we can think of?
Not to mention that Seth McFarlane, who revealed he was an atheist but said he didn't have an agenda, actually does push his atheistic views just like an agenda on both shows, though for some reason I think American Dad does it less than Family Guy, and sometimes shows the other view, aka possible existence of spiritual things.
-
PixarFan2006
- Signature Collection
- Posts: 6166
- Joined: Fri Jun 16, 2006 8:44 am
- Location: Michigan
I did not think much of the show when it first started, but I have found it more enjoyable after watching reruns on Adult Swim. I bought a couple of the the DVDs over the weekend.
There are times when I prefer it to the newer episodes of Family Guy.
Putting it on the 7:30 slot (the death time slot) is a very bad sign. The show that took it's original timw (Bob's Burgers) is nowhere near as enjoyabele.
There are times when I prefer it to the newer episodes of Family Guy.
Putting it on the 7:30 slot (the death time slot) is a very bad sign. The show that took it's original timw (Bob's Burgers) is nowhere near as enjoyabele.
-
jpanimation
- Anniversary Edition
- Posts: 1841
- Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2009 12:00 am
-
Christopher_TCUIH
- Special Edition
- Posts: 633
- Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2011 3:40 am
- Location: California
Am. Dad
Yeah American Dad! I just got into that show. My brother kept telling me how good it was, but I never gave it a try until now! It's the best. I like it better than Family Guy too. In fact I don't watch Family Guy anymore after American Dad is over I change the channel. Roger is the best! Especially with his favorite song by "Cilantro" 
-
dvdjunkie
- Signature Collection
- Posts: 5613
- Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2004 10:05 am
- Location: Wichita, Kansas
Worst animated show on television, but better than "The Simpson's". I don't watch any of the Fox Animated Shows anymore. After 15 years The Simpson's wore out their welcome, and I couldn't find anything funny about "King of the Hill", "The Cleveland Show", "Bob's Burgers" or any of the other animated shows that all the educated-idiots out there watch.
Sorry about the rant, but that is just my opinion.
Sorry about the rant, but that is just my opinion.
The only way to watch movies - Original Aspect Ratio!!!!
I LOVE my Blu-Ray Disc Player!
I LOVE my Blu-Ray Disc Player!
-
Christopher_TCUIH
- Special Edition
- Posts: 633
- Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2011 3:40 am
- Location: California
Am. Dad
To:dvdjunkie
Oh I get you. It can be too much. What kinds of shows do you like?
Oh I get you. It can be too much. What kinds of shows do you like?
Personally, I can't stand McFarlane's shows anymore. American Dad IS indeed the better of the three, but I got burnt out by it all.
I used to LOVE Family Guy back in 1999 when it premiered. And yes, I was one of the fanboys that supported the show's return. Looking back, I wish it had stayed an underground classic than a mainstream disaster.
I can easily write a thesis on why the shows suck, but I can detail them quickly.
First is the humor. While the first three seasons were filled with "cutaway" gags and pop culture references, there was still a great balance of stories and gags. The characters were also better balanced. Now, they rely WAY too much on gags and references and barely stop to develop the plot. The characters have also become one dimensional, often existing just for a quick.
Such is the case with Meg. Granted, she was always meant to be the awkward teenage girl of the family. But now, the abuse towards her is unbearable. It confirms that the show has become highly sexist towards women. Sure the first few seasons had it share of sexist comments and jokes, but now its very rare to find a female character that doesn't exist just for sex appeal or to get abuse from the male characters. In fact, the male characters get more exposure and development, while the female characters are just there.
The other thing I hate about the show is how often McFarlane uses it to preach his own beliefs. The creators of South Park often do this too, but they realize that they need to be fair and even mock their own beliefs. McFarlane just takes a topic and focuses on HIS beliefs and HIS thoughts, often painting a very clear shade of black and white.
This is more evident than in the episode where Brian becomes an atheist. Just in case, I have no problem with the concept behind atheism. People have the right to believe whatever they want. It is a personal choice. My gripes with the episode is that it was extremely one sided, painting Christianity in a bad light while Brian was made the victim. I also understand that atheists do get a lot of unfair hate for something that is personal and theirs, but McFarlane wasn't being fair. He was just whining that the world doesn't share his beliefs and wanted to do an episode mocking religion.
South Park has mocked religion for years now. But they also get that it is also a very important of our culture, it forms who we are as human beings. They celebrate it as much as they mock it. They get it.
It doesn't help that in that same episode the Meg abuse got to the point where her own beliefs were mocked, ridiculed and bashed. I mean, Brian pretty much told her the reason she is fat, ugly and unloved is because there is no God, all while trying to ham fist a message from McFarlane's own ego. I'm sorry, I may be old fashioned, but that was INSULTING to the story and the viewer.
Hell, I think Quagmire sums up my feelings for McFarlane very well...
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BdbnssEZ_Xk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
But, I understand people like the show, so more power to them.
I used to LOVE Family Guy back in 1999 when it premiered. And yes, I was one of the fanboys that supported the show's return. Looking back, I wish it had stayed an underground classic than a mainstream disaster.
I can easily write a thesis on why the shows suck, but I can detail them quickly.
First is the humor. While the first three seasons were filled with "cutaway" gags and pop culture references, there was still a great balance of stories and gags. The characters were also better balanced. Now, they rely WAY too much on gags and references and barely stop to develop the plot. The characters have also become one dimensional, often existing just for a quick.
Such is the case with Meg. Granted, she was always meant to be the awkward teenage girl of the family. But now, the abuse towards her is unbearable. It confirms that the show has become highly sexist towards women. Sure the first few seasons had it share of sexist comments and jokes, but now its very rare to find a female character that doesn't exist just for sex appeal or to get abuse from the male characters. In fact, the male characters get more exposure and development, while the female characters are just there.
The other thing I hate about the show is how often McFarlane uses it to preach his own beliefs. The creators of South Park often do this too, but they realize that they need to be fair and even mock their own beliefs. McFarlane just takes a topic and focuses on HIS beliefs and HIS thoughts, often painting a very clear shade of black and white.
This is more evident than in the episode where Brian becomes an atheist. Just in case, I have no problem with the concept behind atheism. People have the right to believe whatever they want. It is a personal choice. My gripes with the episode is that it was extremely one sided, painting Christianity in a bad light while Brian was made the victim. I also understand that atheists do get a lot of unfair hate for something that is personal and theirs, but McFarlane wasn't being fair. He was just whining that the world doesn't share his beliefs and wanted to do an episode mocking religion.
South Park has mocked religion for years now. But they also get that it is also a very important of our culture, it forms who we are as human beings. They celebrate it as much as they mock it. They get it.
It doesn't help that in that same episode the Meg abuse got to the point where her own beliefs were mocked, ridiculed and bashed. I mean, Brian pretty much told her the reason she is fat, ugly and unloved is because there is no God, all while trying to ham fist a message from McFarlane's own ego. I'm sorry, I may be old fashioned, but that was INSULTING to the story and the viewer.
Hell, I think Quagmire sums up my feelings for McFarlane very well...
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BdbnssEZ_Xk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
But, I understand people like the show, so more power to them.
-
PatrickvD
- Signature Collection
- Posts: 5207
- Joined: Fri Sep 19, 2003 11:34 am
- Location: The Netherlands
I'm a HUGE American Dad fan. I actually started watching it since the beginning in 2005 before finding out what Family Guy was. So I never viewed it as some sort of rip-off, like understandably a lot of Family Guy fans did.
And it is the best of Fox's animation line-up. It's consistently funny with actual stories in each episode that manage to surprise instead of end up being lame and predictable. Family Guy rarely makes me laugh, focusing too much on what people don't enjoy about the show instead of what's good about it.
Anyone saw the Rapture episode of American Dad? Tell me that is not brilliant. I laughed my ass off.
And how can you not love Roger?
A+
And it is the best of Fox's animation line-up. It's consistently funny with actual stories in each episode that manage to surprise instead of end up being lame and predictable. Family Guy rarely makes me laugh, focusing too much on what people don't enjoy about the show instead of what's good about it.
Anyone saw the Rapture episode of American Dad? Tell me that is not brilliant. I laughed my ass off.
And how can you not love Roger?
A+