Tonight's Family Guy Episode...

[Breathe-0ut]

...is 'totally' racist.

Also like some Family Guy episodes and a two part South Park episode, I have a good feeling it's going to start something.

[Korriken]

At 3/17/13 09:23 PM, Breathe-0ut wrote: ...is 'totally' racist.

oh boo hoo fucking hoo.

"oh noes, thats racist! Oh noes thats sexist! Oh noes, that insults my religion!"

You wanna know why this is even an issue? because people whine and cry about it. If people weren't so weak and easily offended things like this wouldn't even exist because it would have no shock value.

If you don't like it, vote with your remote. simply change the channel when the offending show comes on.

[Warforger]

At 3/18/13 12:05 AM, Korriken wrote:

At 3/17/13 09:23 PM, Breathe-0ut wrote: ...is 'totally' racist.

oh boo hoo fucking hoo.

"oh noes, thats racist! Oh noes thats sexist! Oh noes, that insults my religion!"

You wanna know why this is even an issue? because people whine and cry about it. If people weren't so weak and easily offended things like this wouldn't even exist because it would have no shock value.

If you don't like it, vote with your remote. simply change the channel when the offending show comes on.

Wow you clearly have no idea what you're talking about. When this kind of stuff is on television kids see it, they in turn take it in and then you start to see video's like this pop up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY39fkmqKBM
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10345282

And what do you see? People who think like you bullying these people even more for even expressing anger or feelings of being offended when it's clear THEY FUCKING SHOULD! I mean christ going by this same logic we should allow minstrel shows on television as well as Sambo.

[Iron-Hampster]

good, he needs to rip on Muslims a bit to counterbalance how much he ripped on the Jews at the Oscars.

[Light]

At 3/18/13 12:05 AM, Korriken wrote:

At 3/17/13 09:23 PM, Breathe-0ut wrote: ...is 'totally' racist.

oh boo hoo fucking hoo.

"oh noes, thats racist! Oh noes thats sexist! Oh noes, that insults my religion!"

You wanna know why this is even an issue? because people whine and cry about it. If people weren't so weak and easily offended things like this wouldn't even exist because it would have no shock value.

If you don't like it, vote with your remote. simply change the channel when the offending show comes on.

That kind of attitude is what has allowed people throughout history to justify the practice of prejudice.

[Iron-Hampster]

At 3/18/13 01:41 AM, Light wrote:

If you don't like it, vote with your remote. simply change the channel when the offending show comes on.

That kind of attitude is what has allowed people throughout history to justify the practice of prejudice.

and that's the attitude that allows people to erode the right to free speech.

[Ceratisa]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY39fkmqKBM
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10345282

Okay well I'm Korean and I really don't care

and Fake ginger rage kid isn't a good example.

[Tony-DarkGrave]

At 3/18/13 01:41 AM, Light wrote: That kind of attitude is what has allowed people throughout history to justify the practice of prejudice.

and thats the kind of attitude of Political Correctness thats ruining this country..

[Light]

At 3/18/13 01:45 AM, Iron-Hampster wrote:

At 3/18/13 01:41 AM, Light wrote:

If you don't like it, vote with your remote. simply change the channel when the offending show comes on.

That kind of attitude is what has allowed people throughout history to justify the practice of prejudice.

and that's the attitude that allows people to erode the right to free speech.

I don't believe that hateful speech should be abridged(unless it causes others extreme distress, as is often the case when the Westboro Baptist Church pickets funerals).

What I was trying to say is that racism, sexism, etc. shouldn't be justified merely because it can be ignored, as Korriken seems to suggest, not that freedom of speech should be excessively curtailed.

At 3/18/13 06:08 AM, Tony-DarkGrave wrote:

At 3/18/13 01:41 AM, Light wrote: That kind of attitude is what has allowed people throughout history to justify the practice of prejudice.

and thats the kind of attitude of Political Correctness thats ruining this country..

"Political correctness = opposition to tasteless jokes that are highly offensive and intend to be highly offensive.'

OK then, Tony.

[Korriken]

At 3/18/13 12:58 AM, Warforger wrote:

Wow you clearly have no idea what you're talking about. When this kind of stuff is on television kids see it, they in turn take it in and then you start to see video's like this pop up.

right to free speech doesn't exist in school. the teacher should have previewed the video.

Also, the kid needs to grow some skin. If you play victim every time someone heckles or makes fun of you, you'll never get anywhere in life. I had to pummel the people bullying me into submission for them to leave me alone.

And what do you see? People who think like you bullying these people even more for even expressing anger or feelings of being offended when it's clear THEY FUCKING SHOULD! I mean christ going by this same logic we should allow minstrel shows on television as well as Sambo.

I'll say it again. If you don't like it, vote with your remote. There's a reason I don't watch television at all.

Should I get all pissy every time I see a show based on white trash southerners? Should I get enraged when I see white people shown in a bad light? Should I throw a fit every time I see a male villain? Should I threaten to kill everyone who insults Christianity?

Why not? every other race and religion gets to.

If we're going to make it to where no one should insult anyone, we need to remove everything that shows anyone in a bad light off the air. That includes pretty much every television show, except for those mind numbing "Can you say this? Can you count to 10?" kids educational shows. Every "white southern" show, without exception that I've seen, always portrays white southerners as stereotypical stupid hicks, which of course, shows them in a bad light.

Of course, it's politically correct to make white people look bad, but the other races are clearly off limits, right?

[Camarohusky]

People still watch that show?

I read the plot. Sounds intentionally offensive, but not done so in a Tosh.0 or South Park "You know it's coming" sort of manner.

[TheMason]

At 3/17/13 09:23 PM, Breathe-0ut wrote: ...is 'totally' racist.

Also like some Family Guy episodes and a two part South Park episode, I have a good feeling it's going to start something.

Nah...not racist at all.

According to Webster's:
1: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race

2: racial prejudice or discrimination

====

I just got done watching the episode. He makes fun of Muslims, but he is not saying that they are inferior, nor is he necessarily advocating for prejudice/discrimination against Muslims. In fact, he ends the episode by poking fun at anti-Muslim hysteria post-9/11.

Furthermore, he has made fun of all races, religions, sexual preferences, and genders. Same with South Park.

I think there is a difference between things that should honestly be offensive and things that are based in humor and even people just trying to communicate.

[Camarohusky]

At 3/18/13 02:27 PM, TheMason wrote: Nah...not racist at all.

Would disagree here.

According to Webster's:
1: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race

Not because of this.

2: racial prejudice or discrimination

But because of this.

The inference that all Muslims are terrorists (yes, the ONLY Muslim Peter ever really spends time with being a terrorist is pretty suggestive of this point.)

====
Furthermore, he has made fun of all races, religions, sexual preferences, and genders. Same with South Park.

True. He does. But what I think makes this different than South Park is the how. Family Guy makes their offensive jokes in a on eliner format, and rarely takes any such thing longer than that (though it has happened). When Family Guy extends it longer than a one liner it becomes a point of emphasis on the show. Whereas South Park takes most of their offensive concepts and makes them last th emajority or entirety of a show. So when South Park makes an entire show lambasting something it is not an extar emphasis, rather just par for the course. The repurtations make a difference here too. While both shows have the reputation of being edgy, South Park was built 100% of pushing as many envelopes as far as they possibly could and in extremely in your face manner. Family guy is more known for shotgunning inane humor that sometmes contains an offensive joke and rarely an offensive line of jokes.

I think there is a difference between things that should honestly be offensive and things that are based in humor and even people just trying to communicate.

There shouldn't be a difference, as if we made such a difference the latter would lose much of its value. South Park has been largely dulled by the incessant offensiveness, but every now and then the show gets people talking, which is exactly what Stone and Parker want. They want to not only mock their target, but expose it and put it in the spotlight. If we take out the offensiveness when we know it's done for humor, we end up robbing the spotlight and the exposition of the topic, leaving only mocking which takes away much of the point.

[Dimitrilium]

I'm offended that you are offended.

[Breathe-0ut]

At 3/18/13 04:59 PM, Dimitrilium wrote: I'm offended that you are offended.

I'm not Muslim, or ginger, a little bit Arabic, but I'm not offended. Just wanted to see what people would react to last night's episode, but congratz to first reply, this is my longest thread.

[Entice]

Surprise. The episode didn't stir up anything, unless you count a negative reception from internet critics.

Did you honestly expect any different? Family Guy's been doing shit like this for a while, they'd have to do something completely over the top to get any more attention.

[Warforger]

At 3/18/13 07:43 AM, Korriken wrote: right to free speech doesn't exist in school. the teacher should have previewed the video.

That wasn't the point. The point is that people were harmed by these video's.

Also, the kid needs to grow some skin. If you play victim every time someone heckles or makes fun of you, you'll never get anywhere in life. I had to pummel the people bullying me into submission for them to leave me alone.

There's a difference between "growing some skin" and getting angry because everyone makes fun of you for your ethnicity. One implies that it's only occasional laughter, the other implies outright bullying. You'd be right if a couple people did, but if a huge part of the school population did, which is what this kid is complaining about, then it's a huge problem and the solution is not "grow some skin" it's to teach the kids that what they're doing is wrong.

I'll say it again. If you don't like it, vote with your remote. There's a reason I don't watch television at all.

Again, these shows often reinforce negative stereotypes and lead to people in real life getting hurt.

Should I get all pissy every time I see a show based on white trash southerners? Should I get enraged when I see white people shown in a bad light? Should I throw a fit every time I see a male villain? Should I threaten to kill everyone who insults Christianity?

No, but that doesn't mean it's not offensive and it doesn't mean that it should be on the air.

Why not? every other race and religion gets to.

They don't though, often times shows get away with making these episodes. I mean seriously just watch Tosh.0 or any other show on Comedy Central racist jokes are so common they've become mundane.

If we're going to make it to where no one should insult anyone, we need to remove everything that shows anyone in a bad light off the air. That includes pretty much every television show, except for those mind numbing "Can you say this? Can you count to 10?" kids educational shows. Every "white southern" show, without exception that I've seen, always portrays white southerners as stereotypical stupid hicks, which of course, shows them in a bad light.

Really? Like what? Most of the shows I've seen show the opposite.

Of course, it's politically correct to make white people look bad, but the other races are clearly off limits, right?

No you're just assuming what my response is. Tell me, would you be ok if Comedy Central unveiled a TV show about Sambo? Or broadcasting minstrel shows?

[ArmouredGRIFFON]

At 3/18/13 01:37 AM, Iron-Hampster wrote: good, he needs to rip on Muslims a bit to counterbalance how much he ripped on the Jews at the Oscars.

Nobody ever hates on Satanism.

[The-Great-One]

At 3/18/13 12:58 AM, Warforger wrote: Wow you clearly have no idea what you're talking about. When this kind of stuff is on television kids see it, they in turn take it in and then you start to see video's like this pop up.

Last time I checked, Family Guy is rated TV14. Meaning that parents should keep in mind what their children are watching. So this statement is clearly bull and relates nothing to the television show, but to how parents raise their children.

Would I say that the Family Guy episode is racist? No. I would say that it is stereotypical. For something to be a stereotype it has to hold some merits. This episode of Family Guy is just shameful and is going for quick jokes. It isn't done in a more creative way like American Dad did with Stan of Arabia.

With Turban Cowboy it is nothing buy lazy writing. Like Family Guy's Thanksgiving episode talking about the Iraq war. If you want to use a holiday to bring up an issue with a war and still add some comedy, then fine. All In The Family did it with the episode Draft Dodger. They tackled the issue of the Vietnam War and it was still funny. It can be done, but execution is everything.

[orangebomb]

Really, this is simply par for the course for Family Guy. The show have always made fun of religion, race, ethnicity and just about everything else under the sun, similar to what South Park, and to a lesser extent The Simpsons have done for as long as they have been on the air, among others. This show isn't racist as much as it is stereotypical with it's humor and it's punchlines, pushing the envelope between good taste and offensive material. People need to know what they're watching and what to expect from shows like Family Guy in the first place, so that they don't get offended themselves and have a bitchfit over a show that uses crude humor and stereotypes as jokes over and over.

Do I necessarily agree with the writing of the show? No I don't, but then again, from a show like Family Guy, I honestly wouldn't not have expected any less from them, with the usual misplaced execution and numerous amounts of cut-out scenes which I've grown to despise.

[Korriken]

At 3/18/13 09:01 PM, Warforger wrote:

That wasn't the point. The point is that people were harmed by these video's.

did someone lose an eye, perhaps an arm? or died?

There's a difference between "growing some skin" and getting angry because everyone makes fun of you for your ethnicity.

One implies that it's only occasional laughter, the other implies outright bullying. You'd be right if a couple people did, but if a huge part of the school population did, which is what this kid is complaining about, then it's a huge problem and the solution is not "grow some skin" it's to teach the kids that what they're doing is wrong.

This much I can agree with, problem is, you don't stop a bully with words. you have to force the bully to choose a new target. Also, i doubt a huge part of the school population is doing it. If they are, it's because he's made himself such an easy target by whining and crying every time someone messes with him. A lot of people will leave you alone is you simply show no reaction to their stupidity. the ones that just will not leave you alone will have to receive a few ass beatings to get the hint.

Again, these shows often reinforce negative stereotypes and lead to people in real life getting hurt.

If you want these shows to go away, the only way to do it is to convince people to stop watching them.

No, but that doesn't mean it's not offensive and it doesn't mean that it should be on the air.

Perhaps, problem is 'free speech' is protected.

Most anything can be offensive. Even the most innocuous show can be labeled as offensive by someone.

They don't though, often times shows get away with making these episodes. I mean seriously just watch Tosh.0 or any other show on Comedy Central racist jokes are so common they've become mundane.

And now you see WHY I don't watch television. it's just so full of stupid that it's not funny.

Really? Like what? Most of the shows I've seen show the opposite.

You must not watch many reality tv shows then, I've been forced to sit through a few, in particular, Duck Dynasty and Honey Boo Boo are both horribly disgusting. Gypsy Sisters is particularly revolting as well. Problem is, when it comes to entertainment, people tend to act like flies and flock to the rotten, and to shit.

No you're just assuming what my response is. Tell me, would you be ok if Comedy Central unveiled a TV show about Sambo? Or broadcasting minstrel shows?

I was trying to make the point, but failed. forget it. Would I be ok with it? I couldn't care less, given that I don't watch television.

[Earfetish]

It would've been okay to have played on the 'all Muslims are terrorists' stereotype and other 'unwashed Arab' stereotypes had it actually been funny. However, the episode wasn't funny at all. American Dad's 'Stan of Arabia' episode and South Park did it far better.

[poxpower]

If you're a political correct hippie, next time you think about things like this, substitute "racism" for "violence".
Then realize you're using all the exact same arguments that morons use to link violence in media with school shootings.

I make a little game out of it whenever I see TYT complain about racism or sexism. Their claims are always nonsense, as their audience is quick to point out.
But hey, they're political analysts, not scientists.

[Korriken]

At 3/19/13 08:41 AM, Earfetish wrote: It would've been okay to have played on the 'all Muslims are terrorists' stereotype and other 'unwashed Arab' stereotypes had it actually been funny. However, the episode wasn't funny at all. American Dad's 'Stan of Arabia' episode and South Park did it far better.

what do you expect the family guy writers are just 'professionals' who lack inspiration, who sit around and try to figure out how to make people laugh. but as long as people keep watching, it'll stay on the air, much like The Simpsons (which hasn't been funny in years but has a zombie like fanbase large enough to keep it going)

[Camarohusky]

At 3/19/13 08:41 AM, Earfetish wrote: It would've been okay to have played on the 'all Muslims are terrorists' stereotype and other 'unwashed Arab' stereotypes had it actually been funny. However, the episode wasn't funny at all.

Fuckin' Manatees.

At 3/18/13 10:42 PM, Korriken wrote: did someone lose an eye, perhaps an arm? or died?

I don;t know what warforger is gping on about. Who cares if someone was hurt by the speech? Hurt feelings has never been the guiding line for limitations on speech. Anyway, there was a much better way to go after your free speech claim.

This much I can agree with, problem is, you don't stop a bully with words. you have to force the bully to choose a new target. Also, i doubt a huge part of the school population is doing it. If they are, it's because he's made himself such an easy target by whining and crying every time someone messes with him. A lot of people will leave you alone is you simply show no reaction to their stupidity. the ones that just will not leave you alone will have to receive a few ass beatings to get the hint.

Umm, I'd have to say that this is prehaps the WORST advice you could give to the Muslim community to deal with the "yer all terrists! Murica!" insults.

Muslims are discriminated entirely because people think they're all violent. And YES, you can stop a bully with words. Not angry words, or bitter words, or sad words, but happy words. They don't thrive on the violence, they thrive on the reaction to their violence. In the end, though, bullying and racism are two very different animals with very different motives and goals.

Perhaps, problem is 'free speech' is protected.

No it's not. Sure the government cannot stop the broadcast, but that's it. I could stop the boradcast. FOX could stop the broadcast. Nothing about free speech involves two private parties dealing among themselves whatsoever.

[Earfetish]

Yeah while I support people's rights to broadcast terrible, offensive and inflammatory jokes, I can't pretend that the Family Guy episode was any better than that Youtube video that triggered some violence in the Middle East a while ago. I think satirists have a duty to say something clever and subversive when playing on stereotypes - in fact, they should play WITH stereotypes instead of use stereotypes to poke fun at minorities. I'm reminded of the 'Snuke' episode of South Park where Cartman was intolerant towards the new Muslim kid, but this intolerance inadvertently stopped Hilary Clinton's vagina getting blown up by the British.

It's not satire to say 'hahaha Muslims are smelly terrorists'. It is just dumb. I don't think it should be illegal to say this kinda thing but it's amazing Fox didn't think, "I don't want this shit associated with my network."

[Camarohusky]

At 3/19/13 12:27 PM, Earfetish wrote: Yeah while I support people's rights to broadcast terrible, offensive and inflammatory jokes, I can't pretend that the Family Guy episode was any better than that Youtube video that triggered some violence in the Middle East a while ago. I think satirists have a duty to say something clever and subversive when playing on stereotypes - in fact, they should play WITH stereotypes instead of use stereotypes to poke fun at minorities. I'm reminded of the 'Snuke' episode of South Park where Cartman was intolerant towards the new Muslim kid, but this intolerance inadvertently stopped Hilary Clinton's vagina getting blown up by the British.

I think this nails it right here. Family Guy is not stand up. It has to do far more tha a stand up comedian does in order to pull off actually making fun of stereotypes. Whereas a standup comedian merely does so by making the audience fell mildly uncomfortable while laughing, Family Guy, by the nature of it being a TV show and not just a compliation of one liners (even though it largely is) it needs to do something more than merely highlight the racism, otherwise it's just being racist. Instead of poking fun at the horrifically incorrect stereotype of Muslim = Terrorist, all it does is highlight and reinforce that Muslim = Terrorist. We all know they were just trying to get cheap laughs, but in the end all they did was look stupid (think Michael Richardson's N-word outburst).

It's not satire to say 'hahaha Muslims are smelly terrorists'. It is just dumb. I don't think it should be illegal to say this kinda thing but it's amazing Fox didn't think, "I don't want this shit associated with my network."

Are you really trying to say that the network that spawned FOX News has standards?

[Korriken]

At 3/19/13 12:09 PM, Camarohusky wrote:

I don;t know what warforger is gping on about. Who cares if someone was hurt by the speech? Hurt feelings has never been the guiding line for limitations on speech. Anyway, there was a much better way to go after your free speech claim.

That was basically the point I was making.

Umm, I'd have to say that this is prehaps the WORST advice you could give to the Muslim community to deal with the "yer all terrists! Murica!" insults.

If it works it works.

Muslims are discriminated entirely because people think they're all violent. And YES, you can stop a bully with words. Not angry words, or bitter words, or sad words, but happy words. They don't thrive on the violence, they thrive on the reaction to their violence. In the end, though, bullying and racism are two very different animals with very different motives and goals.

Muslims are discriminated against because of the backwards shit that comes out of the middle east all of the time, compounded with people who want to bring Sharia law to non Muslim countries.

No it's not. Sure the government cannot stop the broadcast, but that's it. I could stop the boradcast. FOX could stop the broadcast. Nothing about free speech involves two private parties dealing among themselves whatsoever.

That was my point. The government cannot stop the broadcast. As much as I would love to see many things removed from the airwaves, the problem is, once you give the government that power, nothing good can come of it and then the airwaves will become propaganda machines... well, more than they are now.

[Th-e]

As I think about this article, I wonder how things would have been if we had Brian preaching about the positive side of Muslims. Do you think that would compensate for this alleged racism?

You know, a lot of dogs just sit outside tied to poles.
Glenn Quagmire

...while making the episode worse for those who hate that preachiness?

[Nebula]

I'm offended by the fact that rape and child abuse is a joke and not domestic abuse.