Have Family Guy, Simpsons, South Park Jumped the Shark?

Oh, I know I've broached this subject before, but after watching three straight new episodes of South Park, Simpsons and Family Guy I have to ask this again. Have these shows finally jumped the shark? Have they already jumped the shark? Is this just a bad season? Are they paying the writers enough?

These episodes -- and I include the new "Treehouse of Horror" in this -- just left me flat.

First, we have the SP episode where the gang become Peruvian flute players. The only bright moment in this was Craig, the Boring Boy. But even with Craig, it felt like he was just being set up as the new "character" that everyone is supposed to repeat catch phrases from. From the stream-of-consciousness plot with the Gitmo references that seem like they've been done a dozen times before on the show, to the killer guinea pigs, to calling Craig a "dick" at the end of the episode. It felt stale, and the stream-of-consciousness plot seemed something more like what SP criticizes Family Guy for.


Onto yesterday's "Treehouse of Horror." Eh. When the funniest moment is the very fact that they actually did a Peanuts parody (not even the content of the parody itself), something's wrong. The election-booth sketch was too obvious, and strangely ultra-topical for a Simpsons epi. I can't even remember the sketch after that one; that's how good it was. The "Advertising Assassin" segment was horrible. And while I appreciated the water-color backgrounds on the "Great Pumpkin" story, Robot Chicken did this one 100% better.

Last, we have Family Guy's "Home Alone" episode, where Stewie is accidentally left behind while the rest of the gang go on vacation. What a weak installment! And I love Family Guy. I must have laughed four times, and two of those times involved poo or vomit (on the screen, not me). Peter's usual cutaway nonsequiturs were especially unfunny. What's going on, guys?




Is it just that these shows have been on too long?

That said, I've also realized why it has taken me longer to get into King of the Hill, American Dad, and Futurama. They actually have plots. King of the Hill is actually like the "New Yorker" of prime-time cartoons. It's actually deep. I actually have to pace myself watching that show. Hank Hill's stoic face is like that of a Buddha carved on a hillside. The next morning I'm huddled around my coffee still trying to parse the latest episode out.


That said, anyone watching Mad Men? That show is fucking awesome.

Watch on Hulu:
Treehouse of Horror 19
Family Guy, "Baby Not On Board"
King Of the Hill "Lost in My Space"

Watch on the South Park site:
"Pandemic 2: The Startling"

The Rape Of Indiana Jones

I had the unique experience of watching George Lucas rape Indiana Jones on top of a Howard The Duck pinball machine on "South Park" right before going to bed a couple of nights ago.

Obviously, there was a little metaphor going on in that episode regarding how some people feel that Lucas/Spielberg "raped" the Indy franchise (and, in turn, their childhoods).

But does the episode make light of rape itself? And should cartoons, no matter how irreverent, be able to depict real-life people committing more or less graphic sexual atrocities? Couldn't cartoons do this with political figures...and candidates? Couldn't "Family Guy" have an episode where McCain was molesting children? Or couldn't a conservative cartoon have a field day with Obama? Under the name of "it's satire and only a cartoon anyway?"

I got the joke of that particular scene up to a point -- but there was a certain rawness to it that sort of went beyond satire and was really sort of disturbing and creepy.

Plus: I've just witnessed Indiana Jones get gang-raped. I was sort of hoping to not run into an image like that in my lifetime.

What do you think?