Appearing with a double-whammy of
deeply
irreverent
yet unfeasibly humorous animation series, Seth MacFarlane’s
Family Guy and American Dad have shared similar British TV slots (why
Saturday nights of all nights?) and have recently appeared side by
side on DVD stands. As MacFarlane’s
main audience is undoubtedly the young, student-y type, they may have
to save their money for either a theory book (a night out) or living
expenses (the latest Fall Out Boy album). As such, it’s feasible
that many will have to decide which one of the two gladdening series
to buy…
This is why The Cheese has decided to pitch the two head-to-head, mano-a-mano,
tête-à-tête, in a no-holds-barred death match extravaganza.
In the blue corner we have Season 4 of the once cancelled yet deeply
beloved Family Guy, and in the red corner, we have Seth McFarlen’s
new baby, the brutish underdog that is American Dad. Let the battle
commence…
Round One: Fighter’s Milieu
As any fight-promoter will tell you, it’s important to give the
audience an insight into the challengers’ backgrounds; in the case
of Family Guy vs. American Dad it’s the surrealist Quahog vs. the
idyllic (almost) Langley Falls. Family Guy (hereafter FG)’s Griffin
family exist in a world slightly more unhinged and than American Dad
(hereafter AD)’s Smith family. For example, FG patriarch Peter
Griffin’s obesity and obsession with little known (especially to
British audiences) esoteric television programmes provides a odd / cultist
humour crux for their series, whereas AD patriarch Stan Smith is a
testosterone-fuelled devout republican employed in the CIA. This allows
for the majority of AD humour to sprout from topical and political circumstances.
Whilst FG refuses to limit itself to comprehensible narrative
or comedy, AD’s more uptight doctrine seems to narrow its slippery
humour canals.
Round 1 winner by surrealism: Family Guy
Round 2: Originality
One of Family Guy’s initial drawbacks was its general closeness
to that of other FOX TV champs, The Simpsons. Homer Simpson and co. had
already secured their crown as 'Kings of Diverse Mainstream Animated
Comedy' a decade before Family Guy made its first airing. Simpson similarities
also weighed heavy on the Griffin family. Homer Simpson is the loveable,
yet oafish, overweight, underachieving father figure, as is Peter
Griffin. Marge Simpson is the ever-dutiful yet disapproving matriarch;
trying to instil normality to her family’s lives, as is Lois (albeit
with a penchant for leather and kleptomania). The Simpson’s nuclear
family was only changed slightly with FG’s addition of the repressed
daughter-figure Meg (the running joke in FG is the increasing cruelness
afflicted onto Meg with each episode) and also a talking dog, Brian,
and a slightly camp, deeply megalomaniacal baby in Stewie. Despite
the initial similarities, FG soon found its own identity in pushing the
boundaries further with its 15 certification and its now legendary ‘flashbacks’.
American Dad, on the other hand, is a more original creation; gone is
the underachieving and rebellious Homer-figure, replaced with the narrow-minded
over-achiever, Stan, a man who thinks nothing of frequently (yet lovingly)
threatening his family with guns, knives, and physical pain… One
of Seth MacFarlane and co.’s greatest achievements was choreographing
some of the most hilariously absurd fight sequences in animation history
in Family Guy; American Dad takes this and runs with it.
Round 2 winner by a pistol-whipping: American Dad
Round 3: Character Lovability
One the reasons why MacFarlane chose the family set-up for his animation
series was the established audience appreciation for humour in everyday
lives. Something that was developed long before Matt Groening doodled
The Simpsons. Peter Griffin’s oscillation between deranged, hurtful
idiot to childlike sweety-pie makes him a hard character to dislike;
while Stan Smith’s rigid and absurdly right-wing characterisation
gives him humour, but not empathy. As with the Griffin children, we
are obliged to care about them because of the hell their uncouth father
puts them through, whereas AD’s children (Steve and Hayley Smith)
are independent enough to fend for themselves, despite Stan’s
desire to dominate them. FG’s much-quoted Stewie Griffin started
out as a super-smart infant set on world-domination; interesting on
paper, yet tedious in execution. He soon developed a more appealing
camp-ness and sometimes level-headedness that the Griffins needed.
AD’s nearest equivalent is Klaus the German fish, who remains
mostly irritating, or as he puts it: “I’m
German, it’s what we do.”
Round 3 winner by a cuddly obesity: Family Guy
Round 4: Character Depth 
Important to the development of a series is character wealth. Family
Guy, being in its fourth season, easily has the weight advantage. FG’s
ability to call in characters such as the greased-up deaf guy, the
evil monkey or that fisherman with wooden arms and legs, provides a
cheap-and-easy laugh with the minimum of effort, something to which
American Dad cannot yet compete. It was perhaps purposeful of MacFarlane
to create AD in a slightly less surreal world, opting not to emulate
FG’s patented and peculiar flashbacks or include increasingly
oddball-ian characters. Despite AD’s liberal swipes at the Bush
government and the current political climate, it may find itself with
slim-comedic-pickins compared to Family Guy’s open palette.
Round 4 winner by experience: Family Guy
Round 5: Shock Value
One of Family Guy’s most cherished qualities is its ability to
excavate some of the most shockingly and ill-advised sources of humour
imaginable. Season Four’s shock highlights include Peter Griffin
attempting stand-up comedy in a terminally ill childrens' ward;
and Peter and co.’s singing troupe, hired to inform a young man
that he has AIDS (they make a song and dance about it). It’s
car-crash comedy at its most crass, yet it still manages to be entertaining.
One of the things Family Guy also inherited from The Simpsons was distrust
and a loathing for their network, namely; FOX TV. Family Guy S4 opens
with a jab, reeling off a long list of shows that FOX has recently
cancelled; a brave move considering FOX could again cancel FG at any
moment, but it’s the balls of the show that makes it so unique.
Still, for all its rebellious posturing, Family Guy’s main targets
for abuse are celebrities and the media, whereas American Dad goes the
whole hog offends entire nations; poking fun at its political agendas
and its leaders. Where today’s world leaders try desperately
to appear stable and dignified on top of their podiums, American Dad
stands at the bottom, shaking it as hard as they can.
Round 5 winner by offending entire nations: American Dad
Round Six: Value for Money
And finally, back to value for money. Both series have 13 episodes and
an overall running time of nearly 5 hours; yet American Dad is on average £1
more expensive than its Family Guy counterpart. Big mistake. The extra
pound means American Dad loses its footing in an oh-so-important area
and receives a hefty blow to its overstated chin and hits the canvas
for the ten-count…
Round Six winner by £1: Family Guy
The Judges’ Decision:
And there we have it, Family Guy’s experience in the ring eventually
out-manoeuvres newcomer American Dad with its unflinching ability to
poke fun at even the most ill-advised areas of the life, its unwavering
knack of providing the most surreal and random references imaginable,
even its fart jokes manages to amuse. Yet American Dad fought bravely
and took its punches like a man, providing glimpses of genius that even
surpasses the old master. It’s unsure whether the two foes will
square off again, yet with MacFarlane’s success rate, and quality
of both shows, we may just see another face-off in future seasons. Until
then, fight fans…
Overall winner and champion of the MacFarlane Animation Battle-Royale: Family Guy
WINNERS: FAMILY GUY