Fox News Manufactures Outrage Over Fox Network Show

NY Times:

A Sunday night episode of the Fox animated series "Family Guy" stirred up trouble by suggesting­ rather directly that Nazi officers would have supported the McCain-Palin ticket. And it was another arm of the News Corp. conglomerate, Fox News Channel, that first reported on the episode.

Fox (the broadcast network) aired the episode in which Stewie, the obnoxious baby character at the center of the series, and Brian, a talking dog, traveled back in time to Poland during the 1939 German invasion. The characters ambush Nazi soldiers in an alley and steal their uniforms so they can travel without drawing attention. Putting on an overcoat, Stewie notices a McCain-Palin campaign button affixed to the lapel. "Huh, that's weird," Stewie remarks.

"Family Guy" has never been known for its taste level. One recent episode depicted Jesus binge drinking, and the hit show once got in trouble with the Federal Communications Commission for showing a partially nude cartoon character. The series' creator, Seth MacFarlane, is a prominent supporter of Barack Obama's presidential bid. So fans of the program seemed to take the scene in stride: by mid-day Monday, the vast majority of blog mentions of the episode were favorable.

Read the whole story: NY Times

Comments

[PennP]

Stewie must be busting his Pampers over all the attention, although if you asked him, he'd tell you it's just his due. And he's not obnoxious--he's precocious--and Brian is a martini-sipping everyman who just happens to have a dog's body.

Fox should get with the program and stop freaking out about every piece of truth slipped into the stream. They're starting to look like prissy hysterics.

[kiran888]

This is one of the reasons we love that show!! There are just too many newspapers and media moguls who are right wing nutjobs, yes you CNN and Fox!!! IT's funny how we left-wingers have to rely on Jon Stewart, Colbert Report, Jay leno, Letterman, Conan and now this show to speak to us.

[mojotronix]

Bill Maher (for me anyway) too!

[L3ftofC3nter]

Please don't forget Bill Maher. LOVE HIM!!

[PLDChicago]

I am waiting for the smart journalist to do the research that really does link the GOP ticket to the Nazis. Based on what I've been hearing and seeing, they are using Gestapo-like tactics to inspire their constituents.

[Retrofuturistic]

It HAS been done. Read Naomi Wolf's =The End of America= and Michelle Goldberg's =Kingdom Coming=.

[bobbyperu]

Prescott Bush.

[Tommygun264]

"Whagh! The big bad cartoon baby hurt my feelings!"

Sounds like someone needs a nap.

;-P

[Troy1288]

Has anyone asked Peter's friend, James Woods, his opinion? Ooh, piece of candy. Ooh, piece of candy, Ooh, piece of candy...Gi­ggity.

[JL-PICARD]

I kind of find it fascinating how FAUX News is sooo uptight and right wing and FOX TV has had some of the edgiest shows produced many with a definate left wing bias. There's a definate corporate schizophrenia going on there. I realize it's all about money. I wonder if there is any animosity between the two divisions?

[joshuahmcdonald]

It is called DOUBLETHINK and the Fox family of networks works both sides as hard as they can. FOX TV is filled with depravity and portrayals of ignorance allowing FOX News to rail against depravity and ignorance.

[guillotine]

Guaranteeing them new fodder, endlessly.
Ahh, the vicious circularity of it all.

[ibsteve2u]

"I realize it's all about money."

My feelings, exactly - which makes me despise Murdoch even more, as he has no problem letting the incendiary and horribly biased nature of Fox News spread division and even hate throughout America.

For money.

[lunchlady]

Murdoch probably just sees it as entertainment which helps him make more money. Same as the Ann Coulter show , the Rush Limbaugh show, the Howard Stern show, and other so on. Being outrageous and having showmanship sells advertising.

[lunchlady]

I've always found this hypocritical also, but money makes it okay I guess. Fox has always been happy to profit from the big advertising dollars it gets for its popular shows aimed at the alternative/youth market, even though these shows feature plenty of profanity and sex and violence and other non-religious non-conservative features. And then their news programs are so obnoxiously and obviously partisan and conservative Republican. They even "accidentally" put a D- twice - next to the name of one of the Republican congressmen caught for sexual impropriety in the last several years. Ha ha ha.

[NoSandwiches]

If the boot fits...

[neocon666]

The analogy makes perfect sense to me; just get a lode of some real ones in the McCain campaign:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WCC-d6Ow_A&NR=1

[levelshot]

wow, scary.

[AmazingChicken]

Didn't little Stewie sound kind of like Ringo Starr in HELP! ??
Talk about confused little kids.... anyway.
Ya gotta walk a fine line between earning the huge bucks for low humor, and complaining about it.

[ShamusNYC]

Hey, Stewie didn't design McCain's campaign strategy.

If you don't want to be compared to racists & bigots, stop acting like racists & bigots!

[PLDChicago]

Right on!

[Soundofthunder]

They create a forum for edgy satire on the Fox Network then criticize the forum they made on Fox News.

Cannibalizing your own is fun. I guess.

SOT

[WolfLarsen]

When your party is getting fitted for the big "L" then absolutely nothing is funny.

I don't know how some of this rockheads get out of bed in the morning.

[WolfLarsen]

You know when Stewie turns on you......t­hen you are toast!

[Old Hippy]

I don't watch Faux Noise at all. The only thing I watch on Fox is the Minnesota Vikings or Twins. and
thanks to my remote, I can change channels when the commercials come on

[jaslyn]

Oh come on! That's funny.