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

[cb high]

Family Guy is great, hilarious fun and should be taken with a grain of salt. For one to really think that Family Guy will sway voters, is outright ridiculous, although Family Guy has got my vote for President!

[newunderground]

Stewie for Vp
STEWIE STEWIE STEWIE

[drkazmd65]

He's not eligible until he is 35 though newunderground,...

[herehereNOW]

Have you all noticed !!! that when ever someone raises the question about whether Sarah Palin is QUALIFIED to be the Vice President and in the event has to step up to the highest office, all her surrogates say the SAME THING except for the honest ones, they say SHE ELECTRIFIES THE BASEhave you guys noticed that thats all they have to say about her readiness and the pundits settle for that answer. Well what is needed in the oval office is not some one who electrifies the base, we need some one who is competent to run this country i was wondering if anyone else notice how thats all they say she electrifies the base SO WHAT SHE ELECTIFIES THE BASE THEY NEED TO GET SERIOUS AND SO DO WE THE VOTERS OF THIS GREAT NATION THIS IS NOT A BEAUTY CONTEST, THIS IS NOT SOME TALENT SHOW THIS IS OUR COUNTRY AND I AM TRULY GETTING FED UP WITH THE REASON WHY SHE SHOULD BE VICE PRESIDENT IF THIS IS THIER REASONING SHE ELECTIFIES THE BASE GIVE US A BREAK

[JL-PICARD]

Electrifying the base is Republican code for "she gives sexually frustrated Republican men erections"!

[RandyRosenthal]

I think Godwin's Law applies here.

[MajorKong]

It's Hitleriffic!

[mdk1]

The joke about Family Guy (from the dudes who created and produce South Park) is that it's written by manatees swimming around in a large tank and randomly nosing floating beach balls with lines of text written on them into a basket. Staffers then just combine the random phrases et voila!... script! This criticism is pretty much true as the show is nothing more than a string of pop culture references, non sequiturs and bawdy jokes. However, it is good for a few hearty laughs per episode and that's why I personally like the show. The McCain/Palin gag elicited a guffaw, but I was in stitches when Brian Blessed and his Hawkmen from the 1980 Flash Gordon movie showed up to save Stewie and company from a squadron of German Luftwaffe fighters. What can I say? Sometimes a little whimsy is good for the soul.

[BoThomasReed]

I'm still laughing at that joke two days later. It was pure Family Guy at it's finest.

[mairs]

So when is McCain going to demand that Obama apologize for this and denounce and repudiate the show? Doesn't he demand Obama say he's sorry for everything in the universe that is against McCain?

[TheBlackCat]

i was wondering the same thing.

[cmarmonhalm]

If McCain says repudiate one more time I'm going to lose my mind.

[jaslyn]

Yea, and if he JUST would have gone to those town hall meetings, none of this would be happening now!

[TheBlackCat]

{{my computer froze and I think my prior comment was deleted, but if not, sorry about the double post!!}}

I feel like Family Guy's audience is not skewered Red/Blue so much as Old/Young. My parents are as liberal as you can be and find Family Guy offensive and hate it. When I went to college in the South, it was when Family Guy was originally on the air before it got cancelled. Almost everyone I knew was very conservative, but almost everyone I knew LOVED Family Guy, despite the show's obvious leftist writing. And more recently, I have a couple right leaning friends from Texas who absolutely LOVED the episode in which they do nothing but make fun of Texas. Young people are more able to deal with being offended so long as they are entertained in the process. They don't take things as personally as the older generations do, and can laugh at themselves more easily.

[TheBlackCat]

Although, I can just hear my mother's voice now, "Or MAYBE us older folks just have a higher standard for social discourse, and a greater apreciation of basic human decency and civility." Which you know, is a fair point, and why they don't watch the show!

[HowietheScreamer]

Um... yea right... remember 1968 much?

[newunderground]

I don't know about that, Im not exactly young (48) But I love family guy, and Everyone knows South Park is the finest show on television.

[PlagueRat]

This joke almost >>ALMOST

[Ozohead]

It's Fox on Fox violence! lol Almost like a mother eating its own young...

[myangeldog1]

LMAO!

[RegularJoe08]

Stewie for President!

[anokie]

awesome!!!!!!!!!!! lol

[getoffthecross]

"And stay tuned later tonight for a special feature on The Clitoris: Nature's Rubix Cube"

[jhallbo]

I love reading the comments from people who were "offended". Makes the joke that much funnier.

[L3ftofC3nter]

I know right? I'm still laughing.

[iPolitics]

Palm Beach County, Fla., Republican committee has elected a white supremacist to it's committee:

Derek Brown

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-10-20-hategroups_N.htm

[ElPerro]

And this is unique because..........?

[UnknownSoldier]

20th Century Fox Film and Broadcasting is totally separate from Fox News. 20th Century Fox is located in L.A. Fox News is in New York City. The two companies do not talk or work with each other. Some of the top executives at News Corp and Fox are Democrats. Murdoch's daughter has thrown a fundraiser for Obama. Newscorp is about making money. PERIOD

[JScott]

INDEED, IT IS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY, Hey Billo, Sean, Ann et al. you boss only wants you for the money you make for him, not political positions, you been punked. RUPERT DON'T CARE!!!!

[jaslyn]

They attract the same audiences as awful reality shows like Flava of Love. They all love to stand and watch a train wreck.