The debate to end all debates -- FG vs. Simpsons

[Cartoons90]

Family Guy, been around 9 years, with two cancellations, bought being brought back both times. An incredible show, cutting edge, and incredible popularity.

The Simpsons. What more is there to say? Been around 21 years, an American staple, phenomenal popularity, and the list goes on.

Which do you prefer?

I personally have to go with the Simpsons, especially '87-'97 Simpsons. It's always had stronger plots and better character development, Family Guy is just big on cutaway scenes and mimicking everyday conversation. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of the show, but it just isn't the Simpsons.

You guys?

[Wolf Boy2]

The Flintstones.

Both Simpsons and Family Guy are too rude and crude for my tastes. Some episodes of The Simpsons were okay, but I hate, revile, detest and infinitely despise Family Guy.

[Luna]

Personally,I've always liked The Simpsons more....While both series have equally lousy continuity (due in part to the fact the characters don't age),The Simpsons tends to have better jokes (at least in earlier seasons...I haven't seen much of the last two seasons,though I did love the movie)...and also doesn't resort to random cutaways (at least as far as I've seen)...
Plus,while many of the characters can be jerks(particularly Homer),you also come to care alot about them...The same really can't be said of Family Guy...while it's funny,I've just never felt any connection with the characters...

[Monterey Jack]

Family Guy is festering, fly-strewn sewage. No matter how poor The Simpsons gets (since about 1998, pretty poor, the movie aside), it will always be better.

[Dr.Pepper]

but I hate, revile, detest and infinitely despise Family Guy.
I totallt agree. I think that Simpsons is a lot better. for me it is one of those shows that are fun to watch but I won't miss it when it is gone.

[Harlan_Phoenix]

They're both terrible. You know who really wins from their abominable existences?

Fox.

[Master Toon]

The Simpsons is way better. It's the longest running animated show in America and it has yet to stoop to the mega offensive levels that Family Guy has. The Family Guy episodes that aired on [as] were great but as soon as they came back it was like Seth wanted it to be a South Park clone or something. You can call me sensitive or whatever but I don't like crude humor when it's taken to far in each and every episode.

Btw, Family Guy rips off of other shows and old/modern comic strips.

[RockmanDash]

None they both blow up because their fan bases are to huge.

[Anthonynotes]

The Simpsons (or at least the episodes from the first 7 or 8 seasons) beats Family Guy by a country mile, a show I always felt was just a lame Simpsons/South Park knockoff (and feeling like it was written by someone with a very short attention span/an obsessed knowledge of 70s and 80s TV shows).

If spinoffs, etc. count, the Simpsons probably isn't the longest-running animated show in the US (the various Flintstones and Scooby Doo spinoffs probably have the Simpsons beat), and definitely not if theatrical cartoons count (Looney Tunes, with its approx. 1100 shorts).

[Leviathan]

If were comparing the shows at their respective primes, then the Simpsons is obviously the superior show. The writing on The Simpsons from roughly seasons 3-8 wasn't always as sharp as the best Family Guy material from seasons 2-3, it certainly was stronger and more "wholesome".

Family Guy's decline wasn't nearly as tragic as The Simpsons, however.

P.S. Brainatra, I think most of the Scooby and Flinstones spinoffs had, like, 13-something episodes apiece, while The Simpsons has well clocked over 400 episodes by now. Methinks its the longest running even if Spinoffs do count (well, non-anime anyway)

[Dr. Daedalus]

They're both terrible. You know who really wins from their abominable existences?

Fox. You mean you even think "classic" Simpsons is terrible? Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do!

[Desensitized]

Family Guy's decline wasn't nearly as tragic as The Simpsons, however.I beg to differ.

The Simpsons is one of the greatest shows of all time. While there are some shows I can put on it's level (or surpassing if I'm feeling generous), one of those shows is not Family Guy.

Family Guy had a single great season, one good season, and a bunch of mediocrity.

It wouldn't even make my top 30.

[Infusions]

I've never liked the characters in The Simpsons and Family Guy doesn't pay attention to it's plot most of the time.

I vote for American Dad.

[Scythemantis]

This is not "the ultimate debate"...it's a beaten-up old fossil of an argument that's been dragged through the mud since Family Guy's very first episode, and was senseless since it was first brought up.

The two shows have nothing in common besides being animated sitcoms about American suburban families. How many of those have we had? Take away the "animated" criteria and you can just as easily debate between The Simpsons and Married with Children or Family Guy and 3rd Rock from the Sun. It's ridiculous, it's an apples and oranges argument if there ever was one.

The Simpsons in its best seasons is a story and character-driven comedy, sometimes with real warmth and even a little drama.

Family Guy is more or less just animated stand-up comedy with a tacked on plot. Its quality depends on how much you like pop-culture references and non sequitors. I can watch it and laugh quite a bit at the latter brand of humor, I think it has some of the best-timed "nonsense" I've ever seen on the air. The cultural humor I could relatively do without, I'm completely unfamiliar with virtually all celebrities, but jokes about them are interchangeable anyway and fail to make me laugh.


Both Simpsons and Family Guy are too rude and crude for my tastes.

You're kidding, right? The lowest, most crass humor the Simpsons has ever had to offer is still something the whole family can watch under any common-sense standard.


None they both blow up because their fan bases are to huge.

I can't stand when people think this way. If you even THINK about the fan-base of a show when you're watching it, then you don't know how to watch a show. All that should have any impact on your opinion is your own personal reaction to the writing.

[mojokingbee1]

They both suck nowadays.

[J. B. Warner]

"The Simpsons" understands something that "Family Guy" doesn't - that is, the humor of an animated sitcom hinges on the characters and how they interact with one another. Admittedly, "The Simpsons" has faulted here and there in this department, but most of the time (especially in the glory days of Seasons 1 through 8) they've maintained consistent personalities for the Simpson family and have let the stories and humor come forth from those personalities.

"Family Guy" has sacrificed its characterization for quick and dirty laughs, and the Griffins have become less likable as a result. If the writers can't create real and consistent personalities for their characters, then we as the audience are less inclined to care about them. When Homer Simpson gets fired, I worry for him. When Peter Griffin gets fired, I just shrug my shoulders and go "eh".

The sad thing is, I want to like "Family Guy", but it won't let me. I want to laugh at it, but it's not doing anything funny. I want to watch the plots develop, but they just stumble all over themselves. I want to care about the characters, but they're all just total jerks now. And I know the show is capable of better things, but the writers just choose to take the easy way out. "Family Guy" and myself share a definite love-hate relationship - I love what it could be, but I hate what it is.

[Wolf Boy2]

You're kidding, right? The lowest, most crass humor the Simpsons has ever had to offer is still something the whole family can watch under any common-sense standard.
"Rude" applies to The Simpsons while "crude" applies to Family Guy. Bart is an unforgivable little [*expletive*], yet the stories continually reward his behavior. It's not like he's a "what not to do" example. Bart comes off as very, very cool. I remember when I was in Kindergarten (and even as far up as 3rd Grade), Bart Simpson was the standard of coolness -- a regular childhood James Dean.

And no child ought to admire Brat Simpson. I'm glad I never did. Another show I hated as a kid was Family Dog. Does anyone remember that one? Paul Dini's sick mind let loose on a little cartoon dog. It was disgusting.

Also, the difference between Peter and Homer is that Homer genuinely loves his family, and I don't get that same feeling from Peter. Peter's constant misogynistic Meg-bashing has never been funny and is one of the reasons I never wanted to watch Family Guy.

[HEATXZ]

I like both shows but i like Family Guy more

[Starbro]

Like Scythemantis said above, this is an 'apples and oranges' debate which is as tired as an old rocking chair hound dog.

The Simpsons and Family Guy have nothing in common other than both being animated Fox sitcoms about families, and it's not like they're the only 2 family sitcoms, animated or not, on the planet. The Simpsons wasn't the first animated family on TV, or even the second, so I really don't get why once Family Guy came out everybody feels compelled to compare it to The Simpsons.

Both shows have their strengths, both shows have their weaknesses. I wish the fanbases of these respective shows would learn to cease and desist with these pointless comparisons and debates over which is better and learn to appreciate the merits of both series.

[Blackstar]

Personally,I've always liked The Simpsons more....While both series have equally lousy continuity (due in part to the fact the characters don't age),The Simpsons tends to have better jokes (at least in earlier seasons...I haven't seen much of the last two seasons,though I did love the movie)...and also doesn't resort to random cutaways (at least as far as I've seen)...

The characters on Simpsons and Family Guy not againg never bothered me personally, and quite frankly, I don't understand why that's such an issue for some people. Do you honestly believe that Family Guy and The Simpsons would be better shows if the characters got older every season? Stewie would lose any appeal that he has left if he were no longer a baby; he'd just become a gay stereotype. Bart Simpson at age 10 is a lovable rascal, but he were to suddenly become a teenager or an adult who was no less obnoxious, he would quickly become insufferable. It would be different, certainly, but different doesn't automatically mean better, or even as good.

Why is seeing animated characters get older so important? Sure, Ben 10 aged their main characters when it became Ben 10: Alien Force, but Ben 10: AF also sucked all the charm and likability out of the characters and the show in the process. I personally think that Ben 10 was better before it became a dark teenage angst fest. If you're going to blast The Simpsons and Family Guy for not aging their characters, then you'd have to do the same thing for King of the Hill, Ed, Edd 'N' Eddy, Fosters', Charlie Brown, Dennis the Menace and the many other cartoons in which the characters stayed the same age throughout their respective runs. Lots of animated shows don't age their characters, therefore, it's silly to single out Family Guy and The Simpsons for not doing so.

[Kagetsu]

To be honest, Simpson's was cutting edge. Everything else was a copy that wanted to say "We go farther". Parody is funny. overt grossness is not. A fine line yes, but often misunderstood. Whenever a show wants to try for the base instincts of humanity, even Shakespeare, they risk going too far. It's just something that needs to be accepted if we want "edgy".

[Dr. Daedalus]

When Homer Simpson gets fired, I worry for him. When Peter Griffin gets fired, I just shrug my shoulders and go "eh".
That may be true for the classic era, but whenever Homer gets fired in recent episodes, it's treated like a joke and doesn't hold the same impact it once had. Like in "Ice Cream of Margie"- I knew he would be seen at the power plant in another episode anyway.

[Racattack!Force]

Fosters'
If I recall correctly, didn't Mac turn 9 in one episode, meaning that at least some time has passed. :shrug:

[J. B. Warner]

That may be true for the classic era, but whenever Homer gets fired in recent episodes, it's treated like a joke and doesn't hold the same impact it once had. Like in "Ice Cream of Margie"- I knew he would be seen at the power plant in another episode anyway.

Yeah, I won't even try to deny that most recent episodes lack the proper character-to-audience connection that the classic episodes have. But every so often, the show surprises me ("Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind" was a good example of Homer at his best in a long while). Meanwhile, "Family Guy" is just an ensemble of jackasses, and if the writers are to be believed, that's not going to change. And even in spite of the mediocre episodes that "The Simpsons" puts out, you can still tell that the show's writers care about what they do. With "Family Guy", it's more like they just don't give a damn about creating a quality TV show, just so long as they cram in 22 minutes of cheap laughs.

I agree that "Family Guy" is not directly derivative of "The Simpsons", as many people have pointed out. But if anything, I think that's one of its problems - it needs to be more like "The Simpsons" in terms of plot and character. The Griffins need to stop being jackasses to one another and become real people again. I don't want 22 minutes of non-sequiturs and pop culture references surrounded by a plot that goes nowhere and characters that I hate - I want stories that make sense and characters I can care about. Why is that so hard for this show's writers to do?

[Antiyonder]

Enjoy both for reasons stated by many.


Why is seeing animated characters get older so important? Sure, Ben 10 aged their main characters when it became Ben 10: Alien Force, but Ben 10: AF also sucked all the charm and likability out of the characters and the show in the process. I personally think that Ben 10 was better before it became a dark teenage angst fest.

Since Ben 10 is a bit more serious in tone than the other show/strips mentioned (Aside from King Of The Hill), it works to have a sequel series set in the future. Besides, while it maybe serious, is it really that dark?

[Racattack!Force]

Besides, while it maybe serious, is it really that dark?
I wouldn't really call it dark, but three guys outright died in the first episode (two exploded, and one evaporated).

[DarthGonzo]

I love them both, for what it's worth. But the Simpsons is way past it's prime. If it ended tomorrow I wouldn't be too bothered. Family Guy still has some life in it.

[Jazman]

I Second the vote for American Dad. It is currently the best written and best half hour of the current FOX crop. There's not a week that goes by that the show doesn't make me laugh atleast a little, and hardly a week goes by where the plot makes a bit of sense from start to finish.

I would just like to point out that this debate gets old by the end of the first page. I think both sides of the argument CAN agree that The Simpsons in it's prime was an enjoyable and memorable half hour of TV. Both sides CAN agree that Family Guy used to be nonstop laugh fest which may not have had the most coherent plots, but still was solid to watch. And IMO that both are these shows are neither of these things anymore.

[Sam Hill]

Neither of them are any good, really. Obviously, the Simpsons has been awful for about seven or eight years now and should have ended a long time ago. At least it has the classic era which was excellent (except maybe the rather bland and uninteresting first season).

Family Guy, on the other hand, has always been hit and miss. It may be good for cheap laughs but it isn't exactly an example of great writing.

[Desensitized]

Currently, I'd take South Park and King Of The Hill over both. Even if I don't hate current Simpsons like most of the internet.

[JTurner954]

The Simpsons. Yeah the cutaways on Family Guy are often hilarious, but I enjoy The Simpsons and the "it's funny cause it's true" vibe I get from every episode. Yes ladies and gentlemen, I love every season [but not every episode] of The Simpsons. I find it sad that there are people who are angry that a season of The Simpsons they admit to hating isn't on DVD yet.

I also find it ironic that people were praising Family Guy before it was cancelled, yet when FG returned the internet bashing began.

The Internet: Allergic to Popular Opinion.

[Luna]

The characters on Simpsons and Family Guy not againg never bothered me personally, and quite frankly, I don't understand why that's such an issue for some people. Do you honestly believe that Family Guy and The Simpsons would be better shows if the characters got older every season? Stewie would lose any appeal that he has left if he were no longer a baby; he'd just become a gay stereotype. Bart Simpson at age 10 is a lovable rascal, but he were to suddenly become a teenager or an adult who was no less obnoxious, he would quickly become insufferable. It would be different, certainly, but different doesn't automatically mean better, or even as good.

Why is seeing animated characters get older so important? Sure, Ben 10 aged their main characters when it became Ben 10: Alien Force, but Ben 10: AF also sucked all the charm and likability out of the characters and the show in the process. I personally think that Ben 10 was better before it became a dark teenage angst fest. If you're going to blast The Simpsons and Family Guy for not aging their characters, then you'd have to do the same thing for King of the Hill, Ed, Edd 'N' Eddy, Fosters', Charlie Brown, Dennis the Menace and the many other cartoons in which the characters stayed the same age throughout their respective runs. Lots of animated shows don't age their characters, therefore, it's silly to single out Family Guy and The Simpsons for not doing so.OK,I worded my post badly...What I really meant was that both series have lousy continuity ....and that it's understandable,because the characters don't age...I'm not saying that's a bad thing...

[Dr. Daedalus]

If you're going to blast The Simpsons and Family Guy for not aging their characters, then you'd have to do the same thing for King of the Hill, Ed, Edd 'N' Eddy, Fosters', Charlie Brown, Dennis the Menace and the many other cartoons in which the characters stayed the same age throughout their respective runs. Mostly KOTH stays the same from a visual aging standpoint, but Joseph Gribble got a bit of a physical change in the form of a growth spurt.
I find it sad that there are people who are angry that a season of The Simpsons they admit to hating isn't on DVD yet. Well, some of us are particularly interested in this season because of the commentaries. Also, not all episodes from that season are bad (I've noted my faves in that thread). It's just that those which ARE give the entire season a bad name.
I also find it ironic that people were praising Family Guy before it was cancelled, yet when FG returned the internet bashing began. It may be ironic, but it is no way hypocritical. Not that I'm accusing you of implying that, just saying.

[Hurricane V1]

Family Guy for me. The Simpsons used to make me laugh, but they don't make me laugh anymore and thus have tarnished the legacy they left with me. Family Guy can still make me laugh quite often.

As for other shows...

I enjoy most American Dad episodes.

Can't even look at South Park anymore. I simply don't care about what topics annoy Matt and Trey.

King of the Hill, well I got bored with it back in 2000, so enough said there. Bobby's character just annoys me.

I think Code Monkeys is a joke. It's like the writers decided the quality of the material has to match the quality of the animation.

Futurama's new movies has been a welcome relief. They made me laugh about the same as the series, no more, no less.

Pretty much the only show I watch on Adult Swim is Frisky Dingo.

I miss the Critic. I can't think of any more animated sitcoms to criticize.

[Mr. Mxyzptlk]

"Rude" applies to The Simpsons while "crude" applies to Family Guy. Bart is an unforgivable little [*expletive*], yet the stories continually reward his behavior. It's not like he's a "what not to do" example. Bart comes off as very, very cool. I remember when I was in Kindergarten (and even as far up as 3rd Grade), Bart Simpson was the standard of coolness -- a regular childhood James Dean.
Seriously? Bart tends to come off as one of the least popular kids in school and his actions are always getting him in huge messes, and I think he's very much a 'what not to do' example, at least in the first eight seasons. Episodes like 'The Boy Who Knew Too Much', 'Bart Sells His Soul', 'Bart the Murderer', 'Radio Bart', etc. all show him getting the comeuppance he deserves for his actions. I can't recall one time he was rewarded for doing the wrong thing early on, although things might have changed in the past few years.

[Jackson54]

I prefer The Simpsons. Family Guy's humor is too sick, and they look too realistic

[Infusions]

I prefer The Simpsons. Family Guy's humor is too sick, and they look too realistic

lol wut

It looks as about realistic as The Powerpuff Girls.

[Starbro]

Family Guy for me. The Simpsons used to make me laugh, but they don't make me laugh anymore and thus have tarnished the legacy they left with me. Family Guy can still make me laugh quite often.

As for other shows...

I enjoy most American Dad episodes.

Can't even look at South Park anymore. I simply don't care about what topics annoy Matt and Trey.

King of the Hill, well I got bored with it back in 2000, so enough said there. Bobby's character just annoys me.

I think Code Monkeys is a joke. It's like the writers decided the quality of the material has to match the quality of the animation.

Futurama's new movies has been a welcome relief. They made me laugh about the same as the series, no more, no less.

Pretty much the only show I watch on Adult Swim is Frisky Dingo.

I miss the Critic. I can't think of any more animated sitcoms to criticize.


What do all of those other shows have to with a comparison between The Simpsons and Family Guy? Code Monkeys, Futurama, South Park, Frisky Dingo and The Critic aren't even about families.

[Leviathan]

J.B. has made any number of very apt points that I agree with.

That being said, I think the post-revival Family Guy's are at least passable timewasters, when there's nothing else on Television.

[Racattack!Force]

Family Guy (it can make me laugh sometimes). However, if American Dad was part of this debate, I'll go for it all the way.

[Dunder-Bird]

Although the first season of Family Guy was funnier than the first year of The Simpsons, The Simpsons 11 other seasons [yes, I like Seasons 9-12] beats the Family Guy past and present. The Simpsons' classic episodes are much funnier and memorable than Family Guy's, and their the only good reason why The Simpsons are picked #1 for Top TV Shows so many times.

What's somewhat admirable about Family Guy is how the writers simply don't care about what people think of their show and just repeat any joke they please ad nauseum while the current episodes of The Simpsons seem self-conscious and desperate to be as edgy as Family Guy tries to be.

American Dad is better than both now, but can't beat the Simpsons in its prime either. Futurama comes close and South Park has some moments, but those are different topics for another time.

[Blackstar]

What's somewhat admirable about Family Guy is how the writers simply don't care about what people think of their show and just repeat any joke they please ad nauseum

That's also one of the problems that I have with the current Family Guy; the writers just write whatever gag that they think will be funny without taking the individual characters' personalities into consideration. They don't stop to think about whether said gag would be appropriate for that particular character, or would it mean for that character to act completely out of character. They just don't care about personalities anymore. Everybody on FG just acts like jerks to one another, going from 1 extreme to another at the drop of a hat. It's just shock joke, cutaway gag, another shock joke, another cutaway gag, lather, rinse, repeat.

[DarthGonzo]

That's also one of the problems that I have with the current Family Guy; the writers just write whatever gag that they think will be funny without taking the individual characters' personalities into consideration. They don't stop to think about whether said gag would be appropriate for that particular character, or would it mean for that character to act completely out of character. They just don't care about personalities anymore.

But that's the thing. I don't care about any of these characters or their personalities. At all. The only thing I want out of Family Guy is to laugh at something outrageous. And I get that pretty consistently, much more so than anything on the Simpsons in the past decade. When Lois or Brain acts out of character for a joke I really don't care, as long as the actual joke amuses me. And most times they do and I'm satisfied. I think the writers just look at Family Guy as a sketch comedy show where the characters are completely aware they're performing for an audience and are taking on whatever personalities are appropriate to make the jokes work.

Now here's a better question: better show...Family Guy or Simpsons post season 9?

[Desensitized]

Now here's a better question: better show...Family Guy or Simpsons post season 9?That's not exactly fair, is it?

I would still pick The Simpsons, because I can find at least 2 seasons worth of great episodes in there from season 10 up. Which as I said, is about as much Family Guy as I like. But that still doesn't seem fair to either show.

I do find it funny they killed off the Vaudeville guys, so they obviously knew how overplayed the joke was. But did they learn from it? No, now they stuff Herbert down our throat every week.

[Deadman]

i have to say the simpsons. overall i find it much better.

[Anarky]

The Simpsons via Sideshow Bob. Futurama owns all though! I'd love to see a Bender+Sideshow Bob spin-off:D (impossible, yes)

[mojokingbee1]

Ironic, that people who call "Family Guy" a ripoff of "The Simpsons"... want "Family Guy" to be more like "The Simpsons". I suppose next they'll say "Spaceballs" would've been better if it were more serious like "Star Wars".

[Blackstar]

Word. Family Guy is not a ripoff of The Simpsons. That gets sillier every time that I hear it. The 2 shows have nothing in common except that they're both animated sitcoms about families.

If Family Guy is a ripoff of The Simpsons, then The Simpsons is a ripoff of The Flintstones.

[Kitschensyngk]

American Dad beats the pants off Family Guy any day.

American Dad delivers jokes. Family Guy beats you over the head with them, and sometimes with the same ones.

Also, I don't watch The Simpsons.

[Desensitized]

If wanting decent characterization equals being a rip off of The Simpsons, then every show needs to be a rip off of The Simpsons.

That said, I never thought FG was a Simpsons rip off.

[Dudley]

The Simpsons > and/or = American Dad > Family Guy

[namelessartist]

The sad thing is, I want to like "Family Guy", but it won't let me. I want to laugh at it, but it's not doing anything funny. I want to watch the plots develop, but they just stumble all over themselves. I want to care about the characters, but they're all just total jerks now.

LOL