Kings of the hill

Fifteen years ago, the TV gods brought us The Simpsons. It was the freshest, most original and funniest cartoon to ever grace the television screen. This animated comedy series is about a nuclear American family, starring Homer, the fat, ignorant man’s man; Marge, the nagging wife; Bart, the mischievous underachiever; the brainy Lisa; and Maggie, the baby who, after a decade and a half on air, still doesn’t speak. For years, The Simpsons reigned as arguably the best cartoon on TV and has been unrivaled in its satirical comedy and toilet humor. It currently holds the Guinness record for the longest running primetime animation on television. Which means, for as long as I can remember, Homer Simpson has been king of the hill. His idiocy has been unmatched and his piggish lifestyle has never been outdone.

Enter Peter Griffin, the head of another, equally quirky American family in the suburbs and star of The Family Guy. Like Homer, Peter is a fat slob with his share of dead brain cells with the same endearing disposition. Thanks to Jack TV, Filipinos, myself included, are actually in a position to judge which show is better, which family induces more laughter. Before Jack, The Simpsons owned Philippine TV. They’re both on equal ground now, so which one is better? Is it time for Homer Simpson to be dethroned?

Family Guy is similar to the set-up of The Simpsons. There are three kids, a wife, a pet, unusual neighbors and some dirty comedy. The difference being that Griffin’s show is a bit more over the top with its comedy and pushes the limits of censorship a lot more than Homer’s. The Simpsons’ comedy stems from reality, meaning more or less plausible events and situations, whereas Family Guy’s comedy is fueled by nonsense cut-scenes and elaborate deviations from reality. The most obvious example is that the Simpson baby Maggie acts like a baby and the Simpson dog acts like a dog while the Griffin baby Stewie talks like a sinister English scholar, like an evil version of Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and the dog, Brian, talks and walks like a normal person.

Both shows revolve around the antics of their respective father figures. I’d have to say though, that I find Homer funnier than Peter Griffin. Yes, they’re both bumbling idiots with a love affair with alcohol and a defiant stance on proper etiquette, but Homer is a lot more scheming, which leads to most of the comedy, and his stupidity is actually endearing. Peter Griffin, although funny, is not responsible for most of the comedy on his show. That honor goes to Stewie and Brian and all those ridiculous (and frequent) cut-scenes that never make any sense and yet are absolutely hilarious. Peter lacks that depth in character that Homer possesses, and often comes off as one-sided.

The difference between these two cartoons is that they are written in very different ways. The Simpsons is written like a traditional sit-com, where everyday people stumble into everyday things that end up being funny. The Simpsons also makes effective use of stereotypes to deliver an animated satire of sorts. This realism, combined with exaggerated characters, is what makes The Simpsons so rich in comedy. Family Guy is more loosely written. It’s very liberal in inserting impossible situations and characters to add more spice to its humor. For example, in some episodes, it will suddenly cut to a scene where Peter is feeding his pet T-Rex, or a walking pitcher of Kool-Aid, or a giant Squid is having dinner with the family or some other offbeat impossibility. It makes you wonder whether the writers of this show were of sound mind when they actually wrote it. It doesn’t make sense, and that’s what makes it so funny.

Which one is better? Well, it depends. The Simpsons easily draws the audience into their brand of comedy. It’s something that one would enjoy offhand because it’s very easy to digest and it’s very well-written. Family Guy, however, requires one to have a more open mind. Its comedy may not make sense right away, but it grows on you. Family Guy is a trip away from your everyday comedy sketch. While the Simpsons’ strength is in its stereotype characters, Family Guy’s niche is in its freedom to utilize whatever it wants to make you laugh. You’d laugh your butt off either way.

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For questions, comments or complaints, please e-mail me at emailcarlramirez@yahoo.com.