Controversy and Criticism By Other Creators
Other cartoonists have criticized the show as well. The show's animation has come under fire by Ren & Stimpy creator John Kricfalusi, who expresses concern that the current generation of aspiring animators will be negatively influenced by the simplistic quality of animation in cartoons like Family Guy.
The show's writing style has also come under criticism by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. In a 2006 interview, Parker and Stone stated that they dislike having their show compared to Family Guy. After the episode "Cartoon Wars" aired, Parker states they received support and gratitude from the staffs of The Simpsons and King of the Hill for "ripping on Family Guy". Parker and Stone clarify their opinions of Family Guy in the DVD commentary for the episodes. They say that, although they respect it for its fans and making people laugh, they ultimately hate the show itself and have absolutely no respect for its writing, given its overuse of gag humor that has nothing to do with the story.
During his "class day" address at Harvard University on June 7, 2006, Seth MacFarlane addressed Stone and Parker's criticisms in character as Stewie, stating that the "...cutaways and flashbacks have nothing to do with the story. They're just there to be 'funny'. That is a shallow indulgence that South Park is quite above, and, for that, I salute them."
Several episodes of The Simpsons, including "Missionary: Impossible", "Treehouse of Horror XIII", and "The Italian Bob" have poked fun at Family Guy, implying that MacFarlane's show is guilty of plagiarism. However, both MacFarlane and Simpsons creator Matt Groening have said that there is no serious feud between the two of them and their shows. At the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International on July 24, 2010, The Simpsons writer Matt Selman jokingly referred to MacFarlane, stating, "Come on, Seth MacFarlane does one show three times." Selman later backed away from the comment, adding, "Those shows are all really funny – they deserve to exist." The animated film Bender's Big Score, which is based on Matt Groening's other show, Futurama, featured a Family Guy Laugh a Month calendar. MacFarlane later appeared as a Las Vegas singer in the Futurama film Into the Wild Green Yonder, and Bender from Futurama appeared briefly in the episode "The Splendid Source" in 2010.
Simpsons writer/producer Al Jean has described Family Guy as "a little too derivative of The Simpsons" and said it "should be more original".
Read more about this topic: Criticism Of Family Guy
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