04/29/08: Monty Python vs Family Guy? Not quite an equal comparison

For one Monty Python was not a sitcom, it was a series of disjointed vignettes. This is a very common format for comedians to use when they televise their work.

If Family Guy followed the same format the non-sequitur nature of the show would not be an issue and certainly would not be unusual. This is what Family Guy should have done.

Instead, for some bizarre reason, Family Guy wanted to do a non-sequitur sitcom based around the lives of 4 person family. Doesn't work, sorry. You want to use that kind of storytelling method, you must have a plot and the gags need to relate to the plot. If storywriters don't want to do this, that's fine, they just shouldn't act surprised when people point out how mediocre their show is. Just because someone is being original doesn't automatically make it good. Afterall, no one has tried to market "sh!t on toast" as a new product.

And for the record, yes, some of Monty Python was shit. A lot of it was funny but some of it was lame too. Mind you, I don't hold that against them because no one is perfect.

Even in their movie "The Meaning of Life" which is non- sequitur to the max, each non-sequitur gag contributed something to the central theme of the movie, which was... What is life all about, what are all these crazy life experiences we live through, and most importantly make sure you bring along the machine that goes beep! Family Guy's non-sequitur gags do not have that characteristic. Most of the non-sequitur gags aren't necessarily even 'funny' as such, it's just some totally random and inexplicable behaviour. Yea, OK, I could be having a casual conversation with someone and suddenly be attacked by a man wearing a chicken suit - I could also urinate on a random person on the street and bash their head in with a pole, so what? Doesn't make me a comedic genius.

As for the other Python movies, they all had plots and the gags supported the plots. Yes, the gags were bizarre but they still supported the plots, so they were simultaneously funny and were coherent with the rest of the movie.

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