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R.J. Godinez
Prof. Jackie
English 101
October 23rd, 2015
Progression 2 Assignment 2
The article I found was from a website called GoZend. Its one of those websites you get
redirected to when you click on the shared post on Facebook that says Top 10 Reasons Why.
Whoever wrote this article obviously wasnt thinking clearly when he wrote it. Now, I have a
bias for American Dad, but the author of the article was just downright wrong about a number of
things. By the way, this was a 10 Reasons Why post.
So, the article started with the first reason stating that Family Guy is simply funnier, which
is a good argument, but the evidence provided is lacking, to say the least. It says that Stewie and
Brian are unique and boost a surprising yet hilarious sense of humor. It goes on to say that
American Dad features an alien, which doesnt exist and distracts from the show. But thats not
the point. The author contradicts himself. Brian is a talking dog, those dont exist either and may
distract from Family Guy. See, when you flip it on the other show it sounds ridiculous too.
Anyone who loves these shows doesnt give a shit if theres a talking dog or bear or alien or fish.
Its a cartoon. And theres at least logic to Klaus, the talking fish from American DadKlaus is a
German man whose brain got switched with a fishs at the C.I.A., where Stan works.
Next the article says that Stewie, the genius baby, is the funniest character on the show. This
some can relate with because Stewie tends to be the center of attention a lot of the time, and the

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writers love giving Stewie funny things to say, but then it says that American Dad doesnt offer a
character like that, which most would disagree with putting up Roger as the funniest character of
American Dad with Stan in second and Steve in a close third. Then the author says that the
dialogue in American Dad is less engaging. The same people who write for Family Guy write for
American Dad. The article says that the American Dad scripts are not as funny and jokes are
delivered by drier characters. But thats wrong, the dry characters dont deliver the jokes. There
are some characters in American Dad and Family Guy that people just dont really like and that
is what the writers want. They want you to not like the attitude of a few characters to elicit
emotional impact in some way and therefore, create a bigger impact and more love towards the
bigger funnier characters like Peter, Stan, Stewie, and Roger.
The article then talks about how poorly animated American Dad is and then basically says
how Peters jawline is more appealing to look at from an animation standpoint. First of all, the
animators are the same people for both shows, so both shows have characters that are drawn very
similarly. Peter is drawn more round to show that he is fat. Stan is drawn with an incredibly huge
chin to show that hes very manly and a big guy. Its not that Peter is less of a man for having a
smaller jawline, its just that Stan references his manhood a lot.
Finally, one of the things that bothered me the most was the strike at social commentary. Both
shows are equally satirical in their own way. Family Guy, though, almost makes fun of
celebrities. The cut-away sequences usually serve as a satire to celebrities of today showing them
doing something that could happen but most likely wouldnt. American Dad, on the other hand,
doesnt have cut-away sequences. Instead, they focus on the social commentary of the characters
and the character stereotypes: a working-class C.I.A. manly man with many flaws that his family
help him see through, a stay-at-home mom, a nerd in high school, and a hippie with a hippie

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boyfriend/husband. Family Guy has these characters: a fat drunk idiot, a nagging stay-at-home
mom, a voice of reason from a dogwhich isnt really reason recently, a teenage girl
punching bag, a retarded teen boy who is also fat like his father, and a baby who used to be an
evil genius but over the seasons has migrated to being kind of gay. Family Guy may have
changed over the years but it has not been for the better. American Dad has not changed
drastically, which has kept it alive and thriving.

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Works Cited
User: Markus. "10 Reasons Why Family Guy Is Better Than American Dad." Gozend.com World
of Wonders. 12 Dec. 2014. Web. 23 Oct. 2015.

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Beginning in 1999 and in its 13th season, Family Guy is clearly a better show than
American Dad! While both shows are the brainchilds of popular American actor,
animator, comedian and writer, Seth McFarlane, the sense of humor infused into each
show differs. While people watch both shows and report enjoying them each of them,
many express a clear preference for one show over the other.

There are many, many reasons why this is so, here are
the top reasons:
1. Family Guy is just simply funnier. Characters such as Brian and Stewie are unique and
boost a surprising yet hilarious sense of humor. Others characters like Quagmire and
Chris, fit community stereotypes like the local sex-addict and a bumbling, sociallyawkward teenager. In contrast, American Dad features an alien as one of its main
characters. Such a life-form does not exist and distracts from the show. This balance of
great yet still relatable characters with good script-writing makes Family Guy much
funnier than American Dad.
2. Stewie is by far, the funniest and most memorable character on the show. As a
brilliant taking baby that no one but the family dog can understand, his comments and
observations are unmatched on the show. American Dad does not offer any character
that is nearing as captivating.
3. While both shows feature families that have some level of dysfunction, Family Guy
portrays this in a more humorous light. For instance, there are times when characters
encounter hilarious mishaps but recognize the errors in their actions and thinking and
try to improve. Similar things happen in American Dad, however the dialogue and
storylines tend to be less engaging.
4. American Dad began airing in 2005 which Family Guy started in 1999, six years prior.
While both boast a loyal following, Family Guy has been able to maintain such a
following for substantially longer.

5. Family Guy has more clever and witty script writing than America Dad. Specifically,
the jokes on American Dad are not as funny and unfortunately delivered by drier
characters.

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6. As Family Guy is generally funnier, viewers receive a high level of enjoyment and
entertainment from watch this show. American Dads characters tend to be flatter, drier
and less enjoyable to watch. Accordingly, Family Guy helps viewers to relax more.
7. Contains social commentary: Comedy has traditionally been an area where social
commentary and criticism have historically been found. The comedic element of this
show softens the threatening blow of turning a critical eye on society. This is particularly
helpful when the critical eye is turned against the viewing society itself. Through its
playful banter, obvious exaggerations and witty dialogue, Family Guy helps to shine a
light on societal ills.

8. The animation is more pleasing to the eye. The characters in Family Guy are drawn
with softer lines and edges, thus making them more friendly and attractive to the eye
than Family Guy. For instance, the jawline of Peter is less sharply contoured than Stans.
9. The voices of the characters are more appealing and funny on Family Guy. Stewies
voice, for example is surprisingly maniacal yet funny as it is attributed to a baby. Steve,
the son on American Dad on the other hand, has more of whiney voice which is not as
pleasant to hear.

10. Family Guy is overall more visually appealing. Not only is the construction of the
Family Guy characters better, but also the way that the community, homes, animals,
etc. are drawn looks more humorous and pleasing to the eye.

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