If you live anywhere other than under a rock, you’ve seen an episode of the infamous adult cartoon, "Family Guy." It’s chock-full of inappropriate jokes and simple story lines with the occasional clever moment. Anytime someone finds out I’ve been binge watching "Family Guy" or any of the other stupid adult comedy cartoons that exist like "Futurama," "South Park," "American Dad" or "The Cleveland Show," I get eye rolls and my favorite question: “I thought that show was designed for teenage boys? It’s so sexist/racist/stupid/all of the above.”
For many, these shows are nothing but breeding grounds for inappropriate and politically incorrect jokes, but for others like myself, they’re the perfect way to relax. Stupid shows like these are one of my guiltiest pleasures, and it’s not because I particularly identify with the jokes that are being made—it’s for one simple reason: they’re the perfect shows to turn on when I want my brain to turn off.
I spend so much of my day constantly thinking. Thinking about classes, work, the future and pretty much anything else you could possibly think of. For the 30+ minutes I get to turn on one of these stupid shows, I get the amazing and much-needed opportunity to turn all of that thinking off and simply enjoy the simple and easy-to-follow storyline and basic comedy. For that time that I set aside, I get to watch something inappropriate and funny that I’m pretty sure my seven-year-old neighbor could follow and not have to think too much to watch it.
When I watch shows like "Pretty Little Liars" or "American Horror Story," I’m constantly wondering about things like what’s going to happen next or who the killer is. I’m looking for subtle clues that could foreshadow the next big ‘wow’ moment. With shows like "Family Guy," I could not care any less about what they plan on having happen next because it doesn’t matter. Whatever direction they take an episode, it’ll be wrapped up by the end of the 30 minutes (and it won’t have anything to do with the next episode, so I don’t have to pay too close attention to it). It’s nice to have a show to watch where I don’t really have to worry that much about paying close attention and not missing a single detail.
Now, I’m not ignorant about these shows. They play largely into stereotypes, and a good bit of the time their jokes are widely inappropriate. For many, that’s what completely deters them from watching, and that’s okay. I’m not going to say you have to watch them; all I’m saying is that I enjoy the times when I watch them. Do I let the stereotypes perpetuated in the shows affect how I view and treat the others around me? Absolutely not. Do I laugh when a show like that makes fun of blonde, white sorority girls (my stereotype)? Absolutely. Shows like these make some really nasty jokes, but they’re simple jokes, and it lets me turn my brain off and relax.
Please stop looking down on people for watching and enjoying these shows. You don’t have to like them, but other people do for reasons other that aren’t them being a huge fan of dirty and stereotyping jokes. We're not racists, or sexists or any combination of the two. Some of us just want to shut down for a little while and relax in a world full of anxiety and constant thinking with the use of simple storylines and comedy, and that’s okay.
