I don't see why you'd read this - unless, of course, you're looking for answers.
Certainly, I don't fashion myself to be a blogger of any sort, and nor did I ever think I would make a blog.
Yet, here I am, typing for the sake of writing down my thoughts on this matter, because, quite frankly, I've reached my limit. So, if you feel that you yourself are reaching that point of absolute disgust with what's going on, I suggest you read on. There are others who feel the same as you do - you are not alone... that much I can promise to you with my words here and now.
Let's get to it: I sat down tonight to watch Family Guy on my DVR, and I discovered, out of great amusement, that Rush Limbaugh would be on the show that aired on Sunday, October 3rd, 2010.
Imagine that! Rush Limbaugh, who can only be rivaled by Glenn Beck in terms of fanaticism with the Republican Party, was to appear on the show and voice his own character.
So, I watched. At first, I thought it was a good joke. Obviously, they were going to blast him away at some point, right? Right?
So, I kept watching. And watching. And watching. Finally, the end of the show came. Here it was: the moment I knew the Family Guy creators would blast away the hypocrisy, the lies, the sheer deception that spews from Rush Limbaugh's mouth on his radio talk show.
Yet, that moment never came. What I was treated to was Rush Limbaugh transforming into the iconic American eagle, taking flight towards the radiant sun, and the episode ended.
So, again, why am I writing this? Frankly, I am choosing to create a blogger account and make a post for one sole purpose: to explain to you just why it is that this episode of Family Guy is ridiculously unfunny.
Wait - I take that back. There is some humor, subtly lurking in the complex irony that is the social commentary this episode tries to convey. There is sad, bitter irony that is painfully hilarious. It is the fact that the show was intent on demonstrating that, given the right motivation, we can all be convinced through our media outlets that something entirely based on comedic (and of course, entertainment) value is sensible and rational.
I'm not even sure if it's fair to credit the Family Guy creators for that comedic touch, because it seemed quite unintentional. What the show did seem intent on telling us was that Rush Limbaugh, with all his perks and quirks, is just like us. Rush Limbaugh, according to Family Guy, is a stand-up guy.
Now, that isn't the whole truth. What Rush Limbaugh advocates on the show is ridiculous, but does that really matter to us? As someone watching a T.V. show like Family Guy for the purpose of amusement and thoughtful thinking, I was confused. Yes, Brian's change of heart was labeled by Lois to be that of a 'contrarian's', sure enough.
But, and I ask again, does it REALLY matter? What I mean to say is that I watched the show with a clear mind and a thoughtful attitude, and, despite all my attempts to go against it, by the end of the show, I had been delivered unto one final, convincing notion: lies make for good entertainment and good politics, and Family Guy can play the game just as well as anyone else.
And, so, I am here to tell you the truth. What the episode "Excellence on Broadcasting" is really telling us is something not funny at all. What the Family Guy creators are trying to say to us here - rather vaguely but proper to their style - is that even their show, with its brilliant social insights, can fall victim to the lies that are running rampant in our American media today. In that small sense, perhaps this is the cleverest episode of Family Guy yet, but I hardly laughed.
This was the biggest joke of an episode, and again, perhaps that was the point. The so-called poignancy of Limbaugh's argument? The show plainly propagating him as a "decent" guy?
The fact of the matter is that this episode endorsed the carefree attitude and genuine ignorance that people like Rush are feeding us through media. This is yet another veil on the mystical illusion that is the crux of the Republican rhetoric today. This is all bullshit, people. The show may try to reveal this in its typical way, but by the end of the episode, I have to say that the overall message delivered was clearly that these people are thinking rationally and they deserve our respect as rational, lucid, politically-minded thinkers.
Texas execution of a 4 year-old? The Speaker of the House of Representatives does crack? Yes, what truly unbelievable jokes. Really? Are they really that unbelievable? Or were you, like me, convinced of the tiny but prevalent possibility that our House Speaker Nancy Pelosi actually does crack? Through the imagery presented and the confidence of the voices of the characters, were you not inescapably confounded with the ridiculous but now validated notion that our House Speaker might actually do crack?!
Is it really so hard to see that this is yet another example of rampant delusion in our media? ARE WE REALLY BLIND TO THIS FACADE OF MORALS THAT HAS USURPED OUR TRADITIONAL VALUES?
I cannot believe that the creators of Family Guy thought this warranted comedy. This isn't a joke. This is yet another example of the undoing of our democracy via blatant lies.
Attempt, now, to see the truth: Rush Limbaugh is a horrible example of a man. Yes, he may be a good entertainer. Yes, he may deserve sympathy - don't we all. But this? This is disgusting. Have our expectations of entertainment sunk so low that we require blanket lies to be pacified and bemused? This talk show host simply does not deserve praise, and that is exactly what the episode seems to do for him in the eyes of the viewer.
I feel it is not so far-fetched to say that FOX plugged this whole idea to the Family Guy crew for a nice sum of cash, because despite their lack of credibility, FOX still has mounds of cash to feed its system of conservative lies.
Listen up, people. You want to know why I wrote this much - why I bothered to "blog" my thoughts? Here's why.
Conservatism has been warped. Once upon a time it was a rational political ideology. See through the deception and discover what happened to a beautiful way of thinking.
What Limbaugh and this 'Republican' party trumpets is NOT traditional or conservative. They are LYING to you. It's that simple. You are being deceived to adopt whatever measures are required to obtain the profits they desire - be it politician or entertainer. Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh do not deserve any sympathy from the American public. What they deserve is to fester in the cesspool of lies they have crafted their own identities around.
I daresay you need not be the same as them. Save yourself from the deception that is encompassing our beautiful American dream. Save yourself from this joke of a "Republican" party.
So, thank you, Family Guy, for ruining your comedy for one night to tell us something essential about what's happening to the industry you operate within. Thank you for convincing me to speak up about the absurdity that is invading the American conscience through every vein that circulates black gold or digital dollar. Thank you for pushing me over the limit.
