Mythology: Family Guy
By Martin Felipe
July 17, 2009
BoxOfficeProphets.com

We suspect someone by the name of Simpson may be driving that plane.
I had intended to devote this piece to what is probably the only mythology show in the traditional sense producing new episodes right now, that show being True Blood. I know I had ruminated on what elements comprise the "mythology" of a show, leading me to the conclusion that all shows, if done well, deserve the mythology label. Nevertheless, it still has the resonance of sci-fi and fantasy, so even though one could argue that Weeds, for example, has its own mythology, in the dog days of summer, when new scripted programming grows scarce, True Blood is the lone representative I can think of which fits the more standard mold.

I was going to write about that. But then I awoke this morning to the Emmy nominations and was intrigued by one curiosity from the list. For the first time since 1961, an animated show was nominated for outstanding comedy series. This is a landmark for an animation fan such as myself. Thing is, the show in question isn't the beloved Simpsons, the daring South Park, or any of the respected Adult Swim offerings. No, the first animated show since The Flintstones to get a comedy nomination is Family Guy.

I'm not here to criticize. No, I have an affection for Seth McFarlane's controversial offering. I think much of the critique of the show is valid. Yes, it is a Simpsons rip-off. Much of the humor is more mean-spirited than funny. It's both too topical and too dated at the same time. Its parodies tend to be more re-enactments than satire. And, of course, there's the biggest complaint of them all, that the comedy is mostly non-sequitur and it doesn't evolve from the story or the characters. This is all true and I can't dispute it. I'm not even gonna try. Fact is, despite all of that, I still can't help but like the damned thing. Still, the polarizing appeal of Family Guy isn't the point either. The question is, is this newly minted Emmy nominee a mythology show?

The reason it gets cloudy with Family Guy is that, with the flashbacks and cut-aways, it really is an exception to the rules of storytelling. Even a show like Scrubs, which indulges in fantasy sequences, has the fantasies evolve from JD's character, all the while serving to reinforce it. When Peter Griffin flashes back, it could be an unrelated sight gag, a celebrity bashing, some slapstick antics, a pop culture reference, almost anything but a direct extension of the story. McFarlane himself acknowledges that these bits are interchangeable, that a gag cut from one episode often finds its way into another.

The merits of such a technique are debatable, but how do we define a show of this nature? There are bits of continuity strewn throughout, not to mention a Springfield style imaginary town called Quahog, filled with a similar cast of thousands. There are recurring gags and a semblance of a backstory to the characters, all elements which would combine to form any other show's mythology.

The thing is, with Family Guy, the flashback structure seems so much more important than the world of Quahog or than the characters themselves. The cut-aways are often so surreal and so absurd, it begs the question, when do these Griffins find the time to have all of these adventures to which they allude - yet still return to their status quo - in addition to the adventures we do see? What else happens in these unseen tales? Enough for a Family Guy episode unto itself? For that matter, when we flash back to a tiny part of some previous wacky Griffin misadventure, I wonder, if we were to see said misadventure in toto, would they be remembering prior wacky misadventures?

I know we're dealing with a broad comedy here, one which never aims for credulity or versimilitude, but its anything-goes structure is so scatter-shot and all encompassing, it's very difficult to maintain a consistent mythology. I'd go so far as to say that the mythology of Family Guy is its non-sequitur nature itself. Again, the artistic merits of such a thing are debatable, but the Television Academy has given it the thumbs up. Take that as you will, either as a way to validate or dismiss them as an arbiter of artistic merit. I question them giving Family Guy the nod over The Simpsons, but I guess I see the nomination as a showbiz absurdity, the kind that Stewie or Brian might reminisce about while something completely unrelated happens. Kinda like that one time...