FOX’s Animation Domination – 11/2/2008

J. Hues: “Hi and welcome to the “Animation Domination” round table discussion. Thanks for joining us. We have a special treat this time around as we discuss the latest installments of FOX’s The Simpsons, King of the Hill, Family Guy and American Dad. Please give a warm welcome to the patriarchs of all four FOX animated families: Homer Simpson, Hank Hill, Peter Griffin and Stan Smith.”

Peter Griffin: “Are the refreshments in here? I was told there’d be refreshments.”

Hank Hill: “Is this going to be on the television?”

Peter: “Aw sweet, we’re gonna be on TV?! I’ve gotta tell Chris. He is gonna love this. Or maybe Brian; I’d like to rub this in his face like I rubbed his face in that poop on the carpet … Funny thing, it turned out to be mine. I did not remember doing that.”

JH: “All right, settle down guys. Let’s all have a seat. We’re here to discuss FOX’s Sunday night lineup. Since The Simpsons kicks off the night, why don’t we start with you Homer.”

Homer Simpson: “But why do I have to go first?”

JH: “Well you don’t have to. I just thought that since–”

Stan Smith: “I’ll go then. First of all, I don’t know who you think you are or where you’ve brought me, but as soon as I can get my shoe off, I’m going to alert the CIA.”

JH: “Mr. Smith, you were invited. This is a television studio. You RSVP’d.”

Stan: “So those aren’t interrogation lights?”

JH: “No, they’re studio lights.”

Stan: “They’d make great interrogation lights. How much do you want for them?”

JH: “Getting back on topic, gentlemen. The Simpsons kicked off the night with their annual “Treehouse of Horror” event. Tonight it looks like we were treated to send-ups of The Transformers, Mad Men and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”

Homer: “We did?”

JH: “But before we get to that, in this election season, the open featured a short bit. In it, Homer tried to vote for Barack Obama, but the machine registered the votes for John McCain before devouring Homer and spitting him out. What exactly was that trying to say?”

Homer: “Hmmm, you’d think I would remember that.”

Stan: “How did you get a hand on one of our voting machine prototypes?”

Hank: “Well that’s just ridiculous. Why would anyone vote for Barack Obama?”

Peter: “I’m voting for Matlock. He has honest eyes.”

JH: “The problem I had with the “Treehouse” this year was that it wasn’t particularly funny. The Transformers send-up really fell flat from beginning to end. And then making Abraham Lincoln gay? I really didn’t get where that came from.”

Peter: “Random humor. Nobody likes that.”

JH: “The funniest bit was the Charlie Brown parody. And that only got funny when the “Grand Pumpkin” went on a killing rampage due to the pumpkin atrocities.”

Hank: “Wait, what? You had a giant pumpkin walking around and killing people? Why would anyone want to watch such ridiculously impossible things happening.”

JH: “Well let’s talk about that, Hank. On your own show you had the Strickland Propane office collapse into party shenanigans and antics over a MySpace page.”

Hank: “I told them it was a bad idea. There’s no place for modern technology in the world of propane. Propane is very serious business.”

JH: “Right, but when the flash mob showed up to kick your ass, did you really think that was plausible?”

Peter: “Was there a chicken in the mob? ‘Cause I can tell you right now you do not want to fight a chicken. They’re tougher than Bea Arthur’s mommy parts…”

Peter: “…”

Peter: “…”

JH: “What are you doing?”

Peter: “Oh, wasn’t there a flashback there? Some funny little bit about Bea Arthur or something? Did we not get– Did– Well, never mind. The point is they’re tough.”

JH: “Yeah well speaking of mommy parts and the like, Family Guy was pretty risque tonight. The humor seemed a lot cruder than I remember in episodes past. It might be the reason why The Simpsons has gone from cutting edge to seeming just kind of quaint now. You’re desensitizing us.”

Homer: “Hey, we’re still cutting edge. Did you see the part where the pumpkin got blown up? … Mmmm, pumpkin seeds. And pie. And bread.”

Peter: “Oh yeah, you’re so cutting edge you’re like a has-been hockey player competing in the Olympics as a figure skater … No one’s seen it? … The Cutting Edge? … DB Sweeney and Moira Kelly … Man, what movies are you people watching?”

JH: “All in all, I thought Family Guy had the most laughs on the night–”

Peter: “HA!”

JH: “I admit I didn’t get the point of the whole cat sequence with Steve in American Dad. The main storyline was entertaining enough, but every time they went back to the cat it was the same predictable and inevitable joke. Was the humor supposed to just be in the violence?”

Hank: “Cruelty to animals is supposed to be funny now? Sometimes I don’t know what this country’s coming to.”

JH: “During the credits of Family Guy, if you stuck around for Quagmire and Cleveland’s recitation of the DirecTV Help Channel, Cleveland gave a shout out to his upcoming new series saying to Quagmire, “Did I tell you I’m getting a spinoff?” I thought that was a clever nod.

Peter: “I’m not sure what this spinoff thing is, but I intend to find out. And if Cleveland’s getting one, I want one, too.”

Stan:”I don’t think you can be a spinoff of your own show. If there is a spinoff in the works, though, then there needs to be room for it in the lineup.”

Hank: “What?”

JH: “Well, I know The Simpsons is secure for another three years.”

Homer: “Woo-hoo! Wait, what does that mean?”

Stan: “I just got my new contract for next year. We’re not going anywhere.”

Hank: “What are you saying?”

Peter: “Awkward!”

Stan: “Tell me about it.”