If anyone turns on the FOX network, chances are you will see an advertisement for one of Seth Mcfarlane’s outrageous cartoons, his abysmal live variety show, or a HULU.com commercial where he shamelessly promotes his telivision shows in the same vocal fashion which made his shows famous.
We get it Seth: You hate Republicans and anything relating to pop-culture from the 1980’s-on, you think people from the South are all inbred hillbillies, and Jews, Black People and Gays, as well as any other minority all make for great comedy fodder. Lest we forget the several minute cut-scenes that are in no way related to the show’s plot. Don’t get me wrong, Peter’s never-ending battles with a giant Chicken are hilarious (albeit a little tired, seeing as the show is now syndicated to every basic cable station known to man,) but FUCK Conway Twitty. Its not humorous, and no one enjoys listening to him sing, even those who like his music. I used to be an avid family guy fan, but over the last couple seasons I have found myself really disappointed in the quality of Mr. McFarlane’s writing… or lack thereof.
Lets take a look at his new show: The Cleveland show. This show is a joke. The characters are all retarded and totally uninteresting Once again, Seth; WE GET IT!!! Red states suck, Wiggers are douche-bags, Black people are funny, and after last night’s purity episode, you definitely know how to milk a gay joke for all its worth… then kick the dead horse it rode in on, for another 15 minutes. Are you getting lazy, or just running out of good ideas, Seth?
Lastly I want to spend a minute bashing his reality show, so cleverly entitled: “Family Guy Presents: Seth and Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show”. Maybe the producers (being Mr. McFarlane himself, seeing as he runs Fox now) found some sort of funny irony in the title, or maybe they were shooting for a certain demographic of stupidity. I’ll leave that up for the rating to decide. I can’t really judge this show seeing as I was disgiusted and found myself changing the channel after about 8 minutes, but from what I saw, Seth McFarlane and Alex Borstein should stick to their day jobs, making sub-par cartoons that attract every degenerate in the country. I really had no idea why this show was even on the air… it had no redeeming value whatsoever, and I couldn’t even figure out what Seth and Alex were aiming for in the show… perhaps they are just as clueless as myself. The real deal breaker for me was when Seth began to sing “The Sound of Music’s” “Edelweiss”. Apparently the joke was that Alex Borstein, who happens to be Jewish, is supposed to be offended by this because it has a Nazi reference, I suppose. All I know is, I found it shallow, and somewhat tacky and basically I hated the show. I’m not one to advocate political correctness on any level, but it gets to a point where you stop making comedy and are just offending anyone and everyone. This is what Seth McFarlane has reduced himself to. He should rethink his game plan, and stick to what made him famous in the first place: Writing funny Family Guy and American Dad episodes, and stop trying to write absolute shit, sticktly for shock value. The above picture that I found online describes exactly what has become of Family Guy over the last ten years. Do us all a favor, Seth: Battle your personal demons and insecurities on your own time, stop wasting ours.
Next to Holiday, a 5-piece Screamo outfit from Gainsville, brings a little something to the table that has been missing from the screamo scene: upbeat party lyrics followed by high-energy rocking riffs. According to singer, UT's own Jesse Dobbie, the band will be entering the Cass studio on campus next week to record a full-length acoustic album. Be on the lookout on campus, listen in on the Radio, and follow Next to Holiday on myspace.
Tampa’s Greek Festival this weekend aims to ring some old-world fun to the busy, fast-paced urban life that Tampa residents have become so accustomed to. The three-day shindig, complete with Greek food, music, dancing and other staples of the culture, is abundantly available. I actually found out about the festival last Tuesday, through my guitar instructor on campus, John Demas, who provides 3 days of music for the event every year. When he mentioned Greek food, I was there. $2 gets you in the door, while Gyros, Greek Lasagna and Baklava were just a few of the staple dishes offered by many local Greek restaurants at reasonable prices, as well as free samples spread out through the vicinity. Traditional Greek music was led by Demas on a bouzouki, a Greek guitar, and the band was accompanied by Glendi and Panigyri dancers. Packed with church-goers and hooligans such as myself and my friends, there was a full house full of music, food, and high energy. I know I'll be going back next year.
This weekend, deciding to forego the typical college weekend and rot my liver, I opted to borrow the entire series of Undeclared on DVD from a friend of mine. It was an awesome idea. For those who haven’t seen or even heard of Undeclared, it is defiantly a hidden gem among the Television world. After Judd Apatow’s short-lived high school dramedy, Freaks and Geeks, he moved on to parody and examine the trials, tribulations and shenanigans that happen in the first year of college, taking place in the early 2000’s. While I found Freaks and Geeks hilarious and loved the soundtrack (it takes place in the 80’s so The Who, and Led Zeppelin were two musical staples thought the series) I couldn’t find myself connecting with the characters as much as I did when I watched Undeclared. Just like the characters, Apatow’s story and dialogue writing begins to mature and become more real. From the first episode, I could identify with so many of the character’s problems and trails as they began their first semester at college. Meting the roommates, one-night stands, first loves, living on your own, drinking copious amounts of alcohol out of random apparati found around a dorm room, and feeling totally lost were all touched on in just the first episode alone. The show is also carried by much of its cast: Jay Baruchel, who plays the main character: Shy, soft-spoken Eric, is a relative unknown, having only a small memorable note in Apatow’s blockbuster hit, Knocked Up, and some other small movie/television parts. Stoner Superstar Seth Rogan once again reprises his roll of the simple yet loveable slacker, Ron, and Jason Segal guest starts in the series as the obsessive back-home boyfriend, Eric. The office’s Jenna Fischer even makes an appearnce in a later episode as one of Steve’s roommates one-night stands. Any fan of Apatow’s movies, and his crew of loveable stoners will appreciate this short-lived masterpiece about moving on top the next chapter in life, that is college.