Family Guy’s Emmy campaign: As derivative as the show itself?

Seth MacFarlane has been actively campaigning for his Family Guy to become the first animated sitcom to win the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 20. Since I'm not an Emmy voter, I hadn't been giving it too much thought, leaving it to my friends and colleagues in the online entertainment world to deal with instead (prime example: Gabe at Videogum). But when a friend shared this latest tidbit via Google Reader (thanks for the tip, Eric!), well, I just had to watch. MacFarlane has taken to ribbing his competition by creating a separate YouTube channel called WheresMyEmmy. Today's victim: 30 Rock.

OK. So. Yes. He got it right in the end: 30 Rock will probably win. But there's something more disturbing about this, if only I could place it…

a) Is it taking on Judah Friedlander by calling him "Hat Guy"? I know and like Judah, but no, that's not it.

b) Is it taking on Tracy Morgan? No. They say he's hilarious.

c) Is it taking on the promotion of Kenneth's Internet page? No. NBC does push the promos a little too hard sometimes, although said Kenneth page is also nominated for an Emmy. Answers a, b and c are all OK, within reason, because comedians should be able to dish out and receive a little ribbing from each other, especially if it's warranted.
d) Is it because it's a clip that's essentially more about violence than jokes? That is an interesting way to sell yourself as comedy, talking gay baby and dog. Getting closer!
e) Is it because this clip seems like the kind of derivative work that was slapped together with not a lot of thought about content or getting in jokes or anything suggesting that this comes from the minds who make TV's Outstanding Comedy Series? Hold on a second…

We have a "winner," people. And by winner, I, of course, mean loser. We have a loser. MacFarlane and his people not only have been using the same exact clip over and over again this week to take on the other comedy nominees (with surefire non-quips to come about Weeds and How I Met Your Mother), but it's also derivative of its own work from an episode called…wait for it…wait for it some more…OK, here it is: "Where's My Money?"

Season 4, Episode 20. Hulu, if you please:

Time to pay up, indeed. For crimes against comedy, that is. And here is what that clip looks like redubbed and redubbed again. For The Office:

For Entourage:

For Flight of the Conchords:

Indians and Hispanics don't live in Scranton? Um, whatever. It's Sex and the City with men. Zingtown! And I think we can agree that they didn't even bother learning anything about Flight of the Conchords. If you're not going to bother, then, well, please stop. Just stop this horribleness. Or at least show us something innovative and/or daring! Can you do that?

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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3 thoughts on “Family Guy’s Emmy campaign: As derivative as the show itself?

  1. the joke is that its the same clip
    the real joke is how it could possibly be nominated in the first place
    south park n simpsons are laughing about it

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