The Fox TV network and its animated comedy series Family Guy apparently think AIDS is a laughing matter.
AIDS groups are leveling harsh criticism against the network after it aired and then reran an episode of the show that includes a lengthy song-and-dance joke about a sick man who is diagnosed with AIDS.
The episode--titled “The Cleveland-Loretta Quagmire”--aired on June 12 and was rerun on August 14.
In the show, the program’s main character, Peter Griffin, offers to tell a friend that his wife is cheating on him because of his self-proclaimed gifted way of breaking bad news to people. As an example of this alleged skill, the program shows a flashback as to how Peter told a gaunt man lying in a hospital bed of his AIDS diagnosis. The man is also depicted as young and sporting a goatee, possibly subtly suggesting that he is gay.
Peter is shown as part of a barbershop quartet that dances around the ill man’s hospital room, singing “You got the AIDS” and making it clear that the man is not just HIV-positive but has developed “full-blown AIDS.” The shocking song-and-dance number continues to speculate about how the man became infected: “when you stuck that filthy needle in here,” sung as the quartet points at the man’s arm, or through unprotected sex.
The full lyrics of the song are as follows:
You have AIDS.
Yes, you have AIDS.
I hate to tell you, boy, you have AIDS.
You got the AIDS.
You may have caught it when you stuck that filthy needle in here.
Or maybe all that unprotected sex which we hear.
It isn’t clear, but what we’re certain of is that you have AIDS.
Yes, you have AIDS.
Not HIV, but full-blown AIDS.
Be sure that you see that this is not HIV, but full blown AIDS.
Not HIV, but full-blown AIDS.
I’m sorry, I wish it was something less serious, but it’s AIDS.
You’ve got the AIDS.
The episode was written by Family Guy writers Patrick Henry and Mike Henry, and directed by James Purdum.
Fox officials defended airing and rerunning the episode, saying Family Guy intends to push the boundaries of good taste through its brand of insult-laden humor and that the show has targeted many demographic groups, not just HIV-positive people.
“Over the years, Family Guy has skewered virtually every ethnic, religious, and social group,” says Fox spokesman Steven Melnick. “The audience that tunes into this series is well-aware of what to expect from the show--a subversive and sometimes shocking comedic view that occasionally skirts the borders of appropriateness. This scene is not a joke about HIV but rather Peter’s ignorance and inability to convey bad news. Given the nature of this series as well as the well-established cluelessness of this particular character, the scene--while certainly abrasive--is not beyond the expectation of the Family Guy audience.”
But AIDS groups aren’t amused. And they’re not buying Fox’s defense of the show, saying that joking about a disease that affects more than 40 million people worldwide, most of whom will die of the ailment, is reprehensible and serves only to worsen AIDS-related stigma.
“A barbershop quartet singing blithely about AIDS is about as funny as a song about breast cancer or leukemia, especially to the people living with the disease,” says AIDS Project Los Angeles executive director Craig E. Thompson. “It is inexcusable for Fox to air a program that stigmatizes AIDS and less than subtly reinforces homophobia. It should be socially unacceptable to see this kind of garbage passing for entertainment in 2005.”
David Munar, associate director of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, says that while Family Guy may have been attempting to use dark humor to show the inappropriateness of delivering bad news through a song-and-dance number, that message might have been lost due to the subject matter of the song. “The risk, of course, is that some viewers might not get the joke and believe that AIDS has become a casual, laughing matter,” he says.
Both the AIDS Institute, based in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia’s ActionAIDS believe Fox and Family Guy officials owe HIV-positive people--and all those working in the AIDS arena--an apology for suggesting that becoming infected with HIV or developing AIDS is funny.
“The portrayal of HIV/AIDS on Family Guy was irresponsible,” says AIDS Institute executive director Gene Copello. “There is nothing comical about a person lying in a hospital bed dying of AIDS or any other disease. Fox owes people living with HIV/AIDS and their families an immediate apology.”
Kevin Burns, executive director of ActionAIDS, says, “It is disturbing that Fox television would take such a cavalier approach to the subject of HIV/AIDS and the difficult task of informing someone of an AIDS diagnosis. Fox owes the community an apology. In addition, they should consider the many opportunities they have to support people living with HIV/AIDS and to educate the larger community about HIV/AIDS treatment, care, and prevention.”
Fox officials did not respond to requests for additional comments.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Family Guy has fun with AIDS | Exclusive | Advocate.com
Friday, August 19, 2005
Fashion Monitor Toronto - Guide to Toronto Fashion, Style and Nightlife - Princes William and Harry Will Star in The Simpsons - William and Harry will
Princes William and Harry Will Star in The Simpsons
William and Harry will be the latest in a galaxy of stars and famous faces to become characters in Springfield.
Princes William and Harry are being lined up for cameos in The Simpsons.
The royal siblings are set to be approached by bosses of the hit animated show with an offer.
Executive producer Al Jean claims he is interested in featuring both William and Harry in a storyline where one of the princes becomes Lisa Simpson's dream boyfriend.
He said: "We've thought about approaching Harry and William because I believe they are fans of the show. It would be funny to make one of them Lisa's boyfriend.
"I know they're image conscious but I don't know what harm it would do."
Al also admits he would love to cast Queen Elizabeth II, the princes' grandmother, in an episode.
He added: "I'd love to get the Queen on the show. That would really be something."
If William and Harry do accept the offer, they will be the latest in a galaxy of stars and famous faces to become characters in Springfield.
Former guest stars include former Beatles Sir Paul McCartney and George Harrison, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Jackson and REM.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
PRINCE WILLIAM - PRINCES WILLIAM AND HARRY WANTED FOR SIMPSONS CAMEO
Producers of the hit animated show want William to feature as LISA's new love interest, while party-loving Harry has been cast as a wacky tearaway pal for BART.
The Simpsons' executive producer, AL JEAN, says, 'We've thought about approaching Harry and William because we believe they are fans of the show.
'It would be funny to make one of them Lisa's boyfriend.
'I know they're image conscious, but I don't see what harm it'll do.'
Jean has also hinted at wanting the princes' grandmother, QUEEN ELIZABETH II, to star in her own episode.
He adds, 'I'd love to get the Queen on the show. That would be something.'
If the royal duo accept the part, they will follow in the footsteps of other British stars who have enjoyed cameo appearances on The Simpsons, including SIR ELTON JOHN, SIR PAUL McCARTNEY and Prime Minister TONY BLAIR."
News Shorts
The new Fox reality series “Princes of Malibu” is doing more than just tank. It’s taking some of the shine off its lead-out, the cartoon hit “Family Guy.”
In its second outing, “Malibu” fell to a 2.0 adults 18-49 rating Sunday night. More alarmingly for Fox, the 8:30 show led into the lowest rated “Family” in some weeks. “Family” posted a 3.1 rating at 9 p.m. Sunday night, all according to Nielsen overnights.
That’s down 18 percent from the 3.8 “Family” averaged in the two weeks before “Malibu” premiered. Back then, “Family” had a much better lead-in, with repeats of “The Simpsons” averaging a 3.5 rating at 8:30.
The last two Sundays, “Malibu” has averaged just a 2.3 as a lead-in to “Family Guy,” pulling that show’s average down to a 3.2 over those same weeks.
Fox finished first Sunday night among 18-49s with a 2.4 average rating and a 7 share. ABC was second at 2.3/7, NBC third at 1.9/6, CBS fourth at 1.7/5 and the WB fifth at 0.7/2.
At 7 p.m. ABC led with a 1.8 average for a repeat of “Home Edition.” Fox was second that hour with a 1.7 average for repeats of “Malcolm in the Middle” (1.5) and “King of the Hill” (1.8), and CBS third with a 1.6 for “60 Minutes.”
Monday, August 15, 2005
IGN: Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season, The Review
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How the Simpsons dug themselves into a happy little rut - TV & Radio
When he started work on the first season of The Simpsons, Mike Reiss thought the show would last six weeks.
"We thought we were just doing it to amuse ourselves and six weeks was about the lifespan of a quirky, offbeat show," he said.
Reiss didn't tell anyone what he did because he was ashamed to be writing for cartoons.
Seventeen seasons later, Reiss is still part of the Simpsons' fraternity. Twenty-five writers now work on episodes costing $US2 million ($2.59 million) to $US3 million each, with stars who get $US250,000 a week for their character voices.
Reiss, as one of the producers, has won four Emmys for what Time magazine voted the greatest TV show of the 20th century.
With more than 350 episodes, The Simpsons has become the third-longest-running show on American television behind what Reiss calls "those other two comedy classics, Lassie and Gunsmoke".
On the Gold Coast yesterday to address the Screen Producers Association of Australia's annual conference, Reiss admits to being surprised when The Simpsons is praised for its topicality.
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Given that each episode takes eight to 12 months to make, he says, "the show is one of the least topical shows on television" and its makers do not set out to be subversive.
"Our point of view is always just to be the funniest we can on any topic."
Reiss doubts that the show broadens the perspective of viewers when it treats such controversial subjects as gay marriage or creationism versus evolution.
"I heard recently that more people are playing saxaphone because of Lisa. That's the only real impact we've had."
Surprisingly, only one subject is considered too controversial.
"We always say we'll never have Homer beat Marge. Mind you, Homer strangles his son every week.
"TV gets a little more outrageous all the time. Someone will pitch an episode one year and we'll think we'll never do it. Then a couple of years later we'll do it and it airs without a ripple.
"We did the episode where Homer smokes medicinal marijuana. Fox said they wouldn't air it. We said 'OK, show a blank screen'. They finally aired the episode and there wasn't one complaint."
Good news for Simpsons fans: there are still plans for a movie, but it may be a while yet.
"We're taking our time with it," Reiss said. "Unlike the Bewitched movie, we decided to have a script first."
Buffalo News - Drawing ATTENTION
You sit down in front of the TV with a bowl of cereal and a few hours to kill watching cartoons.
But this isn't the Saturday morning of your childhood. The only mention of Scooby and Shaggy comes when a superhero-turned-lawyer defends them against charges of drug possession. Instead of Bugs and Elmer chasing each other through the forest, you get a giant milkshake stuffing his meatball roommate into a clothes dryer.
One thing is clear: These aren't your little brother's cartoons. They're the new generation of animated television, "adult cartoons," and they're raking in viewers in the coveted 18-34 demographic.
From the runaway hit "Family Guy" to cult favorites like "Home Movies" and "Tom Goes to the Mayor," adult cartoons make up a quirky, pop-culture-lampooning, potty-humor-spewing genre that isn't following mainstream TV's rules.
Where did it come from?
The success of offbeat shows like "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" even has the show's creators scratching their heads.
"Who would have ever thought that a sitcom about a pack of fries, a milkshake and a wad of hamburger meat would have become so popular?" said Keith Crofford, vice president of production at Adult Swim, the Cartoon Network block of shows that draws many adult cartoon viewers.
The genre has its roots in the edgy humor of "The Simpsons" and "South Park" and the knowing comedy of the original "Muppet Show." Then, in 1999, along came a bizarre little sitcom called "The Family Guy." After a few seasons, Fox yanked the series, which had drawn criticism from groups such as the Parents Television Council for its vulgarity and sexual humor.
But the show wasn't done yet. Strong DVD sales of "Family Guy's" first three seasons prompted an unprecedented about-face: Fox picked the series back up for a new season that began this summer.
The show became the mainstay of a new wave of animation. In 2001, Cartoon Network packaged some of its original shows in a nighttime block called Adult Swim. With strong lead-ins from better-known shows like "Family Guy" and "Futurama," the block began to pick up speed with the young adult demographic advertisers crave.
Once adult animation proved its staying power, other networks jumped on board, though they've had trouble reproducing Adult Swim's success. Spike tried out the short-lived "Stripperella," "Gary the Rat" and a "Ren and Stimpy" redux. Even SciFi chimed in with "Tripping the Rift," a fantasia of bouncing digital flesh and crude intergalactic humor that's about to start its second season.
Creating a cult hit
Viewers say the success of Adult Swim is as simple to understand as it is tough to re-create: The shows are funny.
"It's always been this weird, absolutely random humor," said Joe O'Connell. The 18-year-old follows a couple of adult cartoons and runs a Web site about one of them, the comedy "Home Movies."
Plus, the shows have a cult allure. They cater to a generation that has always liked discovering the next hit - whether it's in movies, music or TV - before anyone else.
"You have to get it in order to like it," O'Connell explained. "In some ways, that's part of the appeal."
Getting the chance to develop that kind of slow-growing audience was a rare gift in the ratings-focused television world, said Nick Weidenfeld, head of program development at Adult Swim.
"It had this chance to grow really organically," he said.
Adult Swim is based in Atlanta, far from TV's epicenters in Los Angeles and New York. That outsider status lets writers and animators stay focused on their shows' "geek appeal," a factor Weidenfeld said can't be underestimated.
Animation is a very freeing medium, fans say. On hand-drawn shows, characters can be anyone from baby Stewie of "Family Guy," who speaks with a precise British accent and is bent on world domination, to the 1960s cartoon hero who now hosts a talk show on "Space Ghost Coast to Coast."
"It's very spontaneous," 23-year-old Abigail Purcell said of animation. "You can't do that with regular, everyday human actors."
Attracting women
Purcell is part of the growing female audience for adult animation. While the shows on Adult Swim mainly attract men, some women are now picking up "Family Guy" DVDs and checking out the better-known shows for what Purcell calls her "comic outlet."
When adult cartoons' audience still skewed toward socially challenged college boys, women like Purcell were less likely to watch them. Now that at least a few shows have become more mainstream, Purcell and her friends have picked up on their subversive humor. Still, "for some people, it's like a secret indulgence," she said.
Developers like Weidenfeld and Crofford hope to build more Abigail Purcells into their audience while holding onto the Joe O'Connells of their base demographic by keeping their best-known shows around while developing new hits at their Atlanta base. They're branching out, too, with video games based on some of the most popular shows on the way in 2006.
"We all love cartoons, but this is bigger than cartoons," Weidenfeld said. "We're never going to just stay limited."
But their cartoons will probably always be the main attraction for today's young adults, who have grown up on "The Simpsons" and similar shows, O'Connell said.
"There's no mentality of "cartoons are for kids,' " he said of his peers. "It's just an animation generation."
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Simpsons, The - Don't like the new Homer-shaped case? Fox will take care of you! Er, if they get the phone # right... (D'oh!)
Don't like it? Most Simpsons fans we've heard from have LIKED the "Homer's Head" packaging for The Simpsons - The Complete 6th Season, and are looking forward to upcoming cases featuring the rest of the family's noggins. However, there ARE a significant number of fans who object to the change in box style, fearing that the new case will not fit in with the look of existing season sets, or just not fit at all if they have their shelving set in a pretty tight vertical fit. Don't worry, though, Fox will take care of you. Inside the box that arrives in stores next Tuesday, August 16th, you'll find a card that looks like this (except the phone # won't be obscured, even though it WILL be incorrect...more on that in a moment):
News Graphic
In short, Fox is saying (while taking a few humorous jabs at you; we guess they assume fans of The Simpsons WILL have a sense of humor, and can take a joke!) that anyone who wants to get the "Homer's Head" package replaced with a more standard-style slipcase package that resembles the old ones, may call a toll-free number and talk to Fox Customer Service to get this switched out. We do NOT know the terms of the deal: is it free? Does it cost? Do you have to pay at least shipping & handling? We just don't know. Nor do we know what the alternate packaging looks like, since Fox hasn't provided a picture of it.
As you can see, we've obscured the phone # on the card insert. Why? Two reasons: First, the phone # is NOT active for the slip cover offer until TUESDAY Aug. 16th...the day the new title hits the streets. We can also tell you that there will be a web site that can alternately be used to take advantage of this offer. The site is currently not active, and won't be until next Tuesday (there is filler material there in the meantime). Here at TVShowsOnDVD, we debated on whether or not we should reveal the correct # and the website URL to you right now, but decided in the end that we should just post it in a separate news story on Tuesday morning. Look for it then. It's highly likely that you'll need a proof-of-purchase to take advantage of the offer in any case. Well...maybe not.
In the meantime, it is IMPORTANT for us to pass on to everybody that THE "800" PART OF THE TOLL-FREE NUMBER IS WRONG! THE CORRECT NUMBER WILL HAVE AN "888" AREA CODE!. Yes, you heard that right: the phone # on the card is a typo. If you dial it as-is, you get some accounting firm that will consider phone calls on this subject to be nothing but a hassle, we're sure. They probably have nothing to do with this except the unhappy misfortune to have a similar toll-free number. Don't bother them, okay? Call the phone # on the card, but replace "800" with "888"!
(What's really funny about the typo is that, if you call the correct number after hours, you get a voice message from Fox Customer Service telling you to call back on Tuesday about the slip cover offer, and they read the phone # back to you...and the number the read is also the wrong "800" version. D'oh!)
Again, call the correct "888" version of the phone #, ON TUESDAY, or visit us here that morning to get the link to the website (which isn't mentioned on the insert card). All right? Okay. We appreciate the reader, who wished to remain anonymous, that took the time and effort to scan this insert and send it in to us.
Monday, August 08, 2005
IOL: Simpsons happier than Beckhams, says survey
TV host Jonathan Ross is perceived to have the happiest home life of all.
Chef Jamie Oliver's family came second in the happy stakes, followed by footballer Jamie Redknapp, his singer wife Louise and their baby son.
The Beckhams were tenth in the survey, with only one family set-up thought to be more fiery, that of the fictional Slaters in EastEnders.
TV cartoon The Simpsons came fourth, followed by TV chat show hosts Richard and Judy.
The Osbournes, famous for their bust-ups on their MTV show, came sixth ranking above newlyweds Prince Charles and Camilla and the Blairs.
Madonna and her film director husband Guy Ritchie are ninth in the poll, which was carried out for Norwich Union.
1. Jonathan Ross 29.3%
2. Jamie Oliver 21.7%
3. Jamie Redknapp 12%
4. The Simpsons 10.8%
5. Richard and Judy 9.7%
6. The Osbournes 5.1%
7. Prince Charles and Camilla 3.4%
8. The Blairs 2%
9. Madonna and Guy Ritchie 2%
10. The Beckhams 1.2%.
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Saturday, August 06, 2005
Family Guy is tops
ABC started the night in the lead with a 1.8 average at 7 p.m. for a repeat of “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” Fox was second with a 1.6 average for repeats of “Malcolm in the Middle” (1.4) and “King of the Hill” (1.8), and CBS third with a 1.5 for “60 Minutes.”
Fox took the lead during the 8 p.m. hour with a 3.0 average rating for back-to-back repeats of “The Simpsons.” ABC was second with a 2.3 average for a repeat of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and CBS and NBC tied with a 1.8, CBS for a repeat of “Cold Case” and NBC for “Dateline.”
At 9 p.m. Fox led with a 3.2 average for “Family Guy” (3.4) and a repeat of “American Dad” (3.1). NBC was second with a 2.6 average for a repeat of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and ABC third with a 1.8 for a “Desperate Housewives” rerun.
NBC took over at 10 p.m. with a 2.2 average for"
Friday, August 05, 2005
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
King of the Hill - Season 5 Release Info
Wow, another announcement from Fox today! They've just announced plans to release the fifth season of King of the Hill on November 22. The 3 disc set will include all 20 episodes (480 mins) for $39.98 US ($54.98 CAN). The release will be in Full Frame (1.33:1), with English Surround audio, and English/Spanish subtitles.
Disc 1 Side 1:
1. The Perils Of Polling
2. The Buck Stops Here
3. I Don't Want To Wait For Our Lives To Be Over, I Don't Want To Know Right Now, Will It Be Sorry, Do Do Doo Do Do
4. Spin The Choice
Disc 1 Side 2:
1. Peggy Makes The Big Leagues
2. When Cotton Comes Marching Home
3. What Makes Bobby Run?
4. Twas The Nut Before Christmas
Disc 2 Side 1:
1. Chas"
Family Guy - Volume 3 Relase Info!
Probably the hottest news we've posted today (and we've posted a lot!), is Fox's announcement of Family Guy Volume 3, which contains the first 13 episodes from the fourth season. The 3 disc set will sell for $39.98 US ($54.98 CAN), and hit stores on November 29. The set will feature full frame video, with English/French Surround tracks, and English/French/Spanish subtitles.
Disc 1:
1. North by North Quahog
2. Fast Times at Buddy Cianci Jr. High
3. Blind Ambition
4. Don't Make Me Over
Disc 2:
1. The Cleveland-Loretta Quagmire
2. Petarded
3. Brian the Bachelor
4. 8 Simple Rules for Buying My Teenage Daughter
Disc 3:
1. Breaking Out Is Hard to Do
2. Model Misbehavior
3. Stewie B. Goode
4. Bango Was His Name Oh
5. Stu & Stewie's Excellent Adventure
Extras include:
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Monday, August 01, 2005
Podcasting News: Fox Jumps on Podcast Bandwagon
Fox Podcasts include Family Guy, Simpsons, American Dad, Malcolm in the Middle, Trading Spouses and other popular Fox shows.
The podcasts, which Fox brands as 'Foxcasts', are standard RSS 2.0/MP3 podcasts, with iTunes support.
Fox podcasts are narrated by Michael Krogmann, the host of the Late Night FOX Show, and the man behind American Idol’s Jaded Journalist."
'Family Guy' leaks online:- - Entertainment News - Webindia123.com
The uncensored Stewie Griffen: The Untold Story has popped up on illegal file-sharing networks, even though it is not being released on DVD until September, the New York Post reported.
The DVD is comprised of three never-aired Family Guy episodes. In one, a bearded baby a Stewie is cast in an adventure that closely resembles the fall of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, the Post said"
Scotsman.com News - Latest News - Gervais' Simpsons dream comes true
"Ricky Gervais' appearance in his own episode of The Simpsons is a dream come true, the British comedy star has revealed.
The Office and Extras star is the first British writer to pen an entire episode of the animated series, which he hails as his favourite show of all time.
'When I first got into comedy it was my ambition to get a joke on The Simpsons,' he told the Press Association. 'Now I've got a whole episode. I can just imagine waking up one day and finding out it's all been a dream.'"
Baldwin, Grammer back to `The Simpsons` - Sify.com
According to Contactmusic, in the show's season opener, which will air in the US on September 11, Baldwin will play a marine biologist, while Grammer will reprise his role as Sideshow Bob.
Dennis Rodman, Ricky Gervais, William H Macy, Lily Tomlin, Frances McDormand, and Rob Reiner are among others who will make appearances on the show."
