Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious Essay

As Antonia Peacocke quotes in her experiment, The point Family laugh at is star of the first in history that has been canceled non just once, but twice (300-301). The surface was brought bear out in August 2000 and again in July 2001 when fans could not get enough of the adult cartoon. As well as being a fan favorite, Family Guy is also a controersial topic for critics all over the world. In the essay, Family Guy and Freud Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious, Antonia Peacocke analyzes the show and gives her reasons why it is not all negative and porcine humor. Antonia Peacocke is a student at Harvard University. She is also a National Merit Scholar, and has won awards such as the Catherine Fairfax MacRae prize for Excellence in both English and Mathematics.She was asked to write this essay specifically for the leger They regularize, I say with readings. The Peacockes main point of her entire essay is that she wants to let readers know why Family Guy is not a bad show , in her and others opinions, but sensation that has been criticized for solely bringing entertainment. Peacocke does a victorious job in portraying this, but it is not completely clear until the end, where her thesis can be found. The very last sentence of the essay is her thesis While I love Family Guy as oftentimes as any fan, its important not to lose sight of whats truly un leery in real life even as we appreciate what is hilarious in apologue (Peacocke 308). Peacockes thesis could be a little more clear throughout her essay, therefore, I do not feel it is as effective as it could be, but the author clearly states her argument and presents her case.Peacocke starts the essay of by saying, Before I was such a devotee, however, I was adamantly opposed to the program for its cross brand of humor (Peacocke 300). She makes it clear her feelings about the show in the very beginning. Although she is a fan, she at matchless succession dis desire the show. She quotes Stephen D ubner, co-author of Freakonomics, as saying a cartoon comedy that packs more gags per narrow-minded about race, sex, incest, bestiality, etc. than any other show he can think of (Peacocke 300). She backs up her one time opinions by saying It will come as no surprise that I was not solely in this view many still denounce Family Guy as bigoted and crude (Peacocke 300).Although the show is circulating(prenominal)ly very successful, she says It must be one of the few shows in television history that has been canceled not only once, but twice The show ran until August 2000, but was besieged by so many complaintsthat Fox shelved it until July 2001 (Peacocke 300). Also, she says, I must admit, I can see how parts of the show might take c ar offensive if taken at face value (Peacocke 302). At one point Peacocke realized, I found myself obligate to give Family Guy a chance. It was simply everywhere (Peacocke 302).One of Peacockes main points is that Family Guy has gained much positive attention. On Facebook, as Peacocke explains, there are 23 universal separate Family Guy groups with a combined membership of 1,669 lot (compared with only 6 groups protesting against Family Guy, with 105 members total). Users of the well-respected Internet Movie Database rate the show 8.8 out of 10 (Peacocke 303). As you can see, among the public and within the industry, the show receives fantastic acclaim it has won eight awards, including iii primetime Emmys (Peacocke 303). Also, when the show was on the brink of cancellation, fans provided the brute source necessary to get it back on the air (Peacocke 303). The more she was around the show, the more positively she viewed it. Peacocke then goes on to say that those who do not often watch the show, could easily come to think that the cartoon takes pleasure in polemic humor just for its own sake Peacocke 303).The next main point that Peacocke claims is that viewers who pay more attention and think about the creators intentions can see that Family Guy intelligently satirizes some aspects of American cultivation (Peacocke 304). The next paragraph is a segment from an possibility in season 4, which shows Stewie reading a book only because it was on the Oprah reading list. Peacocke says Brian and Stewie demonstrate insightfully and comically how Americans are willing to follow the instructions of a celebrity blindly and less willing to admit that they are doing so (Peacocke 304). The jokes that Family Guy is known for, withdraw a different kind of viewer. Such viewers areconscious and critical viewers (Peacocke 304). In my opinion, the very last sentence is the most powerful in the whole essay. Peacocke states They are not and I cannot stress this enough, self serving as it may seem immoral or easily manipulated people (304).Peacocke says that it sheds light on, and allows viewers the ability to analyze what they are watching, the creators of Family Guy point out the weaknesses and defects of U.S. soc iety in a mocking and sometimes intolerant way (Peacocke 305). A good example of this is the segment from the episode I Am Peter, Hear Me Roar. In this episode, the instructional video quoted above becomes not only funny but also insightful. In its satire, viewers can recognize the sickly sweet and falsely huffy sexism of the 1950s in observing just how conveniently self-serving the speaker of the video appears. The message of the clips denounces and ridicules sexism rather than condoning it (Peacocke 305).The last main point that Peacocke makes is that Family Guy does not aim to hurt, and its creators take indisputable measures to keep it from collision too hard Seth MacFarlane plainly states that there are certain jokes too upsetting to certain groups to go on the air (Peacocke 307). Also, Peacocke states that I believe Family Guy has its intelligent points, and some of its seemingly unwashed scenes often have hidden merit (Peacocke 308). In the next sentence Peacocke does adm it that sometimes the creators do seem cross or, perhaps, eagerly race past the line of indecency (Peacocke 308). In her closing paragraph, Peacocke questions the point that while Family Guy can provide a sort of relief by breaking bolt down taboos, we must still wonder whether or not these taboos exist for a reason (Peacocke 308).All three main points that the author makes are valid, and as seen in quotes, each main topic is backed up by main points. The first main point is that Family Guy is gaining positive attention. Although this is a valid point, as seen by the popularity, and the awards, this isnt reason enough to call the show good. As the author states, at one point she was not a fan of the show but it later turned onto it by exposure. The cloy of the show did not change for her opinion to change, she just gave the show a chance and realized she liked the humor.The second main point is that the show makes intellectual references to American culture. This is a valid poi nt as to why the show is good. Any show with a little bit of substance makes references to the past and current topics. It tells what is going on in the world, and explains topics everybody should be aware of. The last main point is that Family Guy breaks rules that no other major TV program or network has been able to break. Although many critics believe these are rules that shouldnt be broken, the creators believe it needs to be done. This makes it a good because it crosses boundaries that others are afraid to cross.decisiveness will link back to first comparison to Freud.Work CitedPeacocke, Antonia. Family Guy and Freud Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious. They Say, I Say with readings. Ed. Cathy Birkenstein, Russel Durst, and Gerald Graff. New York W.W. Norton, 2012. 300-308. Print.