This one's about freegans. Or at least it has a freegan in it (in case you don't know what I'm talking about, here's the Wikipedia article on Freeganism).
A freegan visits Goode Family neighborhood and indicts them as wasteful consumerists. The freegan is a misanthrope, spiteful of everyone he comes into contact with.
A point is sort of made that while we can always do more and be better people than we are, doing so means becoming miserable in the process.
I take issue with this. I think that someone who tries to do good for good reasons usually gets personal satisfaction from the acts of doing good. I'm happy with veganism, for example. I don't see veganism as a sacrifice. I don't know a single miserable vegan. But it's a stereotype that gets promulgated all over the place. I think this happens for two reasons:
1. Ignorance: People don't know about the wonderful foods vegans eat and they don't understand the reasons for going vegan. So they think vegans are self-loathing and masochistic.
2. Wishful Thinking: There are those who hope that vegans are miserable. It makes it easier for them to remain comfortable with their worldview. If a vegan is miserable, unhealthy, sikly, pale, anemic (and again, I don't know a single vegan who fits this bill), then it's easier for them to write off veganism as something that just doesn't work. Something they should never consider.
The same could be said for Freegans, is what I'm getting at.
The creators of the Goode Family, I think, have a case of number 2.
--
Oh, and here's something I've been meaning to do with past reviews and will start now. I'll call it the Vegan Watch, in which I report if there were any veganism-related jokes in the episode.
Vegan Watch: There were no jokes about veganism in this episode.
Well ... that was uneventful.
Showing posts with label The Goode Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Goode Family. Show all posts
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
the Goode Family - Ep 5: I Prefer Laughing
When I'm watching a comedy, I like to laugh. I'm a fan of laughing.
Guess what I didn't do once during the whole of The Goode Family, episode 5.
You guessed it. I didn't laugh.
I also was not compelled to think.
Mostly, I was waiting for it to end. Then it ended. And then I typed this.
Guess what I didn't do once during the whole of The Goode Family, episode 5.
You guessed it. I didn't laugh.
I also was not compelled to think.
Mostly, I was waiting for it to end. Then it ended. And then I typed this.
Friday, June 19, 2009
The Goode Family - Ep 4: Again with the Al Gore
Yes, I realized I skipped episode 3. It's not working on the ABC website right now. I'll occasionally check back to see if it works.
-
Mom Goode wants to hire help for the garden because she threw out her back. Dad Goode says they don't need help. He says, "Do you think Al Gore has a staff of people helping him?"
Again with the assumption that environmentally and socially conscious people worship Al Gore. Pretty ridiculous if you ask me.
Dad Goode then says, "We're not hiring any minorities to do our dirty work. That's racist! It's whites-only at the Goode house."
OK, that's pretty funny. And the rest of the episode relies pretty heavily on the same kind of humor. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great.
I'm not inspired to do a big review of this episode like I've done for the last two. Instead, I have a general observation about the show: This vegan family looks great.
Mom and Dad Goode look great and always healthy. Adopted son Goode is a tank. Daughter Goode is a waif, but a waif in the way that pop culture idolizes. The animation for her torso shows her pelvic bones, but that's in these days, right?
Anyway, here's a healthy vegan family on network TV.
This is what I meant when I said that this show could be a double edged sword for veganism. There are a lot of people out there who assume that veganism is a deficient diet. If you can't eat the superfoods that are meat, dairy and eggs, then you'll whither away and die. So far, The Goode Family has shown that vegans are just as fit, if not more fit, then their omnivorous counterparts. Adopted Son Goode was the star of the football team in episode 2.
So far, I'd have to honestly say that this show is a net positive for veganism. Of course, that could change in the span of one episode. But so far ... I feel dirty saying it, but ... so good? Really? Did I just type that?
Coming up tonight at 7:30 central, A Tale of Two Lesbians. Here's the description: "Helen and Gerald try to prove they're not homophobic by befriending a lesbian couple."
That sounds groan-worthy. Sure, the show might not be all bad, but I'm sort of starting to hope it dies a quiet death.
-
Mom Goode wants to hire help for the garden because she threw out her back. Dad Goode says they don't need help. He says, "Do you think Al Gore has a staff of people helping him?"
Again with the assumption that environmentally and socially conscious people worship Al Gore. Pretty ridiculous if you ask me.
Dad Goode then says, "We're not hiring any minorities to do our dirty work. That's racist! It's whites-only at the Goode house."
OK, that's pretty funny. And the rest of the episode relies pretty heavily on the same kind of humor. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great.
I'm not inspired to do a big review of this episode like I've done for the last two. Instead, I have a general observation about the show: This vegan family looks great.
Mom and Dad Goode look great and always healthy. Adopted son Goode is a tank. Daughter Goode is a waif, but a waif in the way that pop culture idolizes. The animation for her torso shows her pelvic bones, but that's in these days, right?
Anyway, here's a healthy vegan family on network TV.
This is what I meant when I said that this show could be a double edged sword for veganism. There are a lot of people out there who assume that veganism is a deficient diet. If you can't eat the superfoods that are meat, dairy and eggs, then you'll whither away and die. So far, The Goode Family has shown that vegans are just as fit, if not more fit, then their omnivorous counterparts. Adopted Son Goode was the star of the football team in episode 2.
So far, I'd have to honestly say that this show is a net positive for veganism. Of course, that could change in the span of one episode. But so far ... I feel dirty saying it, but ... so good? Really? Did I just type that?
Coming up tonight at 7:30 central, A Tale of Two Lesbians. Here's the description: "Helen and Gerald try to prove they're not homophobic by befriending a lesbian couple."
That sounds groan-worthy. Sure, the show might not be all bad, but I'm sort of starting to hope it dies a quiet death.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
The Goode Family - Ep 2: One good observation. Meh jokes. Blech animation.
I've decided that for these Goode Family reviews I'm just going to throw thoughts together as I watch the episode. Like this:
Lame nightmare dream sequence about daughter Goode going to community college.
-
Some unfunny jokes about Native Americans.
-
At 8:10 into the show grandpa Goode manages to exit the Goode house while still holding onto the inside door handle. This feat of wonder brought to you by shitty animation.
-
Halfway through the show I wonder if adopted son Goode will quit the football team when he learns that the football is made from cow skin.
-
Yes! A vegan joke that's not at the expense of vegans! Some football dad at a barbecue holds up a slab of meat and tells dad Goode that he stuffed a turkey into a cow and asks if he wants some. Dad Goode says, "None for me, thanks. I'm completely stuffed with grapes."
It's not super funny, but it's true! Any vegan who has ever gone unprepared to a non-vegan potluck or barbecue knows the drill. You get whatever fruit there is. Some plain veggies (because the dip is ranch) and maybe some plain tortilla or potato chips.
So ... jeez ... maybe they have a vegan on staff after all?
-
There is a lesbian couple who are at a father/son football retreat (but see, they're women and their son thinks football "is gay" ... har har). They are butch (which is supposed to be a joke in itself, but of course is not). Here's the amount sensitivity with which these two characters are treated by the show creators. In one scene (at about 11:30) the brown haired lesbian is talking to dad Goode. The scene cuts away for a second to show adopted son Goode running toward dad Goode to give him a hug. When the scene returns to dad Goode the lesbian standing beside him is the blonde haired lesbian.
This feat of amazing lesbian transportation brought to you by lazy production. Could there be any better illustration of how little thought they put into the stereotypical lesbian characters? SOMEONE DIDN'T NOTICE THEY WERE SWITCHED! Unbelievable.
-
Then dad Goode tries to stop crazy football guy from killing a pig and dad Goode frees the pig only to be mauled by the pig. This will reinforce some people's view that pigs hate humans and will eat them if given the chance. This is, in fact, only true if the pig has been in captivity and treated like shit by humans. Then yes, they'll be sort of crazy and try to bite their oppressors if given the chance. Makes sense to me.
Anyway, they save the pig and then make him into the team mascot instead of the team sacrifice (apparently all it takes is adopted son Goode hugging the pig once to turn him into a docile pet).
-
Football wins and they all lived happily ever after. Except for the pig. Who is probably in a cage when he's not out on the field.
Oh, and all the cows who were killed to make the footballs definitely DID NOT live happily ever after.
So that sucks.
Lame nightmare dream sequence about daughter Goode going to community college.
-
Some unfunny jokes about Native Americans.
-
At 8:10 into the show grandpa Goode manages to exit the Goode house while still holding onto the inside door handle. This feat of wonder brought to you by shitty animation.
-
Halfway through the show I wonder if adopted son Goode will quit the football team when he learns that the football is made from cow skin.
-
Yes! A vegan joke that's not at the expense of vegans! Some football dad at a barbecue holds up a slab of meat and tells dad Goode that he stuffed a turkey into a cow and asks if he wants some. Dad Goode says, "None for me, thanks. I'm completely stuffed with grapes."
It's not super funny, but it's true! Any vegan who has ever gone unprepared to a non-vegan potluck or barbecue knows the drill. You get whatever fruit there is. Some plain veggies (because the dip is ranch) and maybe some plain tortilla or potato chips.
So ... jeez ... maybe they have a vegan on staff after all?
-
There is a lesbian couple who are at a father/son football retreat (but see, they're women and their son thinks football "is gay" ... har har). They are butch (which is supposed to be a joke in itself, but of course is not). Here's the amount sensitivity with which these two characters are treated by the show creators. In one scene (at about 11:30) the brown haired lesbian is talking to dad Goode. The scene cuts away for a second to show adopted son Goode running toward dad Goode to give him a hug. When the scene returns to dad Goode the lesbian standing beside him is the blonde haired lesbian.
This feat of amazing lesbian transportation brought to you by lazy production. Could there be any better illustration of how little thought they put into the stereotypical lesbian characters? SOMEONE DIDN'T NOTICE THEY WERE SWITCHED! Unbelievable.
-
Then dad Goode tries to stop crazy football guy from killing a pig and dad Goode frees the pig only to be mauled by the pig. This will reinforce some people's view that pigs hate humans and will eat them if given the chance. This is, in fact, only true if the pig has been in captivity and treated like shit by humans. Then yes, they'll be sort of crazy and try to bite their oppressors if given the chance. Makes sense to me.
Anyway, they save the pig and then make him into the team mascot instead of the team sacrifice (apparently all it takes is adopted son Goode hugging the pig once to turn him into a docile pet).
-
Football wins and they all lived happily ever after. Except for the pig. Who is probably in a cage when he's not out on the field.
Oh, and all the cows who were killed to make the footballs definitely DID NOT live happily ever after.
So that sucks.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
The Adequate Family
The season premier of The Goode Family came and went last night with a few laughs, a few groans and chunks of silence. There were only a couple mentions of veganism. I'm sure they'll focus more on it in later episodes (in fact, I know they will, since I saw an ad that involved Dad Goode refusing to slaughter a pig).
At any rate, I think I get a Dad Gold Medal or something for getting Anna to bed by 8:00 so I could watch it. It's all for you, reader. It's all for you.
The episode starts out with Dad Goode boasting that he got a bag of elephant manure at the circus. "They were just giving it away," he says in his blank effeminate voice.
Two things:
1: I was recently contacted by a friend who is planting a garden. She asked me if I know of a place she can pick up manure for free. This friend's husband owns a motorcycle. She is a cosmetologist ... I think. Neither of them are vegan. Neither of them are craaaaaazy environmentalists. So ... I don't get the joke, I guess is what I'm saying.
2: Honestly, could you paint a more stereotypical image of a socially and environmentally conscious man? And isn't this whole view a wee bit dated?
Adopted Son Goode points out to Dad Goode that the circus exploits animals. Yeah, they do. Where's the joke? WHERE IS THE JOKE?!!
Mom Goode's reaction to all of this is that "being good is so hard!" What the fuck ever. Holy crap, anyone who is living the kind of life these people are living (you know, lives that take into account the environment, other people and animals) isn't the kind of person who bitches and moans about how haaaaard it is to do good. Bah!
Here are a few more "jokes" and why they just don't make sense and/or aren't funny.
Dad Goode clips a paper towel in half and says, "waste not, want not." Really? Would a craaaaazy environmentalist family such as this have paper towels in their house? My brother and sister-in-law (who aren't craaaaaazy environmentalist, but responsible citizens who do what they can) did away with paper towels about half a year ago. It's not funny, it's smart. Again, where's the joke? Why is it funny?
The Goode's say that their dog is vegan. This is, of course, ridiculous. Their dog might be fed a vegan diet by the Goode's, but the dog isn't a vegan because he can't make the decision to be vegan. Veganism is a choice. Dogs can't make that choice. So the joke is that the dog is supposed to be vegan, but goes around eating all the neighbors' pets. Har har.
There are, of course, plenty of dogs out there on vegan diets. They do just fine. They may occasionally kill animals in the back yard. Who knows. It doesn't the change or belittle the fact that their custodians have chosen to not use the flesh of one sentient being just to feed another sentient being. (And if their point is that dogs aren't "meant" to be vegans then I'd counter that humans aren't "meant" to own dogs.)
Mom Goode goes to a Whole Foods parody and sees different options for apples that range from "Conventionally Harvested" for $4.99/lb all the way to "Fair Trade, Locally Grown, Sustainably Harvested, Certified Organic" for $10.99/lb.
This and other jokes lead me to wonder whether or not anyone creating The Goode Family knows what they're talking about. Why the hell would something that is grown locally also be fair trade? This makes no sense. Fair trade is a label applied to goods brought into a region from a different region (I think in all cases, it's country to country). If you're going to make a joke (and again ... where is the joke?) about something do your friggin' homework.
I'm serious Goode Family creators. Do you need someone on staff there who can help you out? I'm available, cheap, and believe it or not, I have a really good sense of humor (for stuff, you know, that's funny).
Later on, Daughter Goode says, "I'm vegan. I've reached my weirdo tipping point." At first I bristled at this, but you know what's funny? I've actually felt this way before. I'd be fine if they explored this more. I mean, she's a teenager. She worries about being normal just like any other teenager would. I'm sure my daughter will have moments like this.
Other issues with the show:
Mom and Dad Goode are drawn about ten years too young. Then again, their glowing youth could be attributed to their vegan diet. So maybe that's not a problem after all.
Adopted Son Goode (he's white and from South Africa) was adopted as a baby and lived his whole life in the US. So why exactly is he made out to be a big ape? I don't get it. He speaks sorta-broken English. He's sixteen, but when faced with the prospect of getting a drivers liscense he sticks his arms out like he's driving a car and says "vroom vroom" like a five year old. He starts acting hungry and Dad Goode says, "Uh oh. We'd better feed him." There is no explanation for this. Honestly, even with all the environmentalist "humor" and socially conscious "jokes" this is what I found the most offensive. I think I'm just offended that they thought I'd find it funny though.
The Goode's own a hybrid car that looks like a box on wheels. Seriously, did someone just exhume a script from ten years ago and just throw it together now that King of the Hill is cancelled? Hybrids look like any other car! Are they making fun of hybrid cars? Why?
That's the question I find myself asking most in regard to this show: Why? Why is that funny?
The thing is I honestly can't tell you what the creators of this show think about the environmentally conscious. I'm tempted to say that mockery is the sincerest form of flattery. The Goodes cannot be the subject of this show without also being the protagonists. Viewers will root for the Goode Family (even though they may laugh at them).
King of the Hill invited you to laugh at rednecks, but then realize that they're good people anyway. The writers always made sure you knew at the end of the show that they were good people in spite of the fact that they were rednecks. At any rate, you were rooting for a redneck family. Which, well, that's a win for rednecks, right?
What I really don't understand is where's the logic behind vegans and environmentalists being bad people and somehow having to prove to the masses that they're actually nice people. Why would this family ever have to prove they're good in spite of their being good?
Maybe that's not where they're going to go with this. Maybe the humor will be in the interaction between people trying to be good and people who don't give a fuck. I hope that's where it's heading.
Here's a funny joke from last night: "Attention shoppers, the driver of the SUV is in aisle four."
Also, they had some funny flag pin jokes. Funny stuff. I want more of that.
Another positive from the premier: Maternal Grandpa Goode is over for Adopted Son Goode's birthday and wants to take him out for steak and strippers. He presses it a bit and Mom Goode puts her foot down, "Where do I begin, Dad!" He says, "OK, happy birthday. Sayonara," and like that he's gone. I thought it was great. It wasn't funny, but it was a good slice of vegan/omni interaction that was sort of true to life.
Um, OK, that's enough review. I think I'll keep watching the show and post a small round-up of vegan jokes/misinformation from each episode. I'll watch it so you don't have to (if you don't want to).
You can watch the episode online now at abc.com. Did any of you watch it? If so, what were your impressions?
At any rate, I think I get a Dad Gold Medal or something for getting Anna to bed by 8:00 so I could watch it. It's all for you, reader. It's all for you.
The episode starts out with Dad Goode boasting that he got a bag of elephant manure at the circus. "They were just giving it away," he says in his blank effeminate voice.
Two things:
1: I was recently contacted by a friend who is planting a garden. She asked me if I know of a place she can pick up manure for free. This friend's husband owns a motorcycle. She is a cosmetologist ... I think. Neither of them are vegan. Neither of them are craaaaaazy environmentalists. So ... I don't get the joke, I guess is what I'm saying.
2: Honestly, could you paint a more stereotypical image of a socially and environmentally conscious man? And isn't this whole view a wee bit dated?
Adopted Son Goode points out to Dad Goode that the circus exploits animals. Yeah, they do. Where's the joke? WHERE IS THE JOKE?!!
Mom Goode's reaction to all of this is that "being good is so hard!" What the fuck ever. Holy crap, anyone who is living the kind of life these people are living (you know, lives that take into account the environment, other people and animals) isn't the kind of person who bitches and moans about how haaaaard it is to do good. Bah!
Here are a few more "jokes" and why they just don't make sense and/or aren't funny.
Dad Goode clips a paper towel in half and says, "waste not, want not." Really? Would a craaaaazy environmentalist family such as this have paper towels in their house? My brother and sister-in-law (who aren't craaaaaazy environmentalist, but responsible citizens who do what they can) did away with paper towels about half a year ago. It's not funny, it's smart. Again, where's the joke? Why is it funny?
The Goode's say that their dog is vegan. This is, of course, ridiculous. Their dog might be fed a vegan diet by the Goode's, but the dog isn't a vegan because he can't make the decision to be vegan. Veganism is a choice. Dogs can't make that choice. So the joke is that the dog is supposed to be vegan, but goes around eating all the neighbors' pets. Har har.
There are, of course, plenty of dogs out there on vegan diets. They do just fine. They may occasionally kill animals in the back yard. Who knows. It doesn't the change or belittle the fact that their custodians have chosen to not use the flesh of one sentient being just to feed another sentient being. (And if their point is that dogs aren't "meant" to be vegans then I'd counter that humans aren't "meant" to own dogs.)
Mom Goode goes to a Whole Foods parody and sees different options for apples that range from "Conventionally Harvested" for $4.99/lb all the way to "Fair Trade, Locally Grown, Sustainably Harvested, Certified Organic" for $10.99/lb.
This and other jokes lead me to wonder whether or not anyone creating The Goode Family knows what they're talking about. Why the hell would something that is grown locally also be fair trade? This makes no sense. Fair trade is a label applied to goods brought into a region from a different region (I think in all cases, it's country to country). If you're going to make a joke (and again ... where is the joke?) about something do your friggin' homework.
I'm serious Goode Family creators. Do you need someone on staff there who can help you out? I'm available, cheap, and believe it or not, I have a really good sense of humor (for stuff, you know, that's funny).
Later on, Daughter Goode says, "I'm vegan. I've reached my weirdo tipping point." At first I bristled at this, but you know what's funny? I've actually felt this way before. I'd be fine if they explored this more. I mean, she's a teenager. She worries about being normal just like any other teenager would. I'm sure my daughter will have moments like this.
Other issues with the show:
Mom and Dad Goode are drawn about ten years too young. Then again, their glowing youth could be attributed to their vegan diet. So maybe that's not a problem after all.
Adopted Son Goode (he's white and from South Africa) was adopted as a baby and lived his whole life in the US. So why exactly is he made out to be a big ape? I don't get it. He speaks sorta-broken English. He's sixteen, but when faced with the prospect of getting a drivers liscense he sticks his arms out like he's driving a car and says "vroom vroom" like a five year old. He starts acting hungry and Dad Goode says, "Uh oh. We'd better feed him." There is no explanation for this. Honestly, even with all the environmentalist "humor" and socially conscious "jokes" this is what I found the most offensive. I think I'm just offended that they thought I'd find it funny though.
The Goode's own a hybrid car that looks like a box on wheels. Seriously, did someone just exhume a script from ten years ago and just throw it together now that King of the Hill is cancelled? Hybrids look like any other car! Are they making fun of hybrid cars? Why?
That's the question I find myself asking most in regard to this show: Why? Why is that funny?
The thing is I honestly can't tell you what the creators of this show think about the environmentally conscious. I'm tempted to say that mockery is the sincerest form of flattery. The Goodes cannot be the subject of this show without also being the protagonists. Viewers will root for the Goode Family (even though they may laugh at them).
King of the Hill invited you to laugh at rednecks, but then realize that they're good people anyway. The writers always made sure you knew at the end of the show that they were good people in spite of the fact that they were rednecks. At any rate, you were rooting for a redneck family. Which, well, that's a win for rednecks, right?
What I really don't understand is where's the logic behind vegans and environmentalists being bad people and somehow having to prove to the masses that they're actually nice people. Why would this family ever have to prove they're good in spite of their being good?
Maybe that's not where they're going to go with this. Maybe the humor will be in the interaction between people trying to be good and people who don't give a fuck. I hope that's where it's heading.
Here's a funny joke from last night: "Attention shoppers, the driver of the SUV is in aisle four."
Also, they had some funny flag pin jokes. Funny stuff. I want more of that.
Another positive from the premier: Maternal Grandpa Goode is over for Adopted Son Goode's birthday and wants to take him out for steak and strippers. He presses it a bit and Mom Goode puts her foot down, "Where do I begin, Dad!" He says, "OK, happy birthday. Sayonara," and like that he's gone. I thought it was great. It wasn't funny, but it was a good slice of vegan/omni interaction that was sort of true to life.
Um, OK, that's enough review. I think I'll keep watching the show and post a small round-up of vegan jokes/misinformation from each episode. I'll watch it so you don't have to (if you don't want to).
You can watch the episode online now at abc.com. Did any of you watch it? If so, what were your impressions?
Veganism in Primetime Tonight!
All across the US tonight viewers will watch a story about a family of vegans trying to do good. They'll see their trials and tribulations. They'll learn from them. America will see how do-gooding vegans interact with "normal" society.
Sounds great? Well, probably not. For the family I speak of are the Goodes, subjects of the new animated comedy premiering on ABC tonight, "The Goode Family."
I blogged about this show exactly one year ago today. Here's some of what I said:
So yeah, it premiers tonight on ABC at 8:00 Central time. I'm sure it will be online at ABC tomorrow or the next day, for those of you not living in the States.
Here's a preview:
What Would Al Gore Do? Are you kidding me? What kind of vegan family would hold up Al Gore, a guy who refuses to acknowledge veganism as a way to curb global warming, as a pinnacle of virtue?
And there it is, my first legitimate criticism of this show.
Also, I already exploded into a rant about it to Mrs. Piggy today.
But I'll officially withhold judgement until after I watch the first episode. I swear, as Al Gore as my witness, I'm not already composing a scathing review.
Read my scathing review tomorrow.
Sounds great? Well, probably not. For the family I speak of are the Goodes, subjects of the new animated comedy premiering on ABC tonight, "The Goode Family."
I blogged about this show exactly one year ago today. Here's some of what I said:
Of course, they're going to poke fun at people who try to be responsible citizens of the world. This doesn't bother me too much, as long as they do it intelligently and don't fall into the "crazy hippie" or "miserable vegan" trap. I don't know any crazy or miserable vegans. It feels good to do good. It is hard some times, but it's worth it. I hope that's where they go with the show.
Even if the show takes the easy route of vegan-bashing now and then, the fact that a vegan family is the subject of a major network sitcom is encouraging. Maybe this means that in a few years when I tell servers at restaurants that I'm vegan I won't have to then explain to them what that means.
But it probably also means that when people think "vegan" they'll think about that wacky Goode Family who are always so high-maintenance, condecending and miserable.
It's a double-edged sword. But at least it's a sword!
So yeah, it premiers tonight on ABC at 8:00 Central time. I'm sure it will be online at ABC tomorrow or the next day, for those of you not living in the States.
Here's a preview:
What Would Al Gore Do? Are you kidding me? What kind of vegan family would hold up Al Gore, a guy who refuses to acknowledge veganism as a way to curb global warming, as a pinnacle of virtue?
And there it is, my first legitimate criticism of this show.
Also, I already exploded into a rant about it to Mrs. Piggy today.
But I'll officially withhold judgement until after I watch the first episode. I swear, as Al Gore as my witness, I'm not already composing a scathing review.
Read my scathing review tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Veganism on Network Television
This fall or winter, ABC will air a new animated series called The Goode Family. One of the creators is Mike Judge, the guy who brought us King of the Hill.
It's about a vegan family, "obsessed with doing the 'right' thing, whether it's environmentally, politically or socially. Unfortunately, their efforts often have unintended comic consequences." (That's an ABC quote, and damn is it lame as all hell.)
Co-creator/executive producer John Altschuler says in the preview for the series, "It's so hard to be good. You gotta eat the right things. You gotta wear the right things. You gotta buy the right things."
He's right. You do gotta do those things. Or at least you should try to do those things.
Of course, they're going to poke fun at people who try to be responsible citizens of the world. This doesn't bother me too much, as long as they do it intelligently and don't fall into the "crazy hippie" or "miserable vegan" trap. I don't know any crazy or miserable vegans. It feels good to do good. It is hard some times, but it's worth it. I hope that's where they go with the show.
Check out the preview for The Goode Family here.
Even if the show takes the easy route of vegan-bashing now and then, the fact that a vegan family is the subject of a major network sitcom is encouraging. Maybe this means that in a few years when I tell servers at restaurants that I'm vegan I won't have to then explain to them what that means.
But it probably also means that when people think "vegan" they'll think about that wacky Goode Family who are always so high-maintenance, condecending and miserable.
It's a double-edged sword. But at least it's a sword!
It's about a vegan family, "obsessed with doing the 'right' thing, whether it's environmentally, politically or socially. Unfortunately, their efforts often have unintended comic consequences." (That's an ABC quote, and damn is it lame as all hell.)
Co-creator/executive producer John Altschuler says in the preview for the series, "It's so hard to be good. You gotta eat the right things. You gotta wear the right things. You gotta buy the right things."
He's right. You do gotta do those things. Or at least you should try to do those things.
Of course, they're going to poke fun at people who try to be responsible citizens of the world. This doesn't bother me too much, as long as they do it intelligently and don't fall into the "crazy hippie" or "miserable vegan" trap. I don't know any crazy or miserable vegans. It feels good to do good. It is hard some times, but it's worth it. I hope that's where they go with the show.
Check out the preview for The Goode Family here.
Even if the show takes the easy route of vegan-bashing now and then, the fact that a vegan family is the subject of a major network sitcom is encouraging. Maybe this means that in a few years when I tell servers at restaurants that I'm vegan I won't have to then explain to them what that means.
But it probably also means that when people think "vegan" they'll think about that wacky Goode Family who are always so high-maintenance, condecending and miserable.
It's a double-edged sword. But at least it's a sword!
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