Since the beginning I have claimed to be a Family Guy fan. And I suppose I still am. It’s fun to watch a show push boundaries and earn a fan base purely on cut-a-way gags. But, I was watching Family Guy in syndication and realized the following: I’ve never really liked this show; left to my own devices I’d never watch it; but I love being someone who watches Family Guy when I’m around other people. Yes, I realize this is fucked up.

The jokes are okay. The social commentary is weak if present at all. And most of the time it’s not that funny. But it’s awesome to sit at the bar or around the diner table and quote the episodes. In fact, if I’m watching alone I laugh (on average) three or four times an episode. Add one person the viewing and I laugh eight to ten times.

I don’t feel bad or whore-ish about “the situation” (yes, that’s a Jersey Shore reference). (Yes, I feel dirty, like a dirty-filthy-whore admitting I watch the Jersey Shore.) I have the same Family Guy phenomenon with summer blockbusters– I can’t enjoy them alone. I need other people around to make the experience work (I just realized I’m a voyeur). And the worse the entertainment the more people I need to watch it with me. For example, Family Guy requires one person, but I prefer two or three. Transformers 2 required a full theater and even then I wasn’t enchanted, but I did laugh…a lot.

I’m beginning to see the world slightly differently. I suppose this is something that has been happening to be me regularly since I was young and now is the moment I’m choosing to think/talk about it. Some people call this maturity (but I don’t). As I was watching Brian take Meg to the dance, I began to process everything I think is wrong with the show. Not stupid or irrational, just wrong. There are too many gray areas. Too many things that don’t have set rules, and that played fine for a while but later seasons abused the privilege resulting in an unclear realm of possibilities.

Conversely, South Park is a show that’s retained its relevance and meaning season after season by producing the exact opposite effect. I’ve seen every episode of South Park, and some may be dated but they were meaningful. I watch these episodes alone because most of my friends stopped watching. And I laugh. I laugh ten to fifteen times in twenty-two minutes.

 While I’ll continue to watch and enjoy Family Guy. Deep down I’ll know (and now you’ll all know too) that it’s only funny because my family (sibling, girlfriend, friends, hobo I brought home to watch TV with) is present.

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