Mike Judge, creator of “Idiocracy,” “Beavis and Butthead,” “King of the Hill” and “Office Space” launches his latest animated series tonight on ABC, dedicated to lampooning an ultra-liberal family and its battle to remain politically correct.
Christian Toto reviews the pilot episode at Pajamas Media.
How bold is The Goode Family? The wife character, not the husband, is the neurotic one, the person who bears the full brunt of the jokes. She also may be a drunk.
You mean the dad isn’t the stupid one? That is bold. Unfortunately, the New York Times didn’t like the pilot. The Newspaper of Record has declared global warming to be “unmockable.” It’s redundant to link to Big Hollywood, but I can’t resist John Nolte putting the screws to the Times and its logic.
According to Bellafante, leftist environmentalism, which is personified by a belief in global warming, is now no longer a political issue – it’s now a conventional wisdom held by all reasonable Americans.
Well, if that’s the case, doesn’t that mean that what Judge is really doing with “The Goode Family” is mocking the mainstream values of a majority of Americans who share the same beliefs as his cartoon clan?
And if so, when exactly did the left stop defining the mocking of mainstream American values as the very essence of cutting edge?
Can’t wait for environmentalists the world over rioting at the depiction of their god “global warming” in a cartoon, starting with the staffers at the Times, who for eight years couldn’t write so much as an article in the Food section without mocking George W. Bush.
NPR doesn’t like the pilot either.
What Judge is trying to get at here is a richly mockable comedic target; satire about the tensions between environmental responsibility and convenience, the tendency to proselytize about hybrid cars, whatever — there’s plenty of raw material. And there are probably two or three decent jokes that demonstrate the direction they could have gone.
But the execution just isn’t funny enough to justify watching an entire half-hour show to get to those moments — even in the summer.
I believe the writer is attempting to be fair, but would NPR know the proper delivery of jokes about vegan dogs? Not in my estimation. I certainly don’t understand what ignites the Pavlovian slobbering at a taping of “The Daily Show,” I’m not sure NPR is the best judge to discern the comic timing of a series aimed at parodying environmentalists.
“I believe the writer is attempting to be fair, but would NPR know the proper delivery of jokes about vegan dogs? Not in my estimation. I certainly don’t understand what ignites the Pavlovian slobbering at a taping of “The Daily Show,” I’m not sure NPR is the best judge to discern the comic timing of a series aimed at parodying environmentalists.”
The problem here is they need to be open minded enough to accept the possibility that the left may actually be wrong on “global warming,” and I don’t believe they have the capacity of intellect or heart to do that.
It’s a scary proposition when the entertainment and news industry declare anything beyond parody, be it global warming or the President. To most, humor can be found in anything, but given the attitude of the Times writer, it’s now a weapon, which is why you won’t see the Times or Maher mock Obama for any gaffe, only for going off the reservation on issues to their heart. Nolte exposes that hubris with his comment, but he knows the answer – global warming is not to be mocked for any reason. Global warming could be 100-percent true as the writer dictates, that doesn’t mean you can’t make fun of it. But sacrilege is not to be tolerated, even by the apostate.
We’re living in the age where everything and anything is politicized. That attitude alone is enough to put conservatives and liberals at each other’s throats. Most conservatives would rather live their lives, politics is just a nuisance freedom-loving people must deal with. But to too many people, it’s taking the place of religion and self-determination. As Victor Davis Hanson said “Everyone needs a God.” If they quit looking up, they start looking somewhere else. As demonized as religion has become in certain quarters, I’m sure a dope-smoking community organizer makes a much more logical substitute.
The Chesterton quote in the Spengler post that those that don’t believe in God will believe in anything…. environment, Obama, self whatever becomes god and thus off limits to ridicule.
I also find it very rich that the NY Times — The “Gray lady” is the arbiter of “avant-garde”? Give us a break. You are about to go down.
They should go down, but some meddling liberal billionaire would keep the natural act from occurring. All opinions change if Rupert Murdoch comes in with his check book. Oh I could only wish.
NPR can bite me. And I’m saying that as a long time listener.
Considering that modern prudery in everything except Sex! comes from the Left these days, it would be appropriate for them to revive blasphemy laws when it comes to any attempt to mock an object or dogma that they worship, be it Global Warming Climate Change™ or The Holy Telepromptered One (pbuh) or anything else they hold sacred.
Proudly display your free carbon offsets certificate next to the TV while you watch. It will make you smile.
http://www.freecarbonoffsets.com
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very nice Gordon…. welcome to Threedonia. Have you ever heard of the Lunar Embassy? They sell property on the Moon.
NPR *and* NYT hate it? I’m in!!
If someone cannot laugh at themselves and/or recognize their foibles/faults, as the President clumsily (and all-too-knowingly) demonstrated with his Special Olympics “slip,” how can the high-minded sycophants who fawn all over his every move? Three more years, three more years, three more years…
“…satire about the tensions between environmental responsibility and convenience…”
Yeah, NPR. That is ripe for parody. That’s gold!
Sorry, just can’t listen to NPR … it’s not even about the bias. It’s those pretentious, artsy voices and their self-pleased tonalities.
That said, the first ep of “Goode” has some brilliant moments and to ignore them is silly.
I’m traveling on business in a different time zone and screwed up the time. Anybody get to watch this? Was it any good, er goode?
It was a very promising first episode. Some laugh-out-loud funny lines and sight gags. I wasn’t a fan of the son character—doesn’t seem to be much room for development there.
The show has affection for the Goodes, which was the right thing to do. No one—not the most rabid conservative—would want to tune in week after week to see a family of jackass liberals.
I’ll watch it again.
Here was a good line. Mr. Goode is trying to pacify his wife:
(sing-song voice) “Honey, the View is on! The pretty one’s saying something cra-zy!”
I felt like taking a swing at someone tonight, so I went over to the AV Club review of “The Goode Family” and waded into the comments.
If you want to join me, I’m “Mad Mike.”
I enjoyed the bit at the grocery store when the mom’s looking up at the board trying to determine the “impact of your existence.”
And the “Things That Are Good/Bad” display, with “Farm-Raised Catfish” flipping back and forth. The fruits with dramatically escalating prices: organic; organic & sustainable; organic, sustainable & local…
“(cough) Flagpin.”
I like the dog. Same attitude I’ve got these days. Having to act all nice and the like, but really wanting to pounce and rip ‘em a new one! He’s the only one in the family that has any clue as to what’s even going on and yet he has no voice.
The liberal reaction to parody of obama or global warming is akin to the Muslim reaction of parody of the prophet. Weird.
Good point, G-Man. It’s funny how liberals can mock Christianity all day, but if we mock their religion (environmentalism), they get offended. Don’t dish it out if you can’t take it, guys.