But there's no explaining away American soldiers blown to bits and a disgruntled warrior using the occasion to defect and go AWOL. It's a definite slam against America's role in the "war" against terrorism and the nearly half a million deaths it caused to Iraqi citizens.
We wouldn't have seen Rose's article or be weighing in now were it not for a debate in e-mails to this site (thirdestatesundayreview@yahoo.com). Is he wrong to be upset? A number of e-mailers maintained he was "wrong." While there are other things we would personally worry about, there's no "wrong" in terms of the emotion "upset." If you're upset, you're upset. It's a feeling.
"Wrong" would be if he misunderstood. He grasps the plot, as evidenced by his recap. So that's accurate. He then goes on to express his belief that the plot was an insult to "American soldiers."
We disagree.
Are a large number of US service members staging their own deaths? We've only heard of the one who staged a hiking death. One in over 10 years of current wars. Is that who's supposed to be upset?
There are a few givens with regards to Family Guy. Such as, with the exception of the visual debt Fringe owes to John Farrow's The Big Clock, we're having a hard time thinking of any other show so indebted to a film for its look. (Family Guy has never paid its huge debt to Fanfare for a Death Scene -- watch the first ten minutes and see if it's not as though you're watching a live action, black and white episode of Seth MacFarlane's show). Another given is that, with only one exception, there's nothing MacFarlane won't mock or ridicule.
AIDs, mentally challenged people, the disabled, you name it, Seth wants to go -- over and over -- where most people wouldn't dare.
There is of course one place he's too chicken s**t to go. It's that off-limits, walled in space that both reveals his own weakness and makes him come across a poser.
Do you know what it is?
Where has Seth refused to go on American Dad, Family Guy or The Cleveland Show?
What is the one sacred cow he will not mock?
Recently, in syndication, we caught the episode where George W. Bush is doing drugs.
Oh, sorry.
The Family Guy episode where he's doing drugs. That narrows it down a bit. Just a bit.
Because George W. Bush and drug use is a constant form of humor for Seth's show.
Good thing Barack never did pot or blow, right?
If Barack Obama had done drugs, you better believe that Seth would be mocking him, right?
What's that?
Barack did do drugs in college.
Yeah, we know that too.
See, Seth likes to play like he will do anything, send up anyone, joke about whatever no matter how shocking. But the truth is, he won't take on Barack.
He's too chicken s**t to do that.
Even while bragging this month that he was sure there were episodes so 'scandalous' that Fox would end up refusing to air them.
So while we disagree with Tom Rose's take, we especially won't call Rose "wrong," not when Seth wants to play like there are no limits and he's an all-around, equal opportunity offender while at the same time declaring someone off-limits.
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*Ava and C.I. note added November 28th. Per reader Brandon T., we have reworked the first sentence to note that it was the military, not Kevin Swanson, that first decided to pretend Kevin was dead.