The Time Family Guy's Seth MacFarlane Thinks South Park's Matt Stone And Trey Parker Went Too Far
Seth MacFarlane has been making people laugh for over two decades with an assortment of hilarious titles. From talking bears in movies to talking dogs on TV, MacFarlane has proven to be a powerhouse of the comedy genre, with his exploits in mature-themed cartoons being arguably his biggest claims to fame. With long-running hit shows like "American Dad" and "Family Guy" in his wheelhouse, it becomes pretty clear that MacFarlane is not a guy to mess with when it comes to animation.
While he has had some notable efforts in the realm of live-action, like "The Orville" series or his appearance on "Gilmore Girls," his achievements with his animated endeavors are truly remarkable. "American Dad" has resonated well with home audiences (via Rotten Tomatoes), releasing over 200 episodes, and "Family Guy" has won a total of eight Emmy Awards. On top of that, MacFarlane, a five-time Emmy Award winner, was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2020. There's no denying the man has had a worthwhile run making people laugh, but there are certain things the talented creator doesn't find amusing.
MacFarlane is probably used to all kinds of criticism in his line of work from fans, critics, and rivals. But there are times when people, especially those in the comedy industry, can take things too far, and that is precisely what happened when Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of "South Park," crossed a line with the "Family Guy" creator.
Don't mess with MacFarlane's writers
It's not uncommon for shows to take jabs at each other, and both "South Park" and "Family Guy" are no exception. In "The Cartoon Wars" episodes, "South Park" did a parody of "Family Guy," ripping on the series that fans believe is alarmingly accurate. While the entry was anything but pleasant to the rival series, the comments from the creators were what didn't sit well with MacFarlane. In an interview (via YouTube), Matt Parker and Trey Stone had some less-than-ideal remarks about those who pen the show. "We just don't respect it in terms of writing. I don't think they work hard enough. They need to work harder."
When talking to Howard Stern in an interview (via YouTube), MacFarlane claimed he found the episode comical, but their opinions on the writing did not fly with the Hall of Famer. "But then I read this article where they were really just spitting venom at us, and at our staff, and I was like, 'well, that's kind of lame... "My point of view is that they can say whatever they want about the show, you know, just go nuts... But what sort of crossed the line for me was, you know, don't go harping on staff writers."
MacFarlane has no problem with any shade being throne at "Family Guy," but trash talk about the writers is unacceptable and off-limits as far as the show's creator is concerned. But the parodies aren't a problem, so "South Park" has the green light to make fun of more of MacFarlane's efforts in that manner.