Seth MacFarlane, the creator ofone of the most controversialTV shows of all time, has a very particular opinion about modern television. The mastermind behindanimatedgems likeFamily GuyandAmerican Dad!isn’t entirely happy with the “pessimistic” tone of the stories on TV today, and says this could be having an effect on audiences. MacFarlane isn’t exactly a storyteller who’s known for sticking to the rules, but he might have a point in saying that few shows currently airing seem all that interested in making you feel a pinch of hope.
As reported byDeadline, MacFarlane recently appeared on the podcastWhere Everybody Knows Your Name, and addressed the current state of television. “They’re certainly giving us a lot of cautionary tales,” he said when referring to popular dystopian shows on television and streaming. “But where are the blueprints that they once gave us for how to do things correctly?”
Also known for creating and voicing the foul-mouthed teddy bearTed, MacFarlane said that hispopular showThe Orvillewas his response to the bleak state of TV. It’s not a secret that the series is a homage toStar Trek, a show he obviously admired and followed growing up:
“That’s why I did The Orville, because when I was a kid, Hollywood was providing that voice in various forms. There was a lot of hope, and some of the blame lies right here in this town. The dishes that we are serving up are so dystopian and so pessimistic. And yeah, there’s a lot to be pessimistic about, but it’s so one-sided. There’s nothing we’re doing that’s providing anyone an image of hope.
“It can’t all be just, ‘Here’s what’s going to happen to you if you f— up.’ You do need, ‘Here’s what you’re able to achieve if you change your ways and do things right.'”
The “dystopian” and “pessimistic” showshe’s referring to includeThe Last of Us,The Handmaid’s Tale,Severance,Squid Game,The Walking Dead, andBlack Mirror, among others. Though TV also has plenty of optimistic comedies and dramas, there’s no shortage of gloomy fiction that can make any viewer afraid of the future.
“What We Do Well Is Tell Stories, And We’re Not Doing the Best Job Right Now”
MacFarlane spoke candidly about the political landscape and how Hollywood has failed to reach its audience the way it should. Although there’s more to being a celebrity than giving people hope, MacFarlane makes a good point, saying that the outcome of the last election reflects what audiencesreallythink about celebrity influence. It isn’t only about social media use, but about the stories they have the opportunity to tell:
“That’s the only thing really that Hollywood can do that’s worthwhile because as we all learned from this election, nobody gives a f— what celebrities think. We can tweet, we can talk. Like, people don’t care. They don’t care. What we do well is tell stories, and we’re not doing the best job right now of telling those stories in a way that gives people hope.”
Family Guy
