Snort Bites – November 2013

At this moment, the turkey is in the oven, filling the house with the aroma of roasted fowl and stirring up memories of past Thanksgivings when we gathered with our immediate families and celebrated our blessings. Yet the outside world beckons, and we must acknowledge noteworthy events and silliness.

FAMILY GUY ANIMATED SERIES KILLS OFF MAJOR CHARACTER

This week’s episode of the long running series featured the death of the Griffin’s family dog, when it was hit by a car. Several thoughts occurred to me when I heard this news:

Family Guy is still producing original episodes airing on prime time?

The Brian character was one of the more introspective characters who exuded a higher than normal intelligence than most other animated characters in prime time television history. So what the deuce was he doing playing in the street?  (Full disclosure: I did not see the episode.)

The outcry since the episode aired has been huge. One report stated that 30,000 fans have signed a petition demanding that Brian be restored/resurrected/brought back from animation heaven to the show. How nice, but unfortunately we live in a world where children are starving, democracy is failing (see below), and overall there are a myriad of more important issues than the existence or non-existence of a pen and ink rendered canine.

I wonder if these same 30,000 people would willingly sign a petition with the heading, “I don’t have a life!”

With Brian’s death, Family Guy series creator Seth McFarlane has cut his voice over work load by a third; according to Wikipedia, he voices Brian, Peter and Stewie Griffin. Another report has stated that this event could boost sales of show-related toys and merchandise. Regardless of the real reason for Brian’s demise, whether it’s decreasing chores or increasing the bottom line, it might be a sign that the show has runs its course.  

If you have to kill off a character to maintain interest in the show, then maybe it’s time for that show to slip quietly into the night. Are you listening, The Simpsons?

And now the noteworthy, but not as silly…

EGYPT CRACKS DOWN ON ISLAMIST PROTESTORS

So much for the great experiment in democracy for Egypt! The ruling military regime has banned public demonstrations and jailed protestors. We must hasten to point out to one of the oldest civilizations in the world that this is not democracy!

The freedom to openly express disagreement and dissent is a vital part of the democratic process. While many of us in America may appreciate that Egyptian authorities are targeting a group that is decidedly anti-American, we recognize that this same group does deserve to share a forum where they can be comfortable voicing their concerns. Otherwise, they may resort to violence to get their point across, which is a lesson America learned the hard way.

Piloting jet airliners into skyscrapers is not an acceptable expression of First Amendment rights.

Let’s hope that Egypt will rethink its hard line attitude towards relatively peaceful dissent.

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And as the aroma of roasting meat gets stronger, I am reminded of everything I have to be thankful for: a roof over my head and the ongoing economic opportunity (i.e., job) which allows me to maintain my home; the love and support of a wonderful woman (snarky comments notwithstanding); my two precious cats, and the love of my family a few hours away.

By all means, let’s count our blessings and indulge in seconds…

(Thank you for reading and Happy Thanksgiving!)