Episode: The Simpsons Guy Let's be honest, the chicken fight joke has outstayed its welcome by some distance, and the chuckles to be had with its repeated appearances are sparse to say the least. A change-up should have been a good idea on paper, but that didn't quite pay off... The reason this joke/scene failed can probably be chalked up to the fact that while it featured the iconic Homer Simpson, it was written by a Family Guy writer (as was the entire episode), and he apparently didn't get the memo that The Simpsons is nowhere near as shocking/mean spirited as Family Guy. As a result, while Peter fighting the giant chicken is usually hilarious, seeing Homer and Peter fight nearly to the death was not. Worse, you get to a moment where both characters are willing to commit outright murder, and that's especially out of character for Homer, and even a stretch for Peter (at least when the chicken isn't involved). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRsVz2BijzE One key rule in sitcom comedy (even an animated sitcom) is to try to stay true to the characters, and that was missed here.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
