Mike Judge’s ‘Goode Family’ Will Offend, Mock, And Make Us Laugh

17
by Michael dEstries April 30, 2009
Categories: Film/TV.

We’ve been waiting for Mike Judge (creator of King of the Hill and Beavis and Butt-head) to unleash his latest cartoon creation, The Goode Family, ever since it was announced last summer. Basically, it shines the spotlight on the extreme green lifestyle — and makes fun of almost everything we love writing about in a tongue-in-cheek way. ABC has released new promo for the show — and we’re already laughing. I’m especially in love with the vegan dog who secretly is controlling the animal over-population crisis. Check it out below:

via thrfeed


Categories: Film/TV.

About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

View all posts by Michael dEstries →
  • Ashley

    This is great. It’s clever and witty and we can laugh about it becuase it’s based on truth.
    And the vegan dog and South African kid rocks.

  • http://www.ingaambrosia.com Inga Ambrosia

    Hmmm … not sure about this one. Yes, they are making fun of vegans, but how is that a good thing? Does this show promote intolerance against blacks and homosexuals too? I’ll pass on this – thanks! :)

  • Jennifer Koch

    Inga- It’s bad enough everyone think vegans are humorless militant jerks, don’t contribute to the stereotype. If you can’t laugh at yourself on occasion, you’ll wind up being a very miserable person and others will see it too. Relax a little.

  • Ashley

    I lol’d?
    Did you not hear the part where the creators said the family was the heroes of the show. Satire my friend…

  • Jason

    But isn’t a show like this furthering the idea that vegans are humorless jerks? Looking at the previews, sure, it’s satire, but the joke is entirely on the vegan do-good family. I’d like to think that this show can be like King of the Hill, in that it is playfully mocking its characters, but this just doesn’t feel like that. It feels like the characters who don’t seem like they’re buying into the lifestyle are the likable ones.

    How many shows depict vegans? How many depict vegans in a positive light? I’m a good sport about this stuff (heck, I’ve written a script that features a vegan as the main character and I toss in plenty of jokes about the lifestyle), but if this is being written by someone who only sees the vegan as someone to poke fun at, why in the world is this worth supporting?

    Would a religious community support a show that did nothing to mock and belittle their beliefs? If Mike Judge were a vegan, I think this would be fine. But I’m guessing he’s not. But until we’ve seen it, I think we should wait before we decide it’s good-natured satire and we shouldn’t sweat it.

    • Erik Pan

      “would a religious community support a show that did nothing but mock and belittle their beliefs?” As I understand it, it’d be nice if the vegan community was a little less reactionary and had a better sense of humour than religions – take a joke! I’m a hippy, and a vegetarian, and I see the humour in this. Some people do only ‘care’ for one-up-manship, just like some people are because they truly care. The only people mocked by this show are people without the ability to laugh at themselves, and people who are only in the cause for how it makes them look – fair enough, I say. And you’re ‘guessing Mike Judge is not a vegan’ – did you actually check? As it turns out, he is not, but “Judge says many of his friends are vegans, and “it’s okay to like it, even though it might be making fun of you a little bit.””. Sounds like perfectly ordinary gentle satire to me.

      Plus, it doesn’t do ‘nothing but’ belittle, as all of Mike Judge’s humour it gives both sides of the argument – the militant ‘earth-loving’ mother who only does it to be seen doing it, the father-in-law who doesn’t care about ‘hippy crap’, and the reasonable but compassionate Gerald in the middle trying to do the right thing by everyone. This is the most balanced shows about ‘liberals’ that I’ve ever seen. And anyway, if you’re worried about the stereotypes portrayed in that series – being humourless about it is the best way of reinforcing them.

  • http://RawfoodsRetreat.com erin

    I do think it stereotypes but also think it’s good to laugh at yourself sometimes :)

    By the way I prefer this link…. much better…

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvr3i-JWSG4

    erin

  • Jason

    I’m all for laughing at myself — I really am. What I’m not as sold on is someone else (who doesn’t share my lifestyle choices) pointing and laughing at me. And then building an entire show around how foolish I am.

  • http://www.ingaambrosia.com Inga Ambrosia

    I guess because I’ve been “picked at” for the past six years for being vegan, it’s just not that funny to me… sorry.

    I don’t watch t.v. anyway so no one will miss my giggles. Stereotypes come from television, so more power to ‘em…

    The sad part is, there really isn’t anything funny about being vegan. If you really are concerned about animals and your environment, who the hell has time to laugh at that … Any minority group whether vegans, blacks, homosexuals, etc. has enough to deal with in their life, than to promote a show that basically gives the “bullies” more ammo.

    Get serious, bigotry comes in all forms – even the cartoon variety. Wake up and smell the wheatgrass, love. :)

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  • Ultra-Humanite

    Jason – lots of religious communities enjoy comedies directed at their faith. Catholics, for instance, by and large love “Father Ted” – because it’s funny.

  • beavis

    I can’t wait for this show. It’s about time that someone start poking some fun at all the left-wing loons in this country. Don’t think it will last very long, though. Too many holier-than-thou algore lovers who think they’re actually saving the world (probably the majority of the abc audience) will get their feathers ruffled by this and the ratings will stink. Too bad. Everyone just needs to lighten up. There’s plenty of shows like Family Guy that assail traditional American values (like monogamy and Christ), and hardly anyone says ‘boo’ about that. We’ll see. Thanks Mike Judge! You kick ass.

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  • Jeff

    Beavis,

    How misinformed you are. Making an effort to live a more conscience life is the furthest from being holier than thou algore and left wing goons like you said, but rather it’s about giving a darn about this planet.

    I once thought like you but then slowly gave my mind that chance to be open to the possibility that “they” may very well have us completely brainwashed.And guess what?!?! They do!

    To make this short, I now must say I am fortunate enough to not live with the blinders that the corrupt industries,(the ones hugely responsible for destroying our planet),spends millions upon millions of dollars each year to keep on our thinking so that we will keep blindly supporting them.

    I hope one day you realize that being a bit more mindful of our everyday actions isn’t at all a political thing or a looney type thing but rather something everybody who is priveledged to even set foot on this planet could be more aware about.

    Please don’t take my comment in a bad way.

  • Jeff

    I would also like to say that Mike Judge and everyone who came on board with the making of the Goode Family have not one understanding of what it truly means to live a more conscience way.Seeing the last two episodes,(and they will be my last),I have to think that not one person in the cast and crew know one thing to be more eco-friendly,animal friendly or earth friendly.

    I’m glad the show is not going to be picked up again. A show with a plot somewhat like this could actually be a great comedy if done right.The way this show was written does not make me relate.

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