Silent Movies and Family Guy

I know I skewer younger than most Silent movie fans, and I also know I probably have a more naughty taste in comedy than many of them. Yet I think ya'll will be able to enjoy this.

There's a wildly popular cartoon on FOX titled "Family Guy" that has run off and on for almost 9 years (it was canceled then brought back). The humor is very...potty...and can be considered offensive if your sensitive. However I love it as ala Charlie Chaplin and D.W. Griffith I just really hate me some censorship. The show usually has a loose plot, followed by several 'cutaways' (random jokes/scenes).

Last night during one such offensively hilarious episode titled "Road to Germany" (in which 2 main characters and a minor one travel back to Nazi Germany accidentally) they had a great Silent cutaway. Though it sounds naughty the below clip isn't really offensive, and is genuinely hilarious. It's titled "Silent Movie Porn":

This isn't the first time Family Guy (or its cousin cartoons) have referenced Silent Film. On the episode "The Father, The Son, and the Holy Fonz" two vaudeville guys sing a song titled "Fatty's in a little jam" Anger referencing the Fatty Arbuckle case (the clip is below, about 39 seconds in). Seth Macfarlane must have really been a Fatty fan because an even earlier episode "Death is a Bitch" Peter mistakes the diagnosis 'fatty corpuscle' for Fatty Arbuckle, asking if he has a dead comedian in his chest. In "Love Blactually" Cleveland dresses as Charlie Chaplin for a costume party.

In another episode, "Untitled Family Griffith History" one of the main character's ancestors is said to be 'Willie ''Black Eye'' Griffith' a famous Silent Film comedian. Below is the clip (nothing offensive in this one):

Other Shows

As a huge fan of cartoons (which play heavily off Silent Comedy) I've long wanted to do an article on Silent Film references in them. Below are a few off the top of my head, sadly clips are hard to find online.

*The Critic

Episode "Marathon Mensch" (shown above) has an opening recalling the career of a silent comedian named Silas. Silas physically resembles Buster Keaton and most of his life story is similar to Keaton's. However bits of Chaplin and Lloyd are in him too. It also mocks how flammable nitrate prints were/are.

Episode "A Pig boy and his Dog" the main character names his dog 'Tiny' but claims his full name will be 'Un Chien Andolou'

Any Episode you see Jay's apartment he has a poster of D.W. Griffith on the wall

Episode "All the Duke's Men" we see in Jay's office a poster for "The Bridge on the River Kwai"

Episode "Eyes on the Prize", Jay is trying to win another 'Pulitzer Prize for Criticism' and begins trying to type up a winning essay. One idea he rejects is, "Chaplin, Polanski, and Woody: 3 men and a little lady"

Episode "Siskel & Ebert & Jay & Alice" Jay is trying to become part of a new duo with the now broken up Siskel or Ebert (back when both were in good health and alive). At a party hes hanging with Ebert and thinks he spots Rosie Perez. Ebert informs him its the Rosie Perez robot. The robot approaches them and says, "Hello Critic or Press Agent I hope you enjoyed my new film 'It could happen to you'. Have I told you my amusing antidote about my co-star Ben Turpin?'" Jay informs her Ben Turpin is dead (and had been for about 44 years at the time). She says error error and runs to refuel her batteries.

In Episode "Dukerella" Jay wants to get Alice something to show how he feels about her for her birthday. Doris his makeup woman (and possible mother) suggests he gets a tattoo to show his love like she did. Her tattoo is a picture of her holding a frightened looking Lon Chaney Sr.

*The Simpsons

Episode "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" has the notorious Krusty the Clown looking at a picture of a Fatty Arbuckle stamp and wishing for his own praise misguidedly wondering, "What has Fatty Arbuckle ever done that I haven't?"

Episode "The Wife Aquatic" the Simpson family sees a Silent film play at the Park, which most of them find boring. Before the movie cuts out there is a long scene played which references several Silent comedies including "Safety Last"

Episode "Weekend at Burnsies" 100 something year old boss Monty Burns references Louise Brooks and her 'thin negligee'

Episode "Homer's Night Out" the same Mr. Burns calls Homer a 'self styled Valentino'

Episode "Mountain of Madness" is heavily based off of Charlie Chaplin's "The Gold Rush". Homer and Burns get trapped in a cabin, buried under avalanches, and turn on each other. The cabin also ends up moving though instead of a cliff it ends up blasting to safety (however the avalanche scene is similar to the cliff scene).

Episode "Lady Bouvier's Lover" has a reoccurring joke that any time Grampa (Abe) Simpson does a movie bit the lawyers tell him to cease and desist. To cheer up his date he does the Chaplin potato dance from "The Gold Rush". The lawyers run in and tell him to cease and desist, then they smash his potatoes.

Episode "Take my wife, sleaze" shows Homer being forced to eat his jacket (and other 'Hell's Satan's' merchandise) eventually enjoying it. Possibly a reference to "The Gold Rush" and the shoe scene.

Episode "The Trouble with Trillions" has Burns tricked into showing his mansion and items to Homer, who he thinks is a reporter (for Collier's Magazine no less). They happen upon a suit hung on the wall and Burns says, "Oh you'll find this amusing. It's the suit Charlie Chaplin was buried in!"

Episode "Million Dollar Abie" Grampa Simpson tries to be euthanized. However the process is stopped half way through and Abe leaves the center believing he is in heaven. On the way he passes a man dressed in the Tramp costume spinning a condos for sale sign. He remarks, "Charlie Chaplin! Its good they finally put you to work!" The man looks insulted, twitches his mustache and continues spinning the sign in a dignified fashion.

*Futurama

Episode "That's Lobstertainment!" minor character Dr. Zoidberg has an "Uncle Zoid" who was a great Silent Film Comedian. He greatly resembles Harold Lloyd and the entire episode is based around him and his attempt to make a comeback in talkies. It might be possible to view it as a take on Harold's talkie comeback, since that was not a success either.

Episode "Xmas Story" has Fry trying to buy the perfect gift for the girl he's madly in love with, Leela. He ends up buying a $500 parrot who escapes his cage and Fry chases him up an office building. Determined to get the bird back he ends up dangling from a massive clock, just like Harold Lloyd in Safety Last. Only this time its a digital clock (and each time the numbers change he almost falls). Leela ends up saving him.

*King of the Hill

Episode "A Fire Fighting we will go" chubsy Bill surprises the guys by arriving and proudly announcing he is a volunteer firefighter. A little too excited he clumsily trips over the beer cooler prompting fast talking Boomhauer to mutter hes like a 'Dang ol Fatty Arbuckle man'.