So I was informed of a debate that was started to determine which was better: The Simpsons or Family Guy. I realize I already posed this question through a Facebook status, but I did that so I could get the opinion of other people because I am curious about what they think. 

For me, and this seems to be the consensus, there is no competition between the two shows. The Simpsons wins hands down. The main difference for me is in the quality of the jokes. Granted that in the last few seasons (I’d say since about season 15 onwards) The Simpsons hasn’t been at nearly the same caliber as it used to be, but I would still rather watch any Simpsons episode over Family Guy. I should also point out that Family Guy is still funny and has its moments of hilarity (like the time Peter forgot how to sit down, or the scene involving ipecac), but on the whole, The Simpsons are a better quality show in my opinion.

Anyways, the thing I love the most about the jokes in The Simpsons is the subtlety with which they are made and imported into each episode. This allows the show to stand the test of time because one could watch the show at a young age and completely miss a joke or not understand one, but watch the same episode years later and laugh at the very same jokes.The best example of this is in the title’s of each episode that make numerous cultural references. Notable examples include Das Bus, A Fish Called Selma, Trash of the Titans, and New Kids on the Blecch, to name a few.

The other major difference is in the quality of the families. Homer is a way better “local oaf” than Peter and every now and then he is surprisingly intelligent or at least has the ability to learn (he did after all undergo a procedure to increase his IQ 50 points). In general the “Impson Family” is far better and less annoying than the Griffin Family, which gets to you after a while and a good reason why I stopped caring about Family Guy almost completely.

I could go on all day about this, but sadly I can’t. I also realize that I really didn’t have much to say about Family Guy (because I haven’t watched that many episodes), but it’s also because I don’t care very much about the show. Maybe that makes my opinions invalid, but I stand by them nonetheless.