Family Guy sells out to Microsoft

[kuronosan]

I'm a fan of Family Guy and I'm not upset.

[bechyni]

It's all about the $$$$ no need to be upset

[Magewrath]

In my opinion, being a fan of Family Guy as a TV programme, and being a fan of Seth McFarlane and the Family Guy name are two different things. Example: I like Family Guy, but I couldn't give a shit what they choose to do with the name. I won't ever buy Family Guy toothpaste or whatever bollocks they decide to try and market. I will still watch the show however.

[Deftscythe]

You're right. 30 minute promo is only 30 minutes, whereas product placement lasts for 30+ years. So crazy.

I also have no desire to try and add up all the commercial time that has been used for the Flintstones vitamins and roadrunner internet, but I would hazard a guess that airtime just might have accumulated over 30 minutes worth. ^_~ (yes I am being sarcastic)

First of all, you don't seem to understand what product placement is. Allow me to save you the trouble of googling it. Product placement is having a character on screen drinking a name-brand soda or using a certain brand of cell-phone, or any type of product.

What you're talking about is an endorsement, which is not the same thing. An endorsement involves having a character appear in an ad outside of their show talking about how much they like a product.

This is neither, but is closer to an endorsement, I suppose. I've already made it clear in this thread that I don't care what Seth does with Family Guy. I have no attachment to the show. However, if I tuned into a show I did care about and found it to be, instead of the content I wanted, a 30-minute commercial, I would be rightly pissed off.

[Ksandra]

First of all, you don't seem to understand what product placement is. Allow me to save you the trouble of googling it. Product placement is having a character on screen drinking a name-brand soda or using a certain brand of cell-phone, or any type of product.

What you're talking about is an endorsement, which is not the same thing. An endorsement involves having a character appear in an ad outside of their show talking about how much they like a product.

This is neither, but is closer to an endorsement, I suppose. I've already made it clear in this thread that I don't care what Seth does with Family Guy. I have no attachment to the show. However, if I tuned into a show I did care about and found it to be, instead of the content I wanted, a 30-minute commercial, I would be rightly pissed off.

I do understand what the difference is and state several times it's just a different way to advertise. But I still don't see why it's something to get upset about. Just because I don't get upset that they made a 30 minute show to promote windows, doesn't mean I don't understand advertising. I just seriously consider it all part of the business, and don't see what's wrong with it.

[Deftscythe]

I do understand what the difference is and state several times it's just a different way to advertise. But I still don't see why it's something to get upset about. Just because I don't get upset that they made a 30 minute show to promote windows, doesn't mean I don't understand advertising. I just seriously consider it all part of the business, and don't see what's wrong with it.

I don't see what's so hard to understand. People would rather have a show than a commercial.

[Ksandra]

I don't see what's so hard to understand. People would rather have a show than a commercial.

and that makes it bad?

[Elcura]

Depends if you really like commercials.

[Ququroon]

Look on the bright side, it could be worse.

It could be more MacFarlane Presents.

YouTube - Adopted

[JigglyJam]

I don't watch family guy anymore so what they do with it doesn't bother me in the slightest.

[Ratatapa]

I just hope they won't show mohammed too or else i will be rawrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Nattack]

Look on the bright side, it could be worse.

It could be more MacFarlane Presents.

YouTube - Adopted

i really tried to enjoy it.
I really did

[njitjk68]

http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/sy...y-special-9194

Apparently the folks at Microsoft have never seen an episode of "Family Guy."

The software giant Monday confirmed that it's pulled its exclusive sponsorship of next month's "Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show." The reason, according to Variety.com: Microsoft was shocked....shocked the half-hour special would feature so much risque content.

"We initially chose to participate in the Seth and Alex variety show based on the audience composition and creative humor of 'Family Guy,' but after reviewing an early version of the variety show it became clear that the content was not a fit with the Windows brand," a Microsoft spokesperson told TheWrap via email.

Variety reports that next month's special includes jokes about incest, feminine hygiene and the Holocaust. In other words, pretty standard "Family Guy" fare.

Perhaps the Microsoft camp figured Team Seth MacFarlane would self-censor, that the producers would just instinctively understand that a good corporate citizen such as Microsoft would never want to be associate with the oh-no-they-didn't comedy for which "Family Guy" is known.

Or, again, perhaps the gang in Redmond has never watched the show.

In any event, Fox insiders said the network still plans on airing "Seth & Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show." What's more, it's expected the network will still present the half-hour without traditional commercial breaks and with the sole sponsorship of a yet-to-be-named company.

We're nominating Axe, the makers of young dude-friendly "body sprays" and other manly cosmetics. Their ads are already over-the-top, and their target audience is the same as that which watches "Family Guy."

Or perhaps ... Apple?

Microsoft made sure to note that it will continue to work with Fox and its corporate partners to promote Windows 7. It also said it still believes in getting its messages out in nontraditional ways.

"We continue to have a good partnership with Fox, Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein and are working with them in other areas," the Microsoft spokesperson told TheWrap. "We continue to believe in the value of brand integrations and partnerships between brands, media companies and talent."

"Family Guy" is expected to remain a part of Microsoft's marketing plans, with a 12-week college campus tour still in the works.

But this whole mess does point out the difficulties that arise when Madison Avenue is allowed into the process of shaping creative content.

Last week, former Fox boss Sandy Grushow, speaking at the Digital Hollywood conference, told TheWrap's Sharon Waxman he had heard there were growing pains between MacFarlane's renegade style and the buttoned-up Microsoft.

Fox declined comment.

Microsoft's MSN unit and TheWrap last month announced a content partnership.

[Kaslo]

lololololol

"We didn't know Family Guy was so risque"

[Takedown3]

would be hilarious if apple picked it up and kept the MS jokes in but spun it to be anti MS

calling it now

[Weeks]

MS was a little ambiguous in their wording. Maybe they hadn't watched Family Guy in a decade and didn't realize the show wasn't funny.

[Kaslo]

would be hilarious if apple picked it up and kept the MS jokes in but spun it to be anti MS

calling it now

now that would be the most hilarious thing in awhile!

[Spoony Bob]

now that would be the most hilarious thing in awhile!

Cool Whip?

[fishstix]

so much win


(notsomuch this, but MS ditching family guy for being family guy.)