Listen, I'm not here to discuss whether marijuana, or "the dope" as the cool kids call it, is good or bad for you. But it is an ongoing issue at the heart of several debates. Whether you toke up to ease the pain of arthritis or to ease the pain of listening to an Incubus album, and regardless of whether you think weed is a gateway to black-tar ****** or a one-way express ticket to Satan's house, the battle for marijuana legalization is currently ingrained in our culture. Which makes it the perfect topic for grown-up cartoons to tackle.
The Simpsons did it in April 2002, Family Guy did it April 2009, and South Park did it on Wednesday (almost April). Not so coincidentally, all three weed-centric episodes aired on or around the fantabulous pot holiday of April 20, so named for its relation to the stoner salutation of "420!," which is usually accompanied by a "dude!" or "man" or "Cheech."
Given the topic, there was a great opportunity for all three 'toons to use the airtime for more than just lazy stoner jokes. Let's take a look at how each show approached the marijuana issue and who did it best. Shockingly, none of the three made a very convincing argument for the anti-weed side of the debate.
How TV Toons Play With Pot
The Simpsons
Episode: "Weekend at Burnsies"
After having his eyes pecked at by a murder of crows, Homer is prescribed marijuana to ease the pain. The Simpsons, being The Simpsons in 2002, takes the easy way out and makes very surface-level pot jokes (Homer listening to Deep Purple, with some kaleidoscopic effects thrown in for good measure). Homer eventually goes on one of his classic Homer drug trips, complete with rainbows and smiling/flying cars–which, not that I would ever know, is totally bogus, dude. Homer is later promoted because he laughs at every one of Mr. Burns' jokes, and Phish also makes an appearance. There isn't much substance to this episode in terms of the actual debate; it was just a way for Simpsons writers to crack some stereotypical stoner jokes.
Best Quote: Homer: "But isn't marijuana, or 'dope,' illegal?" Dr. Hibberd: "Only for those who enjoy it."
How TV Toons Play With Pot
Family Guy
Episode: "420"
After all sorts of stuff about killing a cat, Brian is pulled over and arrested by overzealous cops who find pot on his person (dog?). An angry Brian starts a pro-marijuana campaign and successfully gets a law passed. Soon, everyone is getting ripped and Quahog is a pretty sweet place to live in, as crime goes down and the citizens remain blazed out of their gourds. Brian essentially becomes a marijuana spokesperson, barking out pro-weed information constantly, but it's the musical number "Everything is Better with a Bag of Weed" that's become the episode's most famous pro-weed bit. Despite Family Guy's appetite for sophomoric humor, "420" didn't actually exploit the stoner stereotype like one would expect. That said, the episode ended in a mess, moving away from the debate.
Best Quote: Lois: "Yeah, but Peter's so baked lately he can hardly set up a cutaway."
How TV Toons Play With Pot
South Park
Episode: "Medicinal Fried Chicken"
After finding out that the local Kentucky Fried Chicken went under and has been taken over by a medical marijuana dispensary, Randy tries to buy ounces and ounces of some sweet kush. The doctor informs him that the greenery is for patients with cancer and other ailments, so Randy gives himself testicular cancer by exposing his orbs to emitted radiation from a microwave. Randy's beans grow so big that he ends up hopping around on them like a Pogo Ball–and he gets many other men to do the same thing, which results in a parade of grown men happily bouncing along on their over-inflated nuts. Meanwhile, Cartman sets out to smuggle in some KFC after all the Colorado franchises are shut down due to a new law that prohibits unhealthy fast food in low-income areas. Despite the bouncy testicles and Cartman's Scarface impression–during which he snorts lines of KFC chicken skin–this episode actually approached the debate with the most intelligence, arguing that some things that are perfectly legal are actually more harmful to our health than weed. The KFC-related violence also made the case that violence is rooted in things that are illegal, and that if marijuana was legalized, there would be less drug-related violence as it pertains to marijauna.
Best quote: Randy: "What forms of cancer induce in time for the Ziggy Markey concert next Saturday in Denver?"
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: TV.com
Author: Tim Surette
Contact: TV.com
Copyright: 2010 CBS Interactive Inc.
Website: How TV Toons Play With Pot
The Simpsons did it in April 2002, Family Guy did it April 2009, and South Park did it on Wednesday (almost April). Not so coincidentally, all three weed-centric episodes aired on or around the fantabulous pot holiday of April 20, so named for its relation to the stoner salutation of "420!," which is usually accompanied by a "dude!" or "man" or "Cheech."
Given the topic, there was a great opportunity for all three 'toons to use the airtime for more than just lazy stoner jokes. Let's take a look at how each show approached the marijuana issue and who did it best. Shockingly, none of the three made a very convincing argument for the anti-weed side of the debate.
How TV Toons Play With Pot
The Simpsons
Episode: "Weekend at Burnsies"
After having his eyes pecked at by a murder of crows, Homer is prescribed marijuana to ease the pain. The Simpsons, being The Simpsons in 2002, takes the easy way out and makes very surface-level pot jokes (Homer listening to Deep Purple, with some kaleidoscopic effects thrown in for good measure). Homer eventually goes on one of his classic Homer drug trips, complete with rainbows and smiling/flying cars–which, not that I would ever know, is totally bogus, dude. Homer is later promoted because he laughs at every one of Mr. Burns' jokes, and Phish also makes an appearance. There isn't much substance to this episode in terms of the actual debate; it was just a way for Simpsons writers to crack some stereotypical stoner jokes.
Best Quote: Homer: "But isn't marijuana, or 'dope,' illegal?" Dr. Hibberd: "Only for those who enjoy it."
How TV Toons Play With Pot
Family Guy
Episode: "420"
After all sorts of stuff about killing a cat, Brian is pulled over and arrested by overzealous cops who find pot on his person (dog?). An angry Brian starts a pro-marijuana campaign and successfully gets a law passed. Soon, everyone is getting ripped and Quahog is a pretty sweet place to live in, as crime goes down and the citizens remain blazed out of their gourds. Brian essentially becomes a marijuana spokesperson, barking out pro-weed information constantly, but it's the musical number "Everything is Better with a Bag of Weed" that's become the episode's most famous pro-weed bit. Despite Family Guy's appetite for sophomoric humor, "420" didn't actually exploit the stoner stereotype like one would expect. That said, the episode ended in a mess, moving away from the debate.
Best Quote: Lois: "Yeah, but Peter's so baked lately he can hardly set up a cutaway."
How TV Toons Play With Pot
South Park
Episode: "Medicinal Fried Chicken"
After finding out that the local Kentucky Fried Chicken went under and has been taken over by a medical marijuana dispensary, Randy tries to buy ounces and ounces of some sweet kush. The doctor informs him that the greenery is for patients with cancer and other ailments, so Randy gives himself testicular cancer by exposing his orbs to emitted radiation from a microwave. Randy's beans grow so big that he ends up hopping around on them like a Pogo Ball–and he gets many other men to do the same thing, which results in a parade of grown men happily bouncing along on their over-inflated nuts. Meanwhile, Cartman sets out to smuggle in some KFC after all the Colorado franchises are shut down due to a new law that prohibits unhealthy fast food in low-income areas. Despite the bouncy testicles and Cartman's Scarface impression–during which he snorts lines of KFC chicken skin–this episode actually approached the debate with the most intelligence, arguing that some things that are perfectly legal are actually more harmful to our health than weed. The KFC-related violence also made the case that violence is rooted in things that are illegal, and that if marijuana was legalized, there would be less drug-related violence as it pertains to marijauna.
Best quote: Randy: "What forms of cancer induce in time for the Ziggy Markey concert next Saturday in Denver?"
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: TV.com
Author: Tim Surette
Contact: TV.com
Copyright: 2010 CBS Interactive Inc.
Website: How TV Toons Play With Pot
