The Simpsons or Family Guy? A Comparison of the Two Funniest Animated Programs in Television.

The Simpsons is an animated television show created by Matt Groening. (“The Simpsons”) Family Guy, like The Simpsons, is also an animated program created, created by Seth MacFarlane. Both programs are aired by the Fox Broadcasting Company. Both shows are situational comedies (sitcoms). Both The Simpsons and Family Guy are centered on families (the Simpsons and the Griffins respectively) and have many similarities and differences, among them are their achievements and comedic style.

The Simpsons family consists of five very different people with almost the same fault. Father Homer is a foolish, ill-mannered man. Homer is the husband of obsessive-compulsive Marge. Homer and Marge are the parents of mischievous Bart, indifferent Lisa and odd Maggie. The usual plot is that Lisa is always starting some new way to help humanity, such as recycling and conserving resources and promoting animal rights. Due to her actions, she frequently becomes the butt of Bart’s jokes. Bart is the black sheep, always irritating either the principal of his school or his father Homer. If Bart pulls a prank on Homer, he exclaims “Why you little,” and proceeds to strangle Bart. If no pranks befall Homer, he usually does something stupid, like hijack a car or drink beer. Marge typically takes care of Maggie, as well as the rest of her family whom she loves. Maggie is odd in the way that she has skills her parents do not know about. She once saved Homer from drowning by swimming AND rescuing him. Maggie can even fire a sub-machine gun! The show, which is set in fictional Springfield, presents a satirical parody of the typical American lifestyle. (“The Simpsons”) The Simpsons employs a plot-driven style of humor. Additionally, celebrities, landmarks and current events are sometimes the points of the show’s humor. One such example is an episode of former United States President Bill Clinton moving to Springfield, and is eventually driven o the brink of insanity by Homer. The show has also featured Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Jordan, Pamela Anderson and Dennis Rodman, among many other celebrities. Thanks to the show’s unique humor and wit, the show has left a mark on American popular culture. The Simpsons are now television icons. (“About The Simpsons”) Homer’s famous exclamation “D’oh!” has also been included in the English lexicon. (“The Simpsons”) Winner of multiple Emmy Awards, The Simpsons is the longest running animated program in TV history. Running for over twenty years, the show has entertained thousands of people. Currently, the show is airing its twenty-first season and has shown more than 454 episodes since debuting on December 17, 1989. On July 2007, The Simpsons family was shown in their first feature-length film: The Simpsons Movie. The movie generated US$527 million in cinemas worldwide. (“The Simpsons”) The show’s unique style of humor is the source of its immense success and popularity.

Much like the Simpsons, the Griffins from Family Guy are composed of five quirky people, still flawed. However, the Griffins have a talking dog with them named Brian. Bumbling Peter a d caring Lois are the parents of self-conscious Meg Peter-like Chris and diabolical baby Stewie, who speaks like an arch villain. The show centers on the Griffins. It features Meg struggling for popularity, which results in Peter and Chris making fun of her. Stewie usually hangs out with Brian. Stewie, however, has this diabolical desire to murder Lois. The show uses cutaway gags to parody American culture, as opposed to a pot-driven humor used by The Simpsons. One episode featured a tap dance cutaway of Stewie and Gene Kelly. In 2001, the show was cancelled. The show was eventually brought back in 2004 due to high ratings of re-runs and exceptional DVD sales. (“Family Guy”) The show has won three Emmy Awards in the eight seasons it has been airing, proving that the “anything-goes” humor is loved by fans.

The Simpson and Family Guy, both animated programs featuring dysfunctional families, differ in their style of humor and their achievements. However much different the two shows are, they both have the same goal: to entertain. While it may be true that the two shows employ different styles, they never fail to amuse audiences throughout the world. That is what is most important for the two show’s writers and producers. The Simpsons and Family Guy are two of the funniest animated programs that have ever graced television.

Drumming 101: Introduction to Drum Setup

Have you ever noticed that loud, noisy instrument when bands play their songs? That is a drum kit, also known as drum set, kit, or simply just drums. A drum kit is a collection of snares, cymbals, and other percussion instruments played using both drumsticks and pedals. Different drummers prefer different drum kits. Setting up a drum kit is not as easy as it seems, it involves harmony in sight and sound. The pieces of the kit should be well-tuned and the overall aesthetic appeal should be good.

Before you even think of actually setting up a kit, conceptualize your kit first. Establish your comfort zone (nothing should be too hard or too awkward to hit) and visualize your setup. Now that you have a basic concept of what pieces to include, examine them. Check your pieces for wear and tear. Doing so will help prevent further damage and/or accidents.

Now that you have a blueprint of your preferred setup, you are now ready to build a basic kit. With safety in mind, place a non-slip mat in areas you would want to build around. This step prevents slipping and ensures more safety. Place the throne (seat) in the middle of the mat. Establish a comfortable sitting position since pedals are placed where your feet are rested. Then place the bass drum and its pedal (the pedal is used to hit the bass) in front of your right foot. On the opposite foot, place the hi-hat its pedal, and its stand. Now that you have two pedals which your feet can reach and step on, place the snare drum (and its stand) in between your legs. Lastly, place the ride cymbal to your right. The ride serves as an alternative to plating the hi-hat. What you have just built is a basic, four-piece kit. Others also use a five-piece kit, attaching either a tom on top of the bass or placing a floor tom to the right of the bass.

To produce different sounds, additional pieces are available. The most common additions are cymbals: the crash, china and splash. The crash and its stand are placed on the left, close to the toms or hi-hat. The crash is used for accents. The china is placed to the right. It is used to produce dark and crisp tones. Splashes may be placed close to the crash or hi-hat. Tambourines and chimes are also a welcome addition. Normally, tambourines are placed on the same stand as the hi-hat. Chimes are placed to the left of the hats. Chimes are used for a dramatic effect in ending songs. Woodblocks and cowbells may also be used. These are usually placed near the ride. Some drummers also place an additional bass drum pedal beside the hi-hat pedal to allow a double-bass drum style of play.

Now that you have your basic (or advanced) kit, you are almost done with your setup. All that are left to do are the sound check and final touches. The first thing to do in the sound check is to strike the pieces and check if they produce the sounds you want. The tom toms, bass and snare have tension rods, and adjusting those would adjust the pieces’ tone. The snare also has a throw-off lever. Adjusting the lever will make the snare sound muffled or not. The hi-hat has a clutch. The pedal, when stepped, closes the hat, and when released, opens it. To adjust the hat, step on the pedal and adjust the clutch until the desired hat opening is achieved. Finally, tightening or loosening the cymbal clamp holders and/or tilting the cymbals adjust their sound.

Different drummers have different kits. Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers has a pretty simple kit while Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater has an exotic, multi-piece kit. The pieces you need for your kit are dependent on your preferred genre of music, your style of play, and your budget for pieces. Keep in mind, cymbals and other peripherals are quite expensive. For help and information on drum setups, you may visit http://www.sabian.com/EN/setupbuilder. This site gives information and prices on pieces. Additionally, this site has a virtual drum kit builder to help you conceptualize, should you need it.

So that is it! You are now ready to rock and roll all night, as well as party every day. Just remember that a kit is visually appealing and musically in-sync; it must not only look good, but it must sound good as well. So, good luck and keep on drumming!