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10 Thoughts On The Cleveland Show

Written by Pharoh Martin on September 28, 2009 12:23 am

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The Family Guy spin-off based on the show’s only recurring Black character premiered last night. I wanted to check it out not only because Family Guy is an ingenious show, but also because Sanaa Lathan and Reagan Preston Gomez are starring as Cleveland’s new family members–well, at least their voices are.

First off, it has some funny moments ( Take Cleveland’s plump son asking for toilet assistance as one… ”Can you come wipe me?”). And secondly, once I get over my African-American sensitivities for being stereotypically poked at by a cartoon franchise that’s famously known for doing so I’ll be able to laugh heartier.

With the help of my Twitter friends we issued our 10 thoughts about the Cleveland Show.

1. The Cleveland Show is abusing the Family Guy formula so much that even American Dad is giving the show a side eye.

2. Speaking of which,  the show’s family has the exact familial make up of the Griffins minus the dog… and a midget, a redneck, and a bear replace Quagmire, Joe and Peter?! What kind of cut and paste coonery is this?

3. Speaking of which, The Cleavland Show is to Family Guy what any BET reality rip-off show is to any MTV reality show– i.e. Baldwin Hills to the Hills or Harlem Heights to The City or College Hill to The Real World.

4. Speaking of which, why do all of the women in the Cleveland Show have fat asses? Way to market Black people.

5. Speaking of which, why are all the of the Black people the same color? If I was light-skinned I’d be offended. Ha!

6. Speaking of which, has anybody ever met a Black man that sounds like Cleavland? FYI, Cleveland is not voiced by a Black guy.

7. Speaking of which, I can safely assume that there are no Black writers penning this show. If there is, it may only be one but he probably actually sounds like Cleveland.

8. Speaking of which, the series premiere of the Cleveland Show was kinda wack but the season premiere Family Guy was hilarious.

9. Speaking of which, I had a feeling the Cleveland Show was gon’ be wack…but it’s just the first episode so we’ll give it a chance.

10. Speaking of which, we only get one show on TV so why isn’t the Cleveland Show as funny as Family Guy?! I mean, with all of its Family Guy cut and paste buffoonery can we not get a quality Black show that is as good as the White show that it was ripped off from (see #3)?

What do ya’ll think about The Cleveland Show?

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  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Da_J_Rok/ Da_J_Rok

    It’s on Fox… Nuff Said

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/armandx99/ armandx99

    I agree with Da_J_Rok. The show is on FOX, spearheaded by Seth Macfarlane, and is mostly voiced by a white dude. What do you all really expect now? You know we still have a long way to go.

  • http://jaynice734.wordpress.com/2009/09/28/the-cleveland-show-thoughts/ The Cleveland Show Thoughts « Stay Ahead of the Game
  • http://www.blackplanet.com/_ATL_/ _ATL_

    I liked the show. Why would they make the show exactly like Family Guy?
    I KNEW black people would complain the 1st chance they got.Let show breath,damn.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/lucrecia0708/ lucrecia0708

    i liked the show i think it was funny and its about time they gave poor cleveland a show or sumthin. ill be waitin for the next one to air. and to the haters keep doin yo job cuz at the end of the day you gone watch the show just to see whats goin on and to talk more s**t so just keep yo comments to yoself cuz its all about the viewers and even though you hatin on the show you are obviously watchin it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Dopegurlmagic17/ Dopegurlmagic17

    well i agree wit the writers on this one… the show wasn’t as good as family i said the exact samething to a friend lastnite after i got done watching it… it wasn’t completely bad… it was the 1st episode so it had to have some setup to a story line but…hopefully they will do better…plus family guy was just ok when it came out too so hopefully it will get better and better

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/CHOCOLATE___LOVER/ CHOCOLATE___LOVER

    i liked the show i thought it was funny..look jus sit back and let the show develop before you hate i mean it seems like a few black ppl cant wait to hate on sumthin..now if show turns completly stupid then ill change my mind but its only 1 SHOW let it breathe before u kill it damn

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/panamaniak/ panamaniak

    Hit or miss. Family Guy (Simpsoneque rip-off,but a HIT,IMHO)American Dad,miss. The Cleveland Show…miss. It tried to force Family Guy type humor and was horrible.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Sub-Negro/ Sub-Negro

    Well I don’t find Family Guy to be that funny at all and i’ll catch American Dad every once blue moon though the pilot was funny as hell. So I really don’t care about this show either.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Sigil_/ Sigil_

    Perhaps, Cleveland’s voice (that a a white person) is symbolic. Cleveland’s personality is full of contradictions, because he represents a hodgepodge of characteristics assigned to black men….some of these characteristics are subtle. That said, it would be valid that he is voiced by a white man, if he as a animated character was created by a white man using a jumble of the white mans understanding of the black man. This understanding is not just the cliche’ stereotypes, but the subtle understanding of a black man as a neighbor, friend, co-worker and so much more.

    Family Guy is not a rip of The Simpsons. They both have very different goals… I can’t believe most can’t see the difference….

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Sigil_/ Sigil_

    wow, this filter hid the ss in the word …….LOL Funny

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Sigil_/ Sigil_

    Also, one more note…. These thoughts are those of people who assume that the Cleveland Show’s target audience is Black people. That is not necessarily true. The Cleveland Show is an extension of the Family Guy…It was a way to broaden the scope of the social commentary without sacrificing the focus of the message. Do you even know what the underlying message is? If not, I suggest you watch South Park. Your juxtaposition of the Family Guy and the Cleveland Show is limited, flawed and (for reasons I won’t get into) ironic.

    In the end, it a show that can be viewed by all, but their are specific messages meant for a certain audience.

    The Cleveland Show is not a “quality black show,” because it is not a “black show.”

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/WiLdBoYz501/ WiLdBoYz501

    Bring back the boondocks!!! That was a real black people cartoon

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Mxd_Boii_Mexy/ Mxd_Boii_Mexy

    STOP HATIN’ ON THE CLEVELAND SHOW!!! I THOUGHT IT WAS PRETTY DAMN GOOD FOR THE FIRST EPISODE!! IT WAS THE FIRST EPISODE BLACK PEOPLE!! GIVE IT A CHANCE!! AT LEAST THEY WANTED TO MAKE A FUNNY SHOW ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE!! WE SHOULD BE HAPPY! AND FYI….FAMILY GUY WAS CANCELLED THREE DAMN TIMES BEFORE IT GOT TO BE WHERE IT IS TODAY!!! THREE TIMES!! IT MAY TAKE THIS SHOW A LITTLE WHILE TO GET GOOD. SUPPORT IT…DON’T BRING IT DOWN. SUPPORT THOSE BLACK PEOPLE THAT ARE A PART OF THE SHOW….LIKE NIA LONG AND SANAA LATHAN!!! GIVE THE SHOW SOME TIME…..DAMN!!!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/ginadassas/ ginadassas

    The 1st episode was ok but not as good as Family Guy’s season premiere. But hey, that’s just the 1st episode. I hope it will be better the next. And I too also noticed that Cleveland is not voiced by a black guy but I don’t really care about that.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/michaelrayent07/ michaelrayent07

    Aaron McGruder and Regina King are geniuses. Boondocks was the s*#t.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/sef_ali/ sef_ali

    I think that lil dude wit the fro, Rallo, gone be the funniest! That lil nukka be wilin! I wanna see him and Stewie in a scrap!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Stephenjh/ Stephenjh

    Man, Family Guy was funny as hell. Especially the Disney and the Japanese scene.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/ONE_DAMN_GOOD_MAN76/ ONE_DAMN_GOOD_MAN76

    MUTHAF**KA’S IS PATHETIC COMPLAINING ABOUT CARTOONS….NIGGAS, WATCH IT OR DON’T. NUFF SAID.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/sotasbiggest2/ sotasbiggest2

    the show was alright but yes its suppose to be wack its the first f**kin episode of it.secondly i dont give a f**k what u really had to say bout the show but christ?????what the f**k is up which start every god damn sentence with “SPEAKING OF WHICH” F**K YOUR SUPPOSE TO BE A WRITER AND THATS THE BEST OPENING U GOT??????

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/SyThaGhost201/ SyThaGhost201

    Wow people really comparing boondocks to this? Cant be serious. Boondocks season 3 already been announced. Either you watch the cleveland show or you don’t. You cant judge a show by its very first episode, and it wasnt even that bad compared to the simpsons and american dad.

    Why are people just now having an issue with cleveland being voiced by a white man? How long ago was he introduced on family guy? Get real.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/SyThaGhost201/ SyThaGhost201

    Oh and another thing, when family guy came out it wasn’t that funny either, it took a good while before it got to where it is today. I know i personally didn’t like family guy when it came out. What about some of yall?

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Blizzard/ Blizzard

    I dunnno,the premiere episode was pretty lame. If their efforts don’t Improve, I have a feeling Cleveland just might reconcile with Loretta and return to Quahog (sp).

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/ButterCup_421/ ButterCup_421

    The Cleveland show was funny to me. Some of you ppl on here complain about every damn thing you complain about there not being enough black shows on tv cartoon or other wise. Shut the hell up if dont like the show don’t watch it.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/TONDELIA/ TONDELIA

    I liked the show! Seth Macfarland is talented and comical. And whoever doesn’t like how African americans are depicted, than do your own animation and cast them in a more positive light!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Lostking7/ Lostking7

    Haha! Ghetto people like Ghetto things! Not surprising TONDELIA!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Poetic_Assasin/ Poetic_Assasin

    Shut the front door!!! you mean to tell me that cleveland isn’t voiced by Tim meadows from SNL? He is the only black guy i know that actually talks similar…not in reality but Cleveland kind of reminds me of the voice meadows does for lady’s man.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/dottie_03/ dottie_03

    lol i think its goin to be funny..and i agree 1 black writer its nothin but white humor

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/alpha111906/ alpha111906

    well the first episode of family guy wasn’t all that great either…neither was American Dad…character development. Family guy was cancelled twice…which is a record. If you have been doing your home work on the cast/writers of family guy, you would know that mike henry does the voice of cleveland as well as “greased up deaf guy” and “herbert” the pedophile. Seth MacFarlane (creator) is funny, period. Don’t over analyze the show…Seth is an atheist and just like South Park, he makes equally fun of all race/genders/religions..etc. It is a comedy, not a political satire or anything but…a comedy. Seth Macfarlane has done more offensive/tasteless racial materials on Family Guy yet no one has thought twice about it…leave it be…

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/jazzwatch/ jazzwatch

    It’s not voiced by a Black man, doens’t have Bl;ack writers, has tons pf stereotyped jokes and drawings(all Black ladies don’t have fat asses). The last greatcartooni saw as a kid was Fat Albert and it WAS Black!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/jazzwatch/ jazzwatch

    What’s up with the bear???? Where’s Boo Boo?

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/j_kiss_08/ j_kiss_08

    Making “The Cleveland Show” was nothing more than a ploy to diversify Fox. Now, I’m pretty sure that I wasn’t the only one who noticed but Fox didn’t have a SINGLE black show. Now it has The Cleveland Show and I think it’s called “Brothers”??? If they were going to do a spinoff of family guy what would have made more since to me is if Brian and Stewie or Quagmire got their own shows. Fox…get it together.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/daqueen123/ daqueen123

    Yea i decided not to watch it I had a feeling that it didn’t have any black writers. How can u write about a black family and your not even black!? But white people been doing this s**t for the longest.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/Honey2216/ Honey2216

    I loved it!!!

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/diamondgirl63/ diamondgirl63

    I tried to give the show a second chance after the premiere and sad to say the show is wack and racist,I mean come on y do the children’s bilogical father have to be a pothead deadbeat,and not know how old his children are, and as black people we need to take a step back and really look at how american views our culture,and if this show is an indication we need to get it together.Furthermore, I will no longer watch the show cuz it is disgusing and degrading

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/billy-danze1/ billy-danze1

    In one episode they made a joke about making a show with black people cause they assume all black people would watch it (something to that effect). As a black person i know i’m supposed to automatically tune into this show but because this show is so unfunny on Sunday at that time i’m watching football.

    I love football but I always used to switch to fox to watch, the animation domination but when this show is on I just turn it to the game and never change back.

    For some reason when they announced the show in summer I just could look at the clip and know it was gonna be weak. When the clip (showing the best part) don’t even make you smile then its a wrap.

    P.S. shoot the little kid, he is the worst.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/supersoftball/ supersoftball

    Thank you brother!!! I will never watch an episode, just like that reality trash on BET!!!

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