Seth MacFarlane is a guy who likes to break taboos in public, and last night’s Family Guy Presents Seth & Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show was no exception. (Apparently this came as a surprise to Microsoft, which withdrew its sponsorship of the live-action special after viewing the taping.) One of the line-crossiest moments came when MacFarlane and Alex Borstein (the voice of Lois Griffin) did a routine mocking Marlee Matlin’s speaking voice. To wit: Marlee Matlin calls Moviefone! And sings “Poker Face”! Get it? She talks weird…because she’s deaf!
As you can tell, I think this was a fairly dumb gag — offensive to the hearing-impaired, sure, but also just unoriginal. Any third-grader can riff on the kraaaazy way that some hearing-impaired people sound when they talk. There wasn’t much comedic content here beyond that.
At least, not until Marlee Matlin herself walked onstage to join the fun. Matlin shut Borstein right up, did some fat jokes of her own, and even taught the insensitive comedians some very special sign language. I’m not sure that Matlin’s guest appearance actually made those idiotic deaf jokes any funnier, but it did change the way the bit came across. Or did it? Watch the clip below for yourself, then decide: Is this funny or offensive, or both, or neither? Does it matter that Matlin got to mock her mockers?
UPDATE: Matlin talks to EW and says people need to “lighten up.”
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That bit wasn’t funny at all. Overall, I was a bit disappointed in the whole show.
Kudos to Matlin for going on the show, but the bit wasn’t that funny and Seth guffawing in the background as if it was the funniest thing he’s seen made it worse.
I’m with Shamrock; I laughed maybe twice during the whole show, and both times were when Marlee Matlin was onstage. The animated segments made me grateful that Family Guy doesn’t include a laugh track, because I certainly wasn’t laughing along. The show just wasn’t funny, which is a shame, because both Seth and Alex are very talented, very funny people.
I agree with you on the point they are talented. Usually I am a staunch supporter of all his shows. I didn’t find the bit offensive, just not funny. Most of the show was just rehashed from Family Guy.
Personally I think it was a fairly funny bit, and not offensive. The fact that Marlee was cool enough to play along with it and even throw some good jokes back(Which if I was Seth I would have been busting a gut as well) is amazing of her. I’ll admit it wasn’t their best work, but it was funny. =)
When you have a one hour comedy special and the only funny thing about is a 2 and a half minute appearance from a dramatic actress, you know two things: A)That dramatic actress is funny as hell and cool, B) Your “comedy” show sucks
Marlee Matlin being in on the joke didn’t make it any funnier. PS – Cartman’s “Poker Face” on South Park was way better. I can imagine Trey Parker & Matt Stone watching this unfunny and self-indulgent special saying, “Seth MacFarlane is a bigger douche than even we thought!”
Kyle, shut up.
Lets not make fun of anything anymore and just go back to watching reruns of Full House.
It wasn’t funny because Seth McFarlane’s humour involves referencing the 80s and saying obvious things that are either too dumb or too offensive to be voiced by normal people.
Just look at the faces in the crowd and you can tell who his target demographic is. It could have been half an hour of him having a bowel movement and it would have gotten a standing O.
I think Marlee Matlin deserves better. She shouldn’t have showed up to lend herself to a stupid gag.
I enjoyed it. When Alex Borstein was just mocking Marlee Matlin I wasn’t that amused. I remember the Moviephone bit from Family Guy and the Poker Face thing has been done before (Cartman, Walken,) but it led to a pretty funny conclusion. I’m glad that Matlin knows how to take a joke, and dished out a few good ones of her own. I’m half Spanish, half Jewish and I still find the Hispanic cleaning lady and Mort hilarious. I don’t see the difference. Across all backgrounds, races and handicaps, there are those who have a sense of humor and those who don’t.
I don’t find those jokes offensive, some are funny, this one wasn’t.
just a quick question Shamrock, are people allowed to find it funny, or must they adhere to your humor?
i haven’t seen anyone mention that family guy has already had a marlee matlin gag in an episode. I find family guy funny but jokes get repeated pretty often which def. decreases the funny factor
umm, actually it’s mentioned in the article and Scott mentioned it above in his comments. Actually there has been a couple at her expense. Also she can’t hear her own farts.
bad me for skim reading & commenting : )
I loved Alex when she was on MadTV and play Ms. Swan…she was hysterical!
of course making fun of Asian women who speak with an accent is apparently more acceptable than making fun of the deaf. I don’t find either offensive but it is offensive if someone finds one insulting and the other not. p.s. Susan i’m not saying you are…just commenting.
Not offensive, just painfully unfunny.
Horrendously awful. Good thing I was watching with my son so I could turn it off and explain why that was such a cruel thing to do, like bullies.
That was so bad. Not offensive, just a swing and a miss. Family Guy hasn’t been nearly as good since it came back from cancellation, and this is a perfect example of why. They take a joke they think is hilarious when it’s not and run it into the ground.
Oh, and Cartman was about a million time better/funnier.
I think this was one of the funniest things I have ever seen or heard on TV, period…..
I haven’t laughed so hard in years.
The bit with Matlin was inspired. However, the rest of that show was spectacularly unfunny. I don’t know if it’s because, in live action, Seth McFarlane comes across as insufferably smug and in love with himself, or because his sophomoric humor is easier to stomach when it’s delivered by cartoon characters, but literally no gag on that program worked except with Matlin came out and flipped off Alex Borstein.
The Matlin bit wasn’t original – just another spin on the cursing toddler or the foul-mouthed senior. Still, seeing someone get kicked in the groin is hilarious no matter how many times you see it…as long as it’s not your groin. Or mine.
“That was so bad. Not offensive, just a swing and a miss. Family Guy hasn’t been nearly as good since it came back from cancellation, and this is a perfect example of why. They take a joke they think is hilarious when it’s not and run it into the ground.”
Exactly right.
There was nothing wrong with this gag at all. How many of you brain-dead morons have NOT figured out that this was all a planned gag. Matlin was suppose to do all that. Cmon, grow up people, with all the other bad stuff going on in the world, like Obama destroying the country, let’s laugh at this.
Wow Dave. I was just thinking about how your review was spot on, and then you ruined it by spouting about Obama. I bet you think this country was handled brilliantly the previous 8 years by the doosh bag W! Obama becoming president would be like you getting behind the wheel of the Titanic 3 seconds before it hit the iceburg! Nothing that Obama could do would make someone like you happy. Un-freaking-believable that anyone thinks that anyone besides Bush and his cronies ruined this country. We are still fighting the fake war that he and his buddies manufactured and we will be for some time to come. Get a clue and get your head out of the sand. Obama is slowly turning things around and he will continue to try and dig the USA out of the large crevasse that W dropped us into.
Oh, BTW, and of you whining about this incredibly funny show ought to have your heads examined. I watched it with 3 other people, and we all laughed our freaking a$$es off.
I’m not deaf or HoH but I’ve been involved in the deaf/HoH community, and I can’t bring myself to be offended for their sakes. This was just plain funny in it’s total disregard for political correctness, and the parties involved total commitment to seeing it through. Nothing is sacred to Seth McFarlane and that’s one of the reasons I love him. Heck, if Marlee Matlin says lighten up, everyone else ought to as well.
C’mon! I’m Deaf who uses American Sign Language on daily basis. I thought what Seth & Alex did was hilarious.
I was not offended when Alex & Seth took a swipe at Deaf people. It meant one thing: Deaf people has became visible. And to me, that is good thing!
Marlee’s appearance on that variety was alright. Not the best but amusing.
Offensive? No. Take it from Deaf person from a long line of Deaf families, it is not offensive.
Don’t speak for us, hearies.
R-
lol. sure im not the only one thinking this…but if ur deaf, how did u enjoy this? i mean LITERALLY how do u enjoy a joke based entirely on verbal interaction?
What the ****? TFG and that Almost Live Comedy Show has captions! If you’re not familiar with it, it appears that you’re ignorant.
I pity you.
R-
i wont speak for you, but i will speak for my son. Just because you are becoming a popular community does not mean that they could make fun of MY son. This is NOT the way to get the word out there about deaf people. You may be ok with it, but not everyone is. You might see this as a good thing but i would not want my son to see that his impairment is a joke to the “hearies” as you say.
Aww, come on. What Seth is doing reflects OUR society. He is simply imitating what our society thought of different individuals and groups.
Your son can think for himself. And don’t shield him. He’ll hate you for that.
R-
Just curious ridor, what exactly did you find funny about the Matlin gag aside from “taking a swipe” at deaf people?
I agree that this was not the least bit funny, but I wasn’t surprised. However it is offensive – maybe not to you but it isn’t a vote to determine whether or not it is offensive – if someone was offended, and I wasn’t the only one, then it IS offensive whether or not you have the decency to be offended personally. And if you are deaf lending credibility to this, including Maitlin, it is just sad that you are so neglected/put down by society that you can say “any visibility is good”. I can see how there is some small bit of good in this exposure and “correction” of the offensive behavior (except so many here didn’t get the message and are “defending” it as unoffensive, so it didn’t work)but it is about like Family Guy – you might chuckle a few times but it isn’t worth being insulted for 18 minutes. Insulting to my feelings, my intellect, and to my memories of the 80s. The 80s and all its other spoofs don’t deserve to be degraded by Seth M. Neither do people, even if he can get some Token ones to endorse him, finger in cheek
18 minutes? Are you sure you did watch that show?
R-
i agree. made a comment right above yours to the one and only rider. read.
One more thing – it is not Rider. It is Ridor. Get that through your skull. Don’t know who I am? Google me up. You will know who I am.
I am very well versed in Deaf communities across the country, Canada and some parts of Europe. I know what I’m talking about. Hearing people inadvertently always try to speak for us. All I’m saying is: Don’t.
Puffin, it is evident that there are pros and cons of what it means to be Deaf. Seth can see that. And I appreciate him for that. Can’t handle it? Get out of kitchen.
R-
RIP OFF. these people cant come up w/ an ariginal joke?!?!?!
Cartman did this skit on SP last week!!
L OS ERS.
Hey stupid, I didn’t know that the idea of singing Pokerface belonged to anybody but Lady Gaga.
Idiot.
All of this clip looks so labored yet the laughs keep rolling on. Why does America think that show is funny?
The only funny part was with Marlee. Even my 10 year old son didn’t get the joke prior to her coming on stage, then he thought what Marlee did was funny. Sad, because I think Seth & Alex are talented. But this was just in poor taste.
lmao. how in God’s name is it in “poor taste” when MARLEY FREAKIN MATLIN was in on the joke?? lmao. THE BUTT OF THE JOKE SAYS TO “LIGHTEN UP” AND U TIGHTLY WOUND STICK IN THE MUD SHOVEL UP THE A** PEOPLE STILL CANT ACCEPT THAT?? LMAO. WOW. U MUST HAVE THE DRIEST, BLANDEST, MOST LACKLUSTER LIFE EVER?
Cartman and Christopher Walken have done “Poker Face” as a gag before. Alex Borestiens impersonation came off as really offensive…but then Marlee Matlin showed up. Matlin did not make the joke any better but she did manage to turn it around and make it her own. I would also like to add that I thought she was funnier than Alex.
The bit was unfunny and wayyyyy too long. Marlee showing up just made it sad because she is not funny either. However she does seem to have a realty show in the works, so I guess she is fine with promoting herself anyway she can. Cartman singing Pokerface now that is funny!I love FG but do not every try this experiment again, started to feel like Mad TV which was always bordering on funny but never quite was.
I have to admit that this was funny, but as a mother of a deaf child who also talks, it isnt that funny…to make fun of a disability is not a funny thing. Just becuase mrs. matlin is ok with it, doesnt mean that there isnt any other people with that disability who do find it offensive. In my case i think it sad that people can stoop this low to make comedy. People should consider other peoples feelings. Its very dissapointing.
For the love of God, people, like Marlee said, lighten up. It’s a comedy show. Emphasis on the word COMEDY. Some people will laugh, some won’t. Some find it funny, some don’t. I’m an oral deaf person, and I laughed at this. did I bust a gut laughing? No, but it was funny, especially when Marlee started throwing fat jokes back at her. How many people here have watched the Jeff Dunham specials? Remember the one where he started making fun of the deaf people attending in the audience when he noticed they had an interpreter? I guarantee you, a lot of you laughed. It’s okay, I did too. We’ve become FAR too politically correct. It would be different if they were on a news show, for instance, and said stuff like this in a serious manner, but this, again, was a COMEDY show. I don’t agree often with Ridor, he can attest to that, but on this one, he is right.
It had it’s rather unfunny and funny moments. You see, people did laugh at her mimicking a deaf voice. That’s what I’m thinking on exactly what is the audience thinking? But then again the audience did laugh at what Marlee said and did. It certainly wasn’t a Kanye moment, tho. There are a lot of mixed feelings with this one. Just because one Deaf person says it was funny another Deaf person may not find it *that* funny. More like it had it’s painfully funny moment. Different tastes for different folks, even among Deaf, deaf, hard of hearing and hearing folks alike. I rate it a 6 (maybe a 7) out of 10. And, oh, yeah, I’m hard of hearing and certainly no stranger to Deaf people.