Uncle Grandpa Could Get Milhouse's Parents Back Together

Animation on television has revolved around the use of humor since the beginning, with The Simpsons being historically the most effective. What’s worth noting is the difference in humor styles between The Simpsons and Uncle Grandpa. On one hand, there is essentially an animated sitcom, in which human characters live in a semi-normal world and hijinks ensue based on the interactions the characters have with each other and on the other hand is Uncle Grandpa, which relies on the silliness and exaggeration that is allowed with a completely fictional and unbelievable world. Both are successful and are representative of the era they come from.

Neither show provides a story arch that extends past the each episode. However, within each episode is a narrative that differs from the other. The Simpsons uses a coherent world with recognizable archetypes (at least within the cartoon world). For instance, in this episode A Milhouse Divided, the “lovably stupid father figure” of Homer is seen in many family-based animation television shows (Family Guy, Fairly Oddparents, Jimmy Neutron, etc.) who is seen early on sitting around in his underwear waiting for the party to start while everyone else is dressed and ready. This is representative not of normal fathers but of the Homer archetype we often see used to drive the narrative. The plot in this episode follows two of The Simpsons friends, Milhouse’s parents, who have decided to get a divorce. The comedy and ultimate storyline is based on the reactions to this and attempts to resolve it by the other characters. In Uncle Grandpa’s Escalator, Uncle Grandpa and Pizza Steve get stuck on an escalator, believing their life to be in danger. Extreme response to this is seen in the form of hyperbolic actions by very fictional characters. It is evident that these two shows follow a very different approach to comedy: one show uses realistic situations with believable characters and the other is an intentional fantasy designed to shock the audience into laughter. Both are effective.

As a spectator, I enjoyed both shows. Both provide a quick paced entertainment without any sort of depth. The Simpsons however is more relatable and is more successful I believe. Based on these episodes alone, it could be seen that each show is a satire in some form, a commentary on some aspect of society. Escalator points heavily at the obesity and laziness of Americans and consumers (scenes of fat and bored people eating and looking foolish during this episode point to that). The Simpsons episode is quick to point out early on the desire to have a more refined life, and how that is ultimately impossible for the type of people that the Simpsons represent.