In adult animation, every series will have its own take on how to make a fart joke eloquent. Though the industry, in the mainstream, is defined by its crudeness and controversy, adult animation has managed to be just as pervasive if not more so than the Breaking Bads and Sopranos of live-action. For any fan of the genre, there are two series competing for who can do it the best: Family Guy and South Park.
One has laid its claim as The Simpson's edgy, second cousin, whereas the other is crude animation in more ways than one. There's no secret that there's some bitterness between the two shows (South Park's two-part homage was less than loving), but there's even less denying the success that each has achieved. The question does remain, however: which is the objectively better show?
Family Guy: Dark Humor
For better or worse, Family Guy has really turned up the dial in its latest years when it comes to edgy content. This isn't to say that South Park isn't a dark series. A child dying every week is one of the show's central, running gags. However, Cartman making a kid eat their own parents just doesn't have the same shock value as some of Family Guy's most demented moments.
Almost in an ironic twist to their hit single "The FCC Song," Family Guy has gotten away with some disturbing stuff, and their content only seems to be pushing the button harder and further into the abyss. Just to list a few times that Family Guy went too far: Quagmire murders the Simpsons family, Santa's workshop enslaved inbred elves, and just everything about Herbert.
South Park: Satire
While Family Guy can certainly have more shock value, those punches may not be able to do much without some weight behind them. One thing that South Park unequivocally does better than the Griffins, and possibly any other show on television, is satire. Political humor dates back to the caricaturist, humorist, and cartoonist of old, who'd blend absurdity and cultural specificity to get a good chuckle.
Family Guy has certainly had its moments of satire, but more often than not, its commentary just seems tacked on at best or forced down the audience's throats at its worst. South Park does what good satire should be and simply creates an exaggerated visual and scene that speaks louder than just explaining the politics ever could.
Family Guy: Performances
This isn't to say that the theatrical talents of Matt Stone and Trey Parker aren't appreciated, but they just don't have the range that Family Guy does, let alone, the cast. Seth MacFarlane alone can switch from hyper-intelligent baby to pirate at a moment's notice and still manage to fluctuate either's joke delivery and emotion with mastery.
That's not even mentioning the recurring, wonderful talents of Alex Borstein, Mila Kunis, Seth Green, Mike Henry, Patrick Warburton, and even Patrick Stewart. The series even acted as a final, career resting place for the likes of Carrie Fisher and Adam West, both brandishing memorable roles within their own right. Here's a series that really pads out its voice work for what's essentially 22 minutes of fart jokes.
South Park: Relevance
While South Park may not have as gilded of a cast as Family Guy, it'll always beat the series, and many like it, with its relevance. Even now, some of Family Guy's jokes seem incredibly outdated and out-of-place, with their Trump episode being an unabashed rehashing of jokes the internet had already been telling for years.
South Park always picks up on the freshest topics of the week, so its content always seems hot, at the moment. To be fair, though, much of this is due to the animation's above average turn around, famously being able to be made in less than a week. However, this only makes the specialness of South Park, as a whole, even more impressive.
Family Guy: Animation
While South Park's week-long animation process may be impressive, it doesn't speak much to the actual quality of the end product. That's not saying that South Park's art and movement are atrocious, but some people today do still believe that South Park Studios still uses paper cutouts. Family Guy takes an easy win here, as their more traditional animation and art helps create a little more variety for the series.
Even better, Family Guy's animation always seems to have a sudden uptick whenever the series pulls up one of its iconic fight scenes - an entire cavalcade of action, violence, and quick visual gags that never fail to entertain with their frenetic motion.
South Park: Sincerity
Part of growing up is realizing that The Simpsons isn't the show that it used to be. What was once an edgy and emotional take on American suburban life has become a cartoon of its former self, in some viewers' opinions. While there's certainly a lot of factors behind this, the leading cause could be a lack in sincerity. The values and dilemmas of Matt Groening's heyday are either irrelevant now or don't hold much water with who he is today.
However, when watching a South Park episode, it's always hard to tell that Matt Stone and Trey Parker are multi-millionaires. Today, they still know and share the same concerns that the average viewer has and never fail to speak from the heart of a disgruntled customer, disappointed fan, or someone who just really likes Red Dead Redemption 2. Family Guy on the other hand ...
Family Guy: Pessimism
South Park can be pretty pessimistic, but it always seems to match its cynical world view with some optimism and whimsy. Seth MacFarlane, on the other hand, makes no effort to hide his disapproval and disappointment with certain elements about politics, religion, and other controversial topics.
His series revels in the colder than ice deadpan that is already inherent in the world, and it will address each topic with either some unsubtle imagery or just a blatant description of society's absurdities. It is the definition of "done with this," and the perfect attitude for adult animation.
South Park: Originality
One would be hard-pressed to find a South Park episode like any other. Even the hilarious "Simpsons Already Did It" episode is a unique way to tackle the contrived nature of trying to be original. The series is always looking to experiment and take risks, leading to stories that might not always make sense, but will always stick to the imagination for its distinct style and commentary.
Family Guy, on the other hand, is downright infamous for being a ripoff of The Simpsons, and some of its most coherent episodes play on the same after school special/family sitcom formulas that have been around for decades.
Family Guy: Music
If Seth MacFarlane has invested in nothing else in Family Guy, he has at least ensured that the series' music is good. Coming from an eclectic, musical background, Seth brought his love and knowledge for music into the DNA of Family Guy and has generated both catchy, original music and incredible remakes of musical classics.
Whether the cast is doing the Rat Pack's "Mr. Booze" or getting teenagers to stop licking toads, Family Guy has made a downright iconic soundtrack. Besides their theme song, does anyone actually remember South Park's music?
South Park: Plot
Family Guy has months to create an episode, as opposed to South Park's single week, and this production gap has yet to show in the final product. The ongoing criticism that one can skip the first five minutes of any episode and still keep up with the story is a testament to how some feel that MacFarlane is just throwing things at the wall and watching them bounce.
In so many words, the writing isn't exactly put down on pen. South Park, however, clearly has an eye for character development, plot structure, and the basic principle of cause-and-effect, creating a plot thread that the viewer can actually follow.