The cutaway gag is certainly a staple of the show Family Guy. They do allow the writers to add in another joke, but is it a good one? On the whole, they really don’t fit in with the rest of the scenes they are in. They’re barely ever tied into the scene itself, almost always falling back on “This is worse than the time…” It’s barely enough to prevent what they call a “Big Lipped Alligator Moment.” Where a scene is included but has no real impact on the plot without even being a distraction enough to be a red herring. Interruptions like those are funny free standing, but in a scene, they interrupt what's really going on. Constant random cutaways can come across as sloppy and cause the show to become tiresome.
The reason the writers for this show use them so often is because they give them the chance to throw in a quick joke that they couldn’t sustain in a whole episode without having it make any difference in the plot of the episode. It’s the same way Stewie works a large majority of the time, making comments and acting out in ways that only really Brian ever notices. As such the writers are able to put in those jokes without having to come up with the reactions or results of the actions.
Perhaps part of the humor is found in these outrageous other lives the characters are apparently living off screen. American Dad, which in my opinion is the better Seth Macfarlane does the same thing, most of the time through Roger who seems to live multiple lives simultaneously. With Roger, though, this is worked into the plot, at times being the center of an episode, and even being the source of ridicule for the way the show is constantly using it as an out, as in the scene where they take the horse to a therapist and the following happens (couldn’t find a copy online that didn’t seem like it was filmed on a Samsung Juke):
Stan: Everything depends on this horse.
Roger:Luckily, I know a guy who might be able to help us. Let's just pray that for once, when we get there, he doesn't turn out to be me.
_______
Roger: Aw, crap.
Roger in a wig: Can I help you?
Stan: I had an appointment
with the horse whisperer.
Roger in a wig: Oh, yes, he'll be right with you.
Roger: Thank God I'm just his secretary.
Roger in a wig:I'm an associate.
Self parody is always appreciated. It’s nice to see the show realize its own shortcomings and bad habits. It’s similar to when Monty Python ended a sketch with policeman after policeman arresting each other for overusing the same trick of using a policeman to end a sketch. The fact that the writers are aware of the habit is funny, but so is the fact that within the context of the show, Roger realizes that he’s crazy and is frankly upset that his habit inconveniences himself more than anyone else. There’s a point at which a bit like the cutaway gags or Roger’s characters become overused and lazy, but they have the potential to once again be funny. The show just has to double down and mock its own use of the trick.
Perhaps the show gives vent to the frustration with the very technique pioneered on shows like Family guy. Self-parody can be funny of course, but it can also be one of those lazy techniques like cutaways, but it goes down a bit better because it's more self-aware.
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