POLL: Meg Griffin: Writer's Hate Figure?

My main problem with the recent Meg jokes isn't an issue of maliciousness or her character; it's just gotten really stale. There were similar jokes in the first three seasons ("Why don't we ask someone more interesting first?"), but because you didn't know when to expect them, they were much funnier. Here, you already know that if Meg gets involved in something it's going to end with her getting dumped on.

It pisses me off that Seth Macfarlane said they'd rather resort to a repetitive gag instead of finding ways to explore her character. If any Family Guy character was genuinely killed off or written out in the future, I hope it's her, because she doesn't have much of a purpose any more.
 
Plus, Zoidberg is a completely different sort of character. The writers can't think of anything to do WITHOUT him. Every Zoidberg moment in the series has been a jewel, be he dumped on, or seeing him come out on top (like the end of the episode where everyone got a hundred bucks). And let's not forget how bizzare the character is. There's lots to explore with him.

Meg... well, Meg seems like a character the network pressured them into having. Someone said, "We need a female character to get teenage girls to watch." And they threw her in, made a couple plots, and they just didn't do anything else with her. I mean, she had decent episodes, sure. But her getting picked on is pretty much the only thing the character has going for her. unless she does more of that crazy, stalkerish behavior she had with Brian a couple seasons back, they can't do anything to make her a demographic tool.
 
Meg's social life isn't really the issue; the issue is her family life. While she's unpopular and gets picked on a lot at school, that's nothing compared to the way the rest of the Griffins treat her. Often their treatment of her becomes flat-out abusive.

Personally, I think Meg has potential to be a funny character outside of being Family Guy's butt-monkey. In my opinion, she had one of the funnier moments in "Stewie Kills Lois": "I'm going to pretend you're the New York Knicks."
 
But it's not like she's anymore pure of heart. For one as mentioned, she's just as snobby as those who snubb her, plus when her family has a problem, she certainly doesn't demonstrate sensitivity toward their plight. It's always, "This is going to ruin my social life".
 
I can't quite see Lois, Brian, Stewie or Chris saying "this is going to ruin my social life!" :)

Yes, all the characters are snarky and selfish to some degree, its the fun of the show, but their archetypes are clear and Meg is essentially the hidden truth about teens - they protest, they moan and ultimately feel life revolves around their own dark cloud, and what's worse, most who cry foul at those who make them feel crap would do precisely the same in their position - if they had the confidence/looks/whatever.

Family Guy is one of the few shows which manages to expose the teen truth, and its one we've all lived, or are living. Teens are annoying, hypocritical, arrogant and self centered. Meg is the epitome of this, and I love the way that if she got the power that has controlled her, she wouldn't have learned from her ordeal, she'd just do the same to others. As most teens world - hell, as most adults would.

Meg is a fantastic little bit of social observation and I love the way the family treat her as the obnoxious character she is, rather than pandering to the woes of her superficial life as so many other TV shows do.
 
The whole 'Meg constantly seeking popularity with those who despise her' thing hasn't occurred to me much, but to say she deserves the abuse based solely on that...are some of you trying to get on the writing staff, 'cause you got a pretty good shot.

Like someone said earlier, the Meg abuse in the newer episodes pretty much panders to its audience. If people out there like being pandered to (whether or not they realize it), fine, but I'd think that people would expect a bit more...even from this show.
 
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