Ted (Seth McFarlane)
- Thread starter Lonemagpie
- Start date
Fuck Seth McFarlane.
I remember hearing people say that the premise sounded similar to "Imagine This," and now a lot of these shots look like they're lifted right from it.
I remember hearing people say that the premise sounded similar to "Imagine This," and now a lot of these shots look like they're lifted right from it.
So basically this is Family Guy if Family Guy didn't have to deal with television censorship?
When McFarlane is funny, he's awesome. But sadly I must agree, this is really bottom of the barrel stuff. I just hope the actual movie is funnier, though based on this trailer I can't see myself paying money to see it.
That bong scene with Ted comes straight out of Wilfred.
The only difference between this film and Wilfred is that Ted isn't in the protagonist's head.
-Jamman
Never heard of Imagine this - but yeah those shots in the link look the same.
So, doubtless the creator of the comic will sue, and I still think it'll be worth seeing. (albeit I'll have to wait for DVD cos I just know our local fleapit won't be getting this if there's a British movie for old people out anytime in the same year that they can show instead...)
So, doubtless the creator of the comic will sue, and I still think it'll be worth seeing. (albeit I'll have to wait for DVD cos I just know our local fleapit won't be getting this if there's a British movie for old people out anytime in the same year that they can show instead...)
Perhaps Seth had better stay away from Star Trek then... 
(Although I have to say it looks like harmless enough fun, R-speaking)
(Although I have to say it looks like harmless enough fun, R-speaking)
I find Seth McFarlane's stuff about as funny as 100-car pile-up on an icy interstate. That trailer looked horrific and pretty much typical of McFarlane's type of "humor." (Did you know "fuck" is a funny word?)
The difference between this and Wilfred is that I actually lol'ed twice at the trailer, and failed to lol once at Wilfred. Re: Imagine This: I'm in the Lonemagpie camp as if the comic guy has a case, there will be no shortage of lawyers willing to take the case on for a nice cut of any settlement fee, so it will all get sorted out in the end; GDP FTW.
I don't watch anything in theatres these days, but I'll catch it later, for sure. It looks pretty funny, in exactly the same brain-off way as Family Guy. There's nothing wrong with lowest-common denominator stuff, provided it's done shamelessly and well.
I don't watch anything in theatres these days, but I'll catch it later, for sure. It looks pretty funny, in exactly the same brain-off way as Family Guy. There's nothing wrong with lowest-common denominator stuff, provided it's done shamelessly and well.
I thought the trailer was typical but actually gave me a couple of laughs. I have to confess though, at first I thought it was about a guy who falls in love with the imaginary girl in his head, and I think I'd rather see that movie.
So the concept of a talking teddy bear is off-limits now? Tell me exactly how Ted is a rip-off and how you aren't just over-reacting to a few similar visuals. McFarlane has a pattern of "Guy with talking animal/alien best friend." going back to his college shorts. It isn't like this is an original idea, or even that close in execution to Imagine This, which personally I like but see very little similarity with beyond both having a "living" teddy bear. Is giving that teddy bear a beer where it crosses the line? How about having two characters sit on a couch? Is it because he was eating cereal on that couch? I can see where that might push it over the edge.
Teddy Ruxpin. My Pet Monster. Alf. It's been done; this one simply has more swearing. I'll watch this eventually, but it's not my type of comedy.
And here I thought for a second that it would be one of those insightful TED talks. At least with that, we'd be done in ten minutes.
Mark
And here I thought for a second that it would be one of those insightful TED talks. At least with that, we'd be done in ten minutes.
Mark
Well that's a bit of a subjective difference, and I'd counter by stating the opposite.
To each their own as I personally can't stand McFarlane's comedies.
-Jamman
So the concept of a talking teddy bear is off-limits now? Tell me exactly how Ted is a rip-off and how you aren't just over-reacting to a few similar visuals. McFarlane has a pattern of "Guy with talking animal/alien best friend." going back to his college shorts. It isn't like this is an original idea, or even that close in execution to Imagine This, which personally I like but see very little similarity with beyond both having a "living" teddy bear. Is giving that teddy bear a beer where it crosses the line? How about having two characters sit on a couch? Is it because he was eating cereal on that couch? I can see where that might push it over the edge.
It isn't that the concept is similar, it's that the shots in are close enough to the strip examples that they could be storyboards.
If the similarity of shots, relationship between characters, and punchlines aren't enough to suggest a ripoff, then just how close does it have to get?
And I'm not overreacting; I didn't make that graphic. It's come up on cartooning communities like Cartoon Brew and cartoonist hangouts on Facebook.
"Imagine This" has been online and in newspapers for years, now. I can't believe that there aren't enough similarities for you to be even a little bit suspicious, especially given accusations leveled at MacFarlane in the past.
Even if MacFarlane's never read a word of the strip, it's similar enough to suspect that the story artist has.
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Those damn sea-otters in a tank filled with balls are plagiarists!
From what little I know about that comic strip it does seem there are some fairly strong similarities.
From what little I know about that comic strip it does seem there are some fairly strong similarities.
You posted a link titled "Fuck Seth McFarlane" as the headline of your post, it doesn't exactly bode well for an even-handed estimation of events.
I could pick just about any comic strip in existence that has run for more than a year or two and find compositions that line up with just about any film I want to compare it to. Same can be said for two films, a video game and a comic book, or any other visual media for that matter. Two that actually shared similar features within them would be even easier.
A dinosaur roaring at people, a car jumping a river, a cowboy riding his horse, a guy and his living teddy bear. How many ways do you think you can present those moments?
Ted is about a kid whose teddy bear comes to life (for real) and is briefly in the public spotlight before the media gets tired of them and they go back to their normal life. They grow up together, arrested in their own ways and maturing in others but always co-dependent. The boy becomes a sweet, well-meaning but essentially impotent adult and the teddy bear becomes his apathetic, obnoxious, substance-abusing counterpart.
Does that sound like "Imagine This" to you?
They included a comparison of two buildings and a kid hugging a teddy bear for chrisakes. Over-reaction is exactly what this is.
I could pick just about any comic strip in existence that has run for more than a year or two and find compositions that line up with just about any film I want to compare it to. Same can be said for two films, a video game and a comic book, or any other visual media for that matter. Two that actually shared similar features within them would be even easier.
A dinosaur roaring at people, a car jumping a river, a cowboy riding his horse, a guy and his living teddy bear. How many ways do you think you can present those moments?
Ted is about a kid whose teddy bear comes to life (for real) and is briefly in the public spotlight before the media gets tired of them and they go back to their normal life. They grow up together, arrested in their own ways and maturing in others but always co-dependent. The boy becomes a sweet, well-meaning but essentially impotent adult and the teddy bear becomes his apathetic, obnoxious, substance-abusing counterpart.
Does that sound like "Imagine This" to you?
They included a comparison of two buildings and a kid hugging a teddy bear for chrisakes. Over-reaction is exactly what this is.
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