I Heart "American Dad" (Shut Up)

I'm ready to finally have it documented that I watch "American Dad!" Yes, it's created by Seth MacFarlane, the man responsible for "Family Guy." I actually like "Family Guy" (yes, I know) but I won't defend it, if that makes sense. It's an incredibly guilty pleasure for me. And what's interesting is that a lot of what people despise about "Family Guy"--the random cutaways, the way it rips off "The Simpsons" (a show that's long past it's shelf-life. Let's be real) and the way you can almost taste Seth MacFarlane's smugness and sense of self-satisfaction in the writing--most, if not all of those things are pretty absent from "American Dad!" It's pretty tightly written, it doesn't feel like a redux of any show out there, and its overall premise feels very pertinent in a post-9/11 and now post-Bush administration America. It's far and away a better show than "Family Guy," which will obviously be what Seth MacFarlane is remembered for, if he is remembered at all. "American Dad!" "30 Rock" and "Flight of the Conchords" are the only shows on television that make me laugh loudly and obnoxiously when I watch them. I remember the days when "The Office" would do that for me, and now they're lucky to get a chuckle out of me.

And Roger the Alien is one of the funniest characters ever. If only because of this line:

"You wouldn't let me get that Gael Garcia Bernal poster! His eyes are green and he's Latin! I need it!"