Family Circus: Explained

Inspired by a baffling Family Circus comic, this documentary attempts to find out just what the hell Bill Keane was thinking.

Category:

Comedy

Tags:

• family
• circus
• comics

[jfrigg]

your documentary is a riot!

[leafless]

thank you!

[TheNeophyte13]

Does "The Family Circus" have any fans? ANY at all?

[TheBlueFlamingo]

Whenever I chance upon a Family Circus "comic" my reaction is similar to some of the people here... I study it from all kinds of angles trying to figure out what's supposed to be funny.

[fairyfay80]

Wow, I never realized a simple little comic about curious children could have so much hate, it's astounding. -_-

[Matrix29bear]

The Family Circus, great in the very beginning, then 40+ years of perpetual pathetic disappointment and lifeless joyless comedy fail.

At least Bil Keane can proudly say in death, "I perpetuated continual worthless suck for 40+ years, AND I GOT PAID DOING IT! Good riddance, morons!"

[ripple123]

family circus is a comic for people who are dead on the inside.

[eyeonyouproductions]

The whole reason behind the Family Circus is that it obviously started when things were simpler and 'family' jokes were all the comics needed. The world grew up, and simple stuff quit being funny, but the Family Circus didn't grow up with the world. I'd say by the late 70's-early 80's, the original demographic of the comic weren't really reading comics and the new kids were actually too 'grown up' for it to be funny. No mystery at all, except that it kept getting printed.

[smurfthumper]

Get ready for a viewer explosion, leafless.

[QuinceyQuick]

Maybe "coaster" means that this kid has actually learned about the word "coaster" as in, not just "roller coaster" but also the circular CDs which are obviously being repurposed as coasters, and so the joke is that the kid is hyperintelligent in a comic that is itself really stupid.

[Caleb9849]

I think perhaps there are two groups of coasters, one that belongs to the parents and one that belongs to the children. When Billy says "our," he is referring to the children. He's expressing surprise that his father, in a symbolic act of admitting a degree of humility and levelling himself with his own children, elected to use one of the children's coasters instead of sticking with the high-and-mighty "parents' coasters."

[vjm3]

6:53 got it closest. Family Circus is suppose to appeal to members of a happy family. What is a common annoyance within a family? When a dad (or anyone of a family) ruins the super expensive fancy wooden table with his drink by not using a coster! The son (a teamster of mom) is amazed and reports to his mom that dad ACTUALLY used the coster and is able to improve as a civilized man! The joke is realized by frustrated moms.

But, that oppressed society guy made me lol none the less. :3

[flapdoodle64]

Family Circus is horrible, but it's not as bad as 'For Better or Worse.'

[blueeyedtara]

wow I'm just shocked!! This comic is about how Kids view the world and these people are trying to read Too Deep into this certain comic. I Get it!!  Why, cause growing up we had special coasters we kept in a special case and they were like, for show and when my parents would use them I found it shocking that they were used. The people's responses are disturbing to say the least.