Seth McFarlane is known for tackling major political issues by way of his comedy animation that always tends to border on insensitivity rather than just crude satire. Being the creator of Family Guy, American Dad, and The Cleveland Show, it’s something we’ve just come to expect whenever McFarlane pitches a new idea or show.
This time, however, most are thinking he’s going too far. McFarlane has been working on a new animated series since 2009 and Fox has given the green light for the first set of 13 episodes on a show that’s called Bordertown. As if the title weren’t indicative enough of what the story will entail, here is the brief synopsis:
Set in a fictitious desert town near the U.S.-Mexico border, Bordertown centers on the intertwining daily lives of neighbors Bud Buckwald and Ernesto Gonzales. Bud, a married father of three, is a Border Patrol agent who feels threatened by the cultural changes that have transformed his neighborhood. Living next door is Ernesto, an industrious Mexican immigrant and father of four, who is proud to be making it in America.
This would not be the first time that McFarlane tackles a particularly racy issue (pun intended à la McFarlane), as is often seen in ALL of his work. One of Family Guy’s reoccurring characters is a Hispanic maid named Consuela who is nothing more than an over the top stereotype.
So, while some people are surprised, somewhat offended, and think that “this can only go terribly wrong” (The Atlantic Wire), it may still be interesting to see what a Connecticut born and New England bred, middle class man has to say about one of the biggest reoccurring issues known to the U.S. Government.
Via Cuéntame
[UPDATE]
As it turns out, Seth McFarlane won’t be flying solo on this project as he has enlisted Lalo Alcaraz who runs Pocho.com a news and satire website, as a writer on the series.