Phenomenal success of The Simpsons triggered a wave of animated series centered around a middle class family in distress, pillorying the middle class values. The Oblongs is one of them. As far as the form and the content concerned the show is modeled on The Simpsons (they all are after all): there is a premise story not directly linked to the main plot line, the show combines satire with consideration of important issues (environment, widening gap between the rich and the poor, corruption, etc.), sometimes a famous movies is spoofed and each episode ends with a sort of a "thought of a day" message, like "to be generous is better than to be mean". But it is all done in a rather unobtrusive way, alter all it is entertainment. What makes The Oblongs different is its anger. Yes, the show is very angry, bitter and even aggressive. Actually compared to this show The Simpsons look like The Mickey Mouse Club. The Oblongs is filled with amazing characters: mother who is bald and has to use a wig, father who lost both hands and legs and can move around by long kangaroo-like jumps, three sons two of whom are conjoint twins and a TV obsessed daughter. Oh, why are they so ugly? Personally I think it is a sort of a metaphor. They stand to represent/symbolize the ugliness and distortions our world is full of. And there is a herd of kids next door (they are devastatingly ugly and I dare not give their description). All in all The Oblongs is a very good show. It is funny, cynical and the characters are lovable. Yes, their true beauty lies within and has nothing to do their looks. And this is what the show is about after all: no matter how terribly wrong the things are going, no matter how dirty and distorted our world seems to be, there is always some hope. Sad to say the show did not run very long. It was canceled after 30 episodes but anyway The Oblongs rule!
Review of The Oblongs
