I'm glad this thread got some good discussion going! I took a long break from watching TV because I thought it was a waste of time as well. But now I see that you are in control of what you watch. Advertisements are horrible, and I refuse to watch them, but shows like Breaking Bad and some of the History Channel and National Geographic stuff can be very interesting.
I used to watch Family Guy and The Simpsons religiously, but now I only tune in once and a while. I missed the season premiere, so I thought I'd watch the second episode and I was pleasantly surprised, not only by Brian's trip, but the whole episode. Meg finally tells everyone off, then realizes that maybe she is the foundation of the family, what keeps it together and keeps everyone from turning on each other. I found it pretty entertaining.
As for the negative stereotypes, they're there, and there is not much we can do about them. Those who have experience with mushrooms are going to know that trips aren't like that, and that it's just satire. I got a good chuckle out of some of it, and that's the whole reason behind making the show, after all. I do think about kids watching it and wondering if that's what shrooms will be like, then going out and eating a quarter and have nightmarish visions. Same with the episode where Peter and Lois start smoking weed to inspire them to write a song for a talent show. It's funny at parts, disturbing at others, and just over the top. That's Family Guy in a nutshell, I think.
I think there was a message there which rings true. Mushrooms will show you to yourself. If you're a mean-spirited person with a lot of personal problems, those mushrooms are going to kick your ass and show you some humility. The Brian character can really come off as a douchebag on the show a lot, and that's why I found his nightmarish trip to be rather entertaining. There are parts where you hear snippets from other episodes, things that Brian may regret, etc. It wasn't a perfect portrayal of a mushroom experience, sure, but there were some true elements there that made me smile a bit
I used to watch Family Guy and The Simpsons religiously, but now I only tune in once and a while. I missed the season premiere, so I thought I'd watch the second episode and I was pleasantly surprised, not only by Brian's trip, but the whole episode. Meg finally tells everyone off, then realizes that maybe she is the foundation of the family, what keeps it together and keeps everyone from turning on each other. I found it pretty entertaining.
As for the negative stereotypes, they're there, and there is not much we can do about them. Those who have experience with mushrooms are going to know that trips aren't like that, and that it's just satire. I got a good chuckle out of some of it, and that's the whole reason behind making the show, after all. I do think about kids watching it and wondering if that's what shrooms will be like, then going out and eating a quarter and have nightmarish visions. Same with the episode where Peter and Lois start smoking weed to inspire them to write a song for a talent show. It's funny at parts, disturbing at others, and just over the top. That's Family Guy in a nutshell, I think.
I think there was a message there which rings true. Mushrooms will show you to yourself. If you're a mean-spirited person with a lot of personal problems, those mushrooms are going to kick your ass and show you some humility. The Brian character can really come off as a douchebag on the show a lot, and that's why I found his nightmarish trip to be rather entertaining. There are parts where you hear snippets from other episodes, things that Brian may regret, etc. It wasn't a perfect portrayal of a mushroom experience, sure, but there were some true elements there that made me smile a bit
I take them as lessons to be learned, and move on from them. Try to not let them hold me back. Personally, I've had the most trouble with Ayahuasca. I've had one very positive, glowing experience, the others were pretty horrific. I always feel cleansed and healed after the fact, but during, it can be quite difficult going. Even with pharmahuasca it was similar. That oral DMT gives me the heebie jeebies 
