Seth MacFarlane Event… Rescheduled Again!

It was barely a week ago when the Harvard Humanist Chaplaincy announced they had given their Humanist of the Year award to Family Guy and American Dad! creator Seth MacFarlane.

They scheduled his acceptance speech for the night of June 14^th. Then, citing a scheduling conflict, the date was changed to June 4^th and tickets went on sale.

And now, it appears the date has changed again…

… However, when Seth got in touch this week and offered to reschedule for the fall if we wanted, we leapt at the chance.

…

Now, we will be able to host the Emmy Award-winning TV creator and filmmaker on campus this fall, when more of our students and community members can meet him, and hopefully to help us launch the major new initiative we are preparing to announce. Yes, with your help and support, you may hear big fall news from us late this summer. And if so, expect that MacFarlane won’t even be the only major star and seminal cultural figure on hand in the fall to help us launch a new initiative.

Given MacFarlane’s celebrity status, I doubt it was the Chaplaincy’s idea to reschedule the event (again).

It sounds like MacFarlane either didn’t really commit to the June 4^th date… or he suggested doing it in the fall after the latest announcement was issued. It’s a frustrating move, given how many people probably rearranged their schedule to come see him, but I guess that’s the nature of bringing a celebrity to your campus, even when you’re Harvard. You have to deal with their other obligations.

The upside to this is that the event will take place in the fall instead of this weekend — when all the students have already gone home. That means more students will be able to attend and it’ll be a great beginning-of-the-year kickoff for HCH… (unless it gets rescheduled again, that is.)

What about the people who have already purchased tickets for Saturday’s now-cancelled event?

Meanwhile, though, we can’t thank you enough for your patience as this event has shifted and come together in stages. All ticket purchases will be refunded in full within days. And we will make every effort to announce the final date well in advance enough, so you (including those of you who wanted to come from out of town to attend) will have the chance to set your plans.

Hats off to HCH. They’re bringing in a big-name speaker and dealing with the hazards that come along with that as best they can. It’ll be worth it in the fall.

chicago dyke

wow do i totally disagree with the notion that one “must” accept a celebrity’s “right” to reschedule. um, no. celebrities are not “more important” than everyone else. indeed, most of them are less useful and valuable to society than say, the people who make toilets that work or who pick the food you ate today.

i’m not bashing Seth; i’m sure he’s like every other celebrity in this country and is accustomed to being accommodated. but it really pisses me off, the worship of celebrity that is practiced in this country. one of my clients is dealing with this same problem, and it frustrates him, because he really doesn’t understand why it is so hard for this celebrity to be timely and prompt in the work they’re doing together. and he should be.

military generals “need” the freedom to be able to reschedule social calendar events- war is unpredictable. the guy who knows how to keep the nuke plant from melting down after an earthquake? him too. but someone paid ridiculous sums for basically providing us with cartoon theatre? no. show up, or be known as someone who can’t commit and probably shouldn’t be trusted on other things. that’s how it is for the rest of us.
Ben Porter

Congratulations are in definitely in order for MacFarlane. Family Guy is probably my favorite show right now because it takes swings at the people who matter: religious apologists and right-wingers. It’s not South Park’s “make fun of everyone on both sides of every argument” approach, which I’m actually starting to hate these days because it comes off like that preachy agnosticism “I don’t know and neither do you” mentality. And somewhere along the lines, it manages to make tongue-in-cheek jokes about racism, homophobia, sexism, and the other issues crucial to our time and place. People that criticize the show for those jokes, frankly, take themselves too seriously and need to realize Seth is a pretty progressive guy and isn’t a bigot at all. If anything, he’s making fun of bigotry. This guy deserves every bit of credit he gets and maybe a little more.
Totentanz

CD, your argument is irrelevant because it comes down to this: accept that Seth is a busy guy and has to fit this into his schedule or (option two) lose the opportunity to have him speak.

Pretty sure they would rather have him speak. So… obviously they have to work around his (very busy, I would imagine) schedule.
Jehane

Seth is currently directing a movie in Boston. While one might think that is close enough for any date to work to get to Harvard, he can’t just take time off to make an appearance. The movie schedule comes first – not Seth’s schedule.
Nick Andrew

Once committed, he should stay committed. Anything else comes up later, it should work around that. We’re talking about one evening on his part, versus hundreds of people. Jerking them around because speaking at an award ceremony for himself is on his ‘B’ list of activities isn’t cool.

That may be how things are done with celebrities but I don’t have to like it.
Jonathan Figdor

Thanks for supporting us, Hemant. We really look forward to providing our students, and the students in the greater Boston/Cambridge area, with a chance to see Mr. MacFarlane in person. Keep your eyes on http://www.harvardhumanist.org for an update on the rescheduling, or like us on Facebook!
Jeff

Family Guy is probably my favorite show right now because it takes swings at the people who matter: religious apologists and right-wingers.

Meanwhile, they had Rush Limbaugh on this year and portrayed him favorably.
chicago dyke

Jehane, i have a “very busy” schedule. i have several consult clients, each who has needs and each one on a different continent/time zone. i have to be awake and functional for each of them when they need me. i have an off-site client that i literally cannot fail to show up for, M-F, sometimes starting at 5am. i have a remodel project in my home, in which i must be here for various contractors whenever they can schedule the work i need done. i’m also renting an apartment, and have to be available for potential tenants when they can view the property. i have a dog that must be taken for a walk at least 4 times a day. etc. hell, my sister’s life is busier than mine; she has four kids under the age of 6. so no, i don’t buy it. going to parties and showing up for shooting sessions… been there, done that. it’s not “busier” than a regular person’s life, it’s in fact easier. i don’t have drivers and secretaries and sycophants to plan and help me with all i have to do; celebrities do.

if you make a commitment, keep it. or you’re a shitheel. i don’t care if you’re famous, poor, rich, gay, fabulous, black or white. it’s something all of us should learn on our grandmother’s knee. plus, it’s just rude, you know? esp when hundreds or thousands of people are counting on you.
Tenley

Comment unrelated: What’s up with Meg’s shirt?
Lost Left Coaster

@Jeff: But don’t you get it? By portraying Rush Limbaugh favorably, they were actually satirizing people who view him favorably. Or something. I have to admit that I still don’t understand how it works, but many people have assured me that I am simply a dolt for taking the show’s sexism, racism, and homophobia at face value.
Jeff

By portraying Rush Limbaugh favorably, they were actually satirizing people who view him favorably. Or something. I have to admit that I still don’t understand how it works, but many people have assured me that I am simply a dolt for taking the show’s sexism, racism, and homophobia at face value.

I didn’t get it, either. I haven’t watched it much, since. It’s become too coarse and vulgar for me, anyway. I really don’t need to hear any more flatulent noises.

It’s still better than South Park, though. This year, those two young men passed a threshold of horror and obscenity unlike anything I’ve ever encountered. I wrote two emails and an angry letter to Comedy Central about it. I’m boycotting them and their advertisers (although I don’t know who their advertisers are, because I’m boycotting them!) until they remove it from their lineup.
Angry Vince

That Rush Limbaugh episode was a whole bucket of WTF. Spoiler alert: he turns into an eagle at the end.

Back on subject, I am a big fan of MacFarlane, but isn’t there someone more deserving? Or is this just celebrity casting to raise awareness for the cause?
Jeff

That Rush Limbaugh episode was a whole bucket of WTF.

Yes, very good! That is precisely what it was – a bucket of WTF.
Jehane

@chicago dyke – I get it, you have a lot going on. I’m not impressed; most of us have a lot going on. Can you honestly say you have never had to cancel or postpone anything? Give me a break – the guy postponed an appearance, he didn’t kill babies. Let’s get a little perspective.
Redhawk239

Matt and Trey are almost 40 by now aren’t they?