IR TV Review: AMERICAN DAD - EPISODE 4 ("A Starboy Is Born") [TBS-S17]
The aspects of "American Dad" go from the pedantic to the menial to the extreme but that is what the paradoxes within these stories are all about. The extremes of a situation reflect in the person the episode is focused on but also the irony and sarcasm of what is being talked about. In the 4th episode of Season 17: "A Starboy Is Born" which boasts a cameo but The Weeknd. It is an interesting play to engage the youth since many of them have obviously watched the show over the years especially when it was on Adult Swim. "American Dad" is irreverent enough to find that balance but also cosmopolitan enough to engage with the general population. The story of this episode is pretty basic. When Stan doesn't get his way and wants to prove something to his family, they are fanboying/fangirling on The Weeknd. So Stan kidnaps him.
The interesting irony is that The Weeknd actually loves being with them and not having the girls all over him and the fame. It is obviously sarcasm and a parody riddled with maybe a bit of truth or The Weeknd would't have done it. But Roger takes full advantage of it eventually swapping places with the singer. As expected Roger with Klaus as his manager loses his mind in gambling, booze and the ladies because he likes role playing. Roger's rap about being The Weeknd is vintage Roger but it is the ditty that The Weeknd unloads at the end of the episode when Stan's daughter wants to give him a free booty pass with her is just downright goofy. It is funny but loses all touch with reality but then it is supposed to be abstract. Granted the daughter's boyfriend is all for it saying she just needs to get it out of her system. Ultimately Stan still just doesn't get it but that is part of the point.B-
By Tim Wassberg