Family Guy

[Preston]

I have watched Family Guy since it first premiered in '99. I knew that it went to far lengths to be offensive, but the other day I saw one that was so bad that I have vowed to NEVER watch it again. For those of you who may watch it, it was called "Quaqmire's Dad". One of the characters had a sex change (mtf) and all of the other characters were completely horrified and disgusted by it, with only jokes to say. Usually Family Guy tends to lean towards the liberal side of things (for example, there was an episode where one character took the mayor hostage because he wouldn't let gays marry).

I'm not sure why I'm writing this, maybe as a warning to not watch it. Or maybe as a note to myself to not take things so personally. But I was absolutely appaulled.

[Felix]

I wish I knew how to collate or cross-link the family guy posts in some practical way.

Preston you aren't the only one who was offended by that episode. There's been some lively (though uncomplicated) debate on the subject of family guy and transpeople. I found that episode to be pretty nasty, but they've had that character in other episodes that were just as crass but didn't bother me, and I'm not exactly sure why the difference in my reaction.

[Preston]

Hmm. Well, I have every season of Family Guy on DVD (i don't watch television, just dvds. and the shows i DO watch i just buy on dvd). After that episode was over I took it out of my playstation and haven't watched anymore. It's interesting that they would bring that character back.

I think that there is already such a derogatory stereotype for trans people and when people mock it, the viewers who don't know the difference will just laugh and accept it as fact. The episode didn't make me as sick as thinking about all of the people laughing their asses off at it.

[heatherrose]

The episode didn't make me as sick as thinking about all of the people laughing their asses off at it.

I find the episodes (which is just about every one of them) that make
the "crippled" cop a joke butt the most offensive but I still watch and lmao.


The ox fight is fun to watch until yours gets gored.

[Felix]

I find the episodes (which is just about every one of them) that make
the "crippled" cop a joke butt but I still watch and lmao.


The ox fight is fun to watch until yours gets gored.

Y'know I'm really sensitive and might have been hurt by the crippled cop jokes except that I've been a cripple and had crippled friends and patients, and I've had a lot of interactions with cops too, and it feels safe because society has a pretty clear consensus on how it feels about these groups of people. The trans thing is still a bit of a raw nerve for me, and I never know what to expect from entertainment sources when they mention it.

[Asfsd4214]

I love Family Guy, it being an equal opportunity offender and so over the top keeps me from being upset at stuff like this.

It's when more down to earth TV, like sitcoms, make a trans related joke that it upsets me.

I believe in the right to produce comedy regarding any and all subjects, and when done equally against all targets like South Park or Family Guy, I don't mind.

The humor at our expense by ignorant people when they wouldn't make such jokes against less acceptable targets is when it hurts.

[Annah]

I watch Family Guy. I like it. Even after "Quagmire's Dad."

Family Guy, like any other comedy, offends EVERYONE.

Personally, its one of the only comedies out there where I truly laugh out loud.

When you say you own all the seasons of Family Guy but then decided never to watch again after "Quagmire's Dad" that tells me that to you it was ok and even funny to make fun of other people but when they make fun of you, you say never again.

[Lee]

I haven't seen that episode, but I remember another where they jump to the future and Meg has transitioned.  It was actually really funny.  Family Guy goes too far with a lot of things, but it seems like most of the time they're more making fun of the people who see things that way than than the subject itself.

[Preston]

You guys are absolutely right, and thank you for opening my eyes. I have been okay with all of the other offensive things but once it offends ME it's different. What an awful way to be. It's funny, too, because I try to stand up for people's rights. I guess I had a very selective definition of "people".

Thank you, everyone. This has been a real eye opener for me.

[Felix]

I can't find any clips but I found the trans character's cameos in subsequent episodes to be a lot funnier and less mean-spirited.

While looking for why I feel that way I found this quote on wikipedia. It relates to the original Quagmire's Dad episode:

In a September 2010 interview in Details, MacFarlane expressed surprise at the negative reaction, stating "I don't meet a lot of stupid homosexuals."[17] He repeated that he still felt Ida was a "very sympathetic portrayal of a transsexual character".[17] He also defended Brian's vomiting after discovering he had sex with someone who had undergone sex re-assignment surgery noting Brian's character is heterosexual and "If I found out that I had slept with a transsexual, I might throw up in the same way that a gay guy looks at a vagina and goes, 'Oh, my God, that's disgusting.'"[17]

Bolding mine. I still love the show and I think Seth MacFarlane means well, but I don't think he gets it.

wikipedia page -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ida_Quagmire

[Joeyboo~ :3]

I actually thought the episode was funny.
Family Guy makes fun of EVERYBODY.

Off topic(sorta) but i noticed Nickelodeon does alot of making fun of trans people though, there's always this gag that involves a man in drag and the characters show some form of disgust or them being disturbed.

I think it's a little messed up as it is a childrens/teens network(channel?).
I don't know, I know there's a difference between a MTF and a man in terrible drag, but I doubt the viewers care about accuracy when it comes to those things.
It only produces more discrimination to the trans community.

[Beth Andrea]

"Wait...pre-op or post-op?"

LOL...

[tekla]

I doubt the viewers care about accuracy

Isn't that the same channel that has a show about squid hillbillies and talking milkshakes?  Accuracy is not exactly a watchword.

[Joeyboo~ :3]

I doubt the viewers care about accuracy

Isn't that the same channel that has a show about squid hillbillies and talking milkshakes?  Accuracy is not exactly a watchword.

Squidbillies and Aqua Teen Hunger Force, you mean? Those are on Adult Swim.
I love them because they're aren't accurate at all

But I was talking about a channel called Nickelodeon in the second paragraph, it's a channel with mostly sitcoms directed towards preteens and stuff like that.

[tekla]

I stand corrected, I only read about that stuff - it's not like I'd ever watch it.  I have a life.

[veritatemfurto]

I doubt the viewers care about accuracy

Isn't that the same channel that has a show about squid hillbillies and talking milkshakes?  Accuracy is not exactly a watchword.

Family Guy is a FOX production that runs first on their channel, and then two weeks later the episode is syndicated on other channels, like Cartoon Network.

I actually thought that the old South Park episode about Cartman's Mom being found out as being Intersex and supposedly his father (they called her a hermaphrodite, which I don't think was ever mentioned in later seasons); and the episodes about Garrison changing fully to a woman and back again more insulting than Family Guy, although the one old episode of Cartman in pink fishnet drag with a concussion that made him think he was an Asian hooker a bit laughable if not moronic. But as far as I'm concerned with SP, they ran out of material when they killed off Chef to the pedophiles, and thus aren't worth my time.

The gist of it is that these types of shows are all competing for viewership first and foremost rather than accuracy and so have to disregard fact if the fiction is more dramatic and gives that show an edge... until next week....

still feel like I'm Meg when depressed though  🙁 but i'd gladly have Mila Kunis's body 😉

[Beth Andrea]

We have a Wii console, and get Netflix through that...two of my family watch back-to-back eposides of all those dumb, offensive shows that my wife and I *never* watched when they were broadcast...

Some are funny, some are more offensive than funny, some are downright hurtful.

Oh well, life goes on.

[Asfsd4214]

You guys are absolutely right, and thank you for opening my eyes. I have been okay with all of the other offensive things but once it offends ME it's different. What an awful way to be. It's funny, too, because I try to stand up for people's rights. I guess I had a very selective definition of "people".

Thank you, everyone. This has been a real eye opener for me.

I must say, I'm impressed.

I greatly respect people who reevaluate their positions based on other perspectives, even if they ultimately don't agree with the other perspectives, most people just stand their ground and defend their position not even caring about if they're truly right or wrong.

[nickm1492]

Family Guy=Amazingness. Best show ever! But yeah, if you watch interviews with Seth Mcfarlane you'll see he is very liberal and for gay rights, etc. The show is an equal opportunity offender. They make fun of everyone. That's the best part. It shows you how to laugh at yourself.

[pebbles]

I've seen that episode I personally found it banal thing is Seth MacFarlane dose that to everybody like the people on south park they arn't transphobic bigots they are just general ->-bleeped-<-s it's not like they are exclusively targeting transsexual people They do the same thing to everybody as such I don't take it personally.

The only thing that annoyed me was when Seth MacFarlane claimed that he was doing trans people a favour claiming he was begin sensitive with that episode when the moron clearly didn't do the research or depict the trans characters properly.