10 Most Controversial American Dad Episodes (So Far)

Given that the cartoon manages to be very entertaining most of the time without offending anyone, it feels unnecessary that they even have to go to these lengths to make people laugh.

Seth MacFarlane has come to be known for pushing the boundaries of what is and isn't ok to say. Whether that's his opinion-dividing stint as host of the Oscars, on his original show Family Guy or on his most underrated show American Dad!, the point is still the same. Yes, some people might find it funny and sometimes clever, but making a joke about domestic violence by calling Django a date movie for Rihanna and Chris Brown is highly inappropriate. It needs to be said before this article that in no way is the point being missed. It is part of American Dad's premise that Stan Smith is the caricature of a very close-minded Republican and is a vehicle for writers to satirise the kind of extremist opinions that exist in politics. Most of the time, this works and to hilarious ends as Stan is shown to be a bigoted fool. But are there ever episodes where, like Seth's domestic violence joke, it just shouldn't be said, no matter what your point is? And doesn't it only take one person who doesn't get the show's premise to either get offended or think it is endorsing their prejudicial opinion? Given that the cartoon manages to be very entertaining most of the time without offending anyone, it feels unnecessary that they even have to go to these lengths to make people laugh. Let's take a look at some of the more controversial episodes American Dad has made so far over the last 8 seasons.
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Born in Yorkshire, Katie is a freelance journalist currently based in Essex. As a keen sports writer, Katie has a diploma in Multimedia Journalism from the Press Association and has worked on the busy Newcastle Chronicle sports desk. She has also written for Gateshead FC and contributed to various websites including Give Me Sport. When she's not watching sports, films or playing music, she's gaming. 8 hours and eventually reaching wave 80 on Modern Warfare 3′s Resistance is a productive day!