Family Guy: 5 Episodes With Terrible Lessons
Where are those good old-fashioned values ?
Family Guy is celebrating a huge milestone in 2019, as the show debuted 20 years ago. With over 300 episodes under its belt, Family Guy is arguably the most successful adult-animated show ever not named The Simpsons. Whether you're a fan of the show or not, you are aware of the quick-hitting, raunchy comedy style that has made the show popular.
Family Guy has often embraced the obscene and offensive, which has brought the show its fair share of the wrong kind of attention. Even with the negative reactions to a particular joke or character, the show is still far more well-meaning than the controversy might imply.
There are some episodes, however, with terrible lessons for viewers. Audiences tune in every week to watch a deeply troubled yet hilarious Griffin family, but may be left with a harmful message in the process. Family Guy has created stories that reflect misguided opinions of its writers, make excuses for abusive behavior and even promote criminal actions.
Yes, responsibility ultimately rests with the viewer, an argument that's stronger when realizing this is a cartoon that obviously isn't real. Medium considered, certain subjects require care that Family Guy hasn't always appreciated.
5. April In Quahog (Season 8, Episode 16)
The Town of Quahog is turned on its head when it is reported a black hole will devour the Earth in 24 hours. Peter delivers on his standard level of reckless and crazy, but the problems really start when he confesses that he hates spending time with his children seconds before their supposed end. Turns out, the black hole was an April Fool's joke and Peter is left to deal with his confession.
Learning that one of your parents hates spending time with you has to be a blow and Meg, Chris and Stewie are all reasonably upset. Peter makes a few clumsy attempts to build a bond with his kids but nothing works....until he buys them an Xbox.
After such a revelation, repairing the relationship with your family would take some serious time and effort. It was never going to be easy, but Peter could have built an honest and meaningful relationship with his kids, but I guess a video game console is just as good.
The conclusion was probably just a way to wrap up the episode as cleanly as possible, but it just leaves the audience with an entirely hollow experience.