Both American Dad and Family Guy deal with sensitive issues. Drug addiction, family estrangement, death, sex, and alcoholic pet dogs all reign supreme in both shows. But where Family Guy deals with such situations in a sometimes drastic and bombastic light, American Dad somehow manages to pull its own topics off with ease. Perhaps because its a fusion of the emotional maturity that lurks beneath American Dads outer shell with the nuttiness of the shows plot and characters that result in storylines such as Stans crack addiction being light-hearted. The show doesnt make a massive fuss over such things, when compared to Family Guy. By keeping its head above water, American Dad gives itself the ability to handle darker situations more freely than Family Guy could.