10 Most Controversial American Dad Episodes (So Far)

7. Shallow Vows - S5E06

Stan really is the worst husband in the world. Firstly, he forgets their twentieth anniversary and then thinks renewing their vows is a rubbish idea. But the main problem with this episode is that Stan reveals he only married Francine for her looks, he hasn't listened to her in thirty years and he really knows nothing about her. Francine sets out to make a point by letting herself go. She puts weight on, stops waxing her eyebrows and gets messy hair, all of which disgust Stan and cause him to run out on their wedding. Even though he commits to getting to know her, he only takes her to activities where he doesn't have to look at her. He says he loves her (this doesn't really make sense given that he's admitted to not knowing her) so in order to continue their marriage he blinds himself. Yep. He has the CIA take out his retinas just so he can stand being around his wife. Francine is appalled at first but then seems to prefer it. Stan listens to her and really wants to get to know her for the first time in their marriage. Really? She is fine that her husband would rather be blind than look at her? Hmmm. What's worse is that the writers don't really reconcile this issue. Instead, Stan tells Francine that if this is going to be the permanent arrangement, Francine will have to be his carer and work to support the family. Francine doesn't like this and so they both decide that they are shallow and accept that. There's just something about this that doesn't sit right. It's a cartoon and we're not meant to take it seriously but even still, Stan's openly shallow and uncaring attitude to his wife just makes us feel uncomfortable and the fact that it isn't corrected like Stan's usual idiotic ramblings just makes you wonder what the point of it really is? Unnecessarily awkward viewing.