Family Guy - Movie Review Example

Family Guy The last decade has seen the animated American family satirized with such nuclear units as The Simpsons, American Dad, and King of the Hill. They all share the common theme of being white, middle class working socio-economic background, and a father who just cant seem to get life right. Added to this parade of misfits is the Family Guy (1999) created by Seth McFarlane, and starring Peter Griffin ("Family Guy"). While FOX television seems to be obsessed with portraying the average and dominant American family in the worst possible light, Family Guy pushes the envelope into the realm of completely unacceptable. The show turns values upside down and illustrates the American family as acting in ways that are completely opposite of what they preach and pretend to believe. Family Guy is a show that tells us that we are all dysfunctional and our world is not as we would like to believe. The setting of the show is in Quahog, Rhode Island, a not so subtle suburb of Providence. Here is the seat of the founding of America portrayed as a town where anything is possible and Peter Griffin can act out in ways that would lead to arrest anywhere else on earth. According to critic Ahsan Haque, "Some of the most offensive jokes ever attempted on Family Guy were featured in this season". Though Rhode Island is rich in American history, the only view of it that is offered to the viewer is the bar where Peter and his disturbing friends drink. The Griffins are shown to be the average American family, with three children and a dog. Peter is an Irish Catholic and supposedly hard working blue-collar type. However, we never see Peter working or engaging in anything productive. The show teaches the viewer that the white American working class is crass, mentally disturbed, and probably unemployed. This is no doubt founded in some truth, but Peter Griffin relishes in taking on one hair brained scheme after another, with little regard for the well-being, property, or life of others. If this were a sitcom involving a minority race or ethnicity, it would be picketed for stereotyping outside the cultural foul line. The demographics of the Griffins may be average, but the portrayal is certainly not. It is satirizing the cultural and religious values that the country was founded on. The fashion that Peter disregards the health and well-being of others is magnified by the shows treatment of women. Here again, the white American male is shown to be a rude and uncompromising misogynist. Peter constantly berates his wife Lois, as well as belittling his daughter. In a recent episode, Peter instructed his son, Chris, to treat his girlfriend like dirt and she would respect him. The show is telling us that the world is highly genderized because the dominant male actually believes that women want the world to be in social conflict. His daughter is continually told that she will not pursue an education or ever amount to more than a housewife. To add special emphasis to the plight of the white American male is the introduction of a baby named Stewie. Stewie is a conniving genius that has world domination as his goal. Although he is only one year old, he is the smartest character on the show. Once again, adults such as Peter and Lois, are shown to be buffoons and not capable of the far reaching thought of even a one year old child. Stewie is able to draw the contrast between the average East Coast white working class parents and the mind of a child. The mind of the child clearly comes out ahead and the viewer is left to examine the ignorance of the dominant white culture. Peters friends that are regular features in the show further define the dominant white culture of Peter Griffin; there is a paraplegic, an African-American, and a white guy. Though this would seem to be a positive introduction of diversity into the life of Peter Griffin, they are almost always seen in the bar drinking. They will eventually get drunk and be convinced to take part in some idiotic scheme that Peter has planned. They will be seen driving after drinking, destroying property, and acting dysfunctional. The show portrays race, ethnicity, and culture as an unnatural event in the life of the average white family. In addition, they are all played as idiots in keeping with the theme that Americans are not capable of thinking clearly, even if they are a minority. To complete the well-rounded attack on the white American male and his family, the dog Brian is the only well-mannered character on the show. Brian is a likeable dog that smokes cigars, drinks martinis, and engages in sensible conversation ("Brian Griffin"). Brian is the final knife in the back of the average American family. In the home of the American, the only member that deserves any respect is the dog. The people are more crass, unruly, disrespectful, and ill mannered than their pets. Many Americans could learn something from this. The show is demonstrating that as people, we should treat our neighbors at least as well as we treat our pets, and our pets may be behaving better than we are. In conclusion, the onslaught of animated series in the last decade has been predominately white and highly critical of the culture and value system. Family Guy certainly falls into this genre. It mirrors who white America is as a culture with its portrayal of a male dominated society where women are denigrated and insulted. Peter Griffin is portrayed as lazy, mean spirited, ignorant, and dangerous. While many people will understand that this is a satire, it also brings with it the ring of truth. It is a world where the one-year-old child is smarter than the adults. It is a life where the family dog is the best behaved creature in the family. It is a world where race and ethnicity are found in a bar among drinking buddies, but has no cultural value beyond that. The show, Family Guy, warns us against becoming the stereotype that the dominant culture of America has become. Works Cited "Brian Griffin." Cartoon. Character Guide. 2008. Planet Family Guy. 15 June 2008 . "Family Guy." IMDb. 2008. IMDb. 15 June 2008 . Haque, Ahsan. "Family Guy: Season 6 Review." IGN. 13 May 2008. IGN. 15 June 2008 Read More