Top 10 Times Family Guy Parodied Pop Culture

Girl, Internetted


In the modern era, the Internet has been a driving force for pop culture making it the perfect target for satire. Influencers in particular have inundated the web, keeping audiences hooked in any way they can. Some are known for pushing negative behavior to do so, which is where Family Guy comes in. They captured this attention-seeking phenomenon by having Meg eat her way into clout in Girl, Internetted. As she continues to grow, she escalates her content to a dangerous level, influencing her viewers to do the same in the process. The episode serves as commentary both on the lengths people will go to for their fifteen minutes of fame, and how viewers online perpetuate the negative cycle by continuing to engage with it.

Hot Shots

Despite all the evidence pointing to how helpful vaccines are, there has always been a contingent of people against them. From the Spanish Flu up to modern times, anti-vaxxers have been prevalent for over a century. The writers are aware of this, and made the bold decision to call out their rhetoric in Hot Shots. In the episode, Peter and Lois refuse to get Stewie vaccinated, resulting in Quahog suffering from a measles outbreak. They parodied the limited and often faulty research that accompanies this view, while also highlighting how utilizing fear can drive even the most logical people to the wrong conclusion. It proved its point just a few years later when COVID-19 broke out, revitalizing the flawed mindset.

Emmy-Winning Episode

Its no secret that Family Guy is a contentious program. Despite running for over two decades and amassing millions of fans, it still doesnt receive as much acclaim as its counterparts. While certain members of the cast have won Emmys, the program itself has yet to receive one. Emmy-Winning Episode was its way of leaning into their lack of awards, as the Griffins desperately recreated several TV shows in an attempt to be considered. From Breaking Bad to Modern Family, they poked fun at several beloved classics. They capped it all off with a moment of pure self-awareness, by having Peter learn exactly why theyve never been nominated. It was the perfect crossroad between parodying modern television and the awards honoring it.

Patriot Games

Much like the Internet, sports in general have become enmeshed with advertising. An athlete can be on the field one day and selling a product the next and while its more prevalent now, the show first satirized it well over a decade ago. In Patriot Games, Peter gets the opportunity to play for his favorite team, the New England Patriots. After finding success, he quickly becomes swept up in the culture, from appearing in dealership commercials to cockily dancing on the field. While exaggerated, his actions line up almost perfectly with those of some modern athletes. It ended up being a near-perfect parody of the industry, and how quickly love for the game can morph into passion for money, instead.

Three Kings

They usually stick to movies and television, but every once in a while, Family Guy proves they can handle literary references as well. Although theyve made anthologies about American classics and Grimms fairy tales, one of their most detailed attempts to date is their homage to Stephen King. Hes one of the most prolific authors today. That doesnt exempt him from being lampooned. Choosing three classics by the iconic author, they take you through each one, complete with tongue-in-cheek criticism towards the source material. Despite the jokes, its clear they hold his work in high regard, with each section serving as a satirical homage. The combination of clever commentary and silly jokes made for the perfect episode one that even King himself found funny.

And Then There Were Fewer

This may be one of their most acclaimed spoofs yet and its clear to see why. The show loves paying homage to classic film tropes. Murder mysteries are no exception. They opened up Season 9 with And Then There Were Fewer, which is largely based on Agatha Christies famed novel of a similar name. After James Woods invites the Griffins and the rest of the gang to dinner, he meets his mysterious fate, along with other characters weve come to know. The references are plentiful. Besides the plot being based on Clue, the opening sequence is an homage to The Shining. With this, they wove original ideas and parody together, resulting in one of the highest-rated episodes in the programs history.

Da Boom

It seems hard to believe now, but at one point, Y2K was considered a genuine threat. People all over were nervous about the worlds technology failing once the clocks struck midnight on January 1st, 2000. Who better to lean into that than Family Guy? After Peter learns about the supposed apocalypse, he immediately preps, leading him and his family to survive. They wove in other tropes of post-apocalyptic life, such as Twinkies being one of the only surviving foods. The installment captured the panicked feeling circulating at that time while also noting how silly it was. They even had the universe reset with a reveal that the whole plot was simply another TV characters dream, capping it off with one final, flawless reference.

PTV

Despite being produced in a country where free speech is protected, theyre no stranger to being censored. Between getting whole episodes pulled and having several complaints filed about them to the FCC, Family Guy is well aware of this phenomenon. In PTV, government censorship went beyond the screen and into real life. They used several other television shows as examples of how entertainment would look in a sanitized world, effectively taking shots at the organizations purpose. They also noted how concerned parents could do more on their end to stop their children from consuming inappropriate media, rather than attacking the art itself. The Freakin FCC song is the cherry on top, effectively making their point and creating a bop thats still relevant today.

Road to the Multiverse

The famed corporation is certainly no stranger to being joked about. However, one in particular stands above the rest the juxtaposition of their wholesome aesthetic with their supposed history. Throughout Road to the Multiverse, Stewie and Brian travel to a series of alternate realities, including the Disney universe. There, theyre animated in a whimsical style and are treated to songs about pie. The other residents of Quahog appear as Disney references themselves, such as Herbert portraying the Evil Queen from Snow White. Just when youre lulled by the seemingly saccharine scene, Mort appears and its like a switch flips. He ends up being attacked, alluding to Walt Disneys alleged Antisemitic past. It both subverted expectations and brought those accusations back to light.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.


Reaction GIFs, Various
Theyve Referenced & Recreated Several Popular Gifs over the Years


Christian Bales Outburst, Oceans Three and a Half
They Parodied Bales Most Infamous Moment with Peter as the Accidental Instigator


Film Noir, The Fatman Always Rings Twice
From the Snappy Dialogue to the Tone, They Nailed Every Trope of the Genre

Various

With it being the only franchise to have multiple episodes dedicated to it, Peter just may be onto something when he says its the greatest story ever told. Tackling the first three installments of the Star Wars trilogy is no easy task, but each time, they knocked it out of the park. Each retelling is filled to the brim with callbacks to the original while poking fun at some of the films negative aspects. It also contains wider pop culture references, resulting in a wide variety of jokes you can understand even if you havent seen a single film. With every character included, even some from other Seth MacFarlane projects, theyre some of the shows most ambitious parodies to date.


Which modern pop culture moment do you think Family Guy will satirize next? Let us know in the comments below.