Top 10 Times Family Guy Tackled Serious Issues
#10: Chris Dates a Girl with Down Syndrome “Extra Large Medium”
In this episode, Chris has a crush on Ellen, a girl who has Down syndrome, and he works up the courage to ask her out after a harrowing experience in the woods. However, things don’t work out when the two go on a date, as Chris finds her to be too difficult. Andrea F. Friedman, the actress who voices Ellen, has Down syndrome in real life, and the message of the episode is that people with Down syndrome are like everyone else, for better or for worse. However, the episode also contained a controversial reference to former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, who has a child with Down syndrome. Several people, including Palin herself, were outraged by the joke at the time of the episode’s airing.
#9: Lois Has a Shoplifting Problem “Breaking Out Is Hard to Do”
The reason Lois engages in this illegal activity is because of the rush it gives her when she gets away with it. She ends up going to prison when she’s eventually caught, and her family’s life ends up being complicated when they break her out and have to go on the lamb with her. The episode doesn’t delve into the effects of shoplifting, such as the harm it does to stores, or how the costs are pushed onto consumers. The moral doesn’t really go beyond shoplifting is a crime, so nobody should do it. Hopefully, you already knew that.
#8: Brian Admits to Being an Atheist “Not All Dogs Go to Heaven”
Considering himself a dog of great intellect, Brian has found no need to belong to any particular religion. When Meg asks Brian to lead the Griffin family in prayer, he comes out to the family as an atheist. Upon discovering this revelation, the whole town of Quahog treats Brian like he’s an outcast. In American society, atheists don’t get the warmest reception, and this episode playfully exaggerates the unpopularity of atheism. “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane, who also does the voice of Brian, is a vocal atheist and critic of religion.
#7: Brian Griffin Fights for Marriage Equality “You May Now Kiss the... Uh... Guy Who Receives”
Brian’s cousin Jasper plans to enter a same-sex marriage, but it’s threatened because Adam West is considering issuing a ban. To stick up for his cousin, Brian tries to change people’s minds about gay marriage, including Lois. With this take on gay marriage, “Family Guy” comments on the hypocrisy of people who pretend that letting LBGTQ+ people get married is a threat while such people don’t respect their own marriage. The show also pokes fun at politicians who use the issues like marriage equality as a political distraction from their own failures, such as Mayor West with his Dig ‘Em statue.
#6: The Griffins Befriend a Jewish Man “When You Wish Upon a Weinstein”
Given how irresponsible Peter is, it isn’t surprising that he’s no good with money. When he’s helped by accountant Max Weinstein, Peter assumes the man is good with finances because he’s Jewish. Impressed with his Jewish friend, Peter pushes for Chris to convert to Judaism, in the hopes that becoming Jewish will provide Chris with a better life. Various stereotypes about Jewish people are explored and poked fun at in this episode. Because of its subject matter, the episode was considered so controversial that FOX didn’t air it until after it had already premiered on Adult Swim.
#5: Peter Griffin Takes on Big Tobacco “Mr. Griffin Goes to Washington”
After the El Dorado cigarette company buys out the Happy-Go-Lucky Toy Factory, Peter finds himself working for the organization. He finds the job to be lucrative and is quickly promoted to president of the company. However, this doesn’t sit well with Lois and the rest of the family, who find Peter doing the bidding of big tobacco to be morally reprehensible. The episode satirizes tactics cigarette companies use to deflect blame, such as lobbying Congress, and tactics they use to target consumers through advertising mascots like the Marlboro Man and Joe Camel.
#4: The Griffins Deal with Immigration “Padre De Familia”
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With a newfound sense of patriotism after attending a parade celebrating military vets, Peter becomes fiercely anti-immigrant. However, because of an office policy he pushed for that required his company to verify every employee’s legal status, Peter finds out that he wasn’t born in the USA, but actually Mexico. Unable to pass a citizenship test, his status is considered undocumented, and he discovers what life is like on the other side of the immigration debate. In classic “Family Guy” fashion, the episode takes sympathy with undocumented immigrants while still cracking jokes at their expense.
#3: The Griffins Come to Terms with Brian’s Passing “Life of Brian”
In 2013, “Family Guy” decided to take a bold step and send Brian to the great beyond. His untimely passing was the result of getting hit by a car while getting ready to practice some street hockey. One of the most emotional moments from the show comes when the Griffins visit Brian in his final moments to say goodbye. However, Brian was brought back a couple of episodes later, which one could argue mitigated the finality of the issue. Many longtime fans of “Family Guy” were furious that the show would send off such a beloved character as Brian.
#2: Glenn Quagmire Deals with His Dad Coming Out as Transgender “Quagmire’s Dad”
Upon coming to Quahog to attend a naval ball, Quagmire’s father, Dan, intends to become a woman, identifying as Ida. Quagmire doesn’t know how to react, feeling mostly uncomfortable and ashamed. Of course, Peter is completely unlightened on the subject, and when the Griffins host Quagmire and Ida, he raises questions that are stupid and pointless related to the gender reassignment surgery. After the episode aired, several LGBTQ+ groups, including GLAAD, raised objections, finding the episode transphobic. And it isn’t hard to see why with the jokes made at trans people’s expense, including a subplot where Brian is horrified to discover Ida is trans after having hooked up with her.
#1: Peter & Lois Griffin Debate Matters of Life & Choice “Partial Terms of Endearment”
You needn’t look any further than the title of the episode to see the amount of sensitivity “Family Guy” was going to give this subject. To help out a friend, Lois becomes a surrogate mother, but due to a tragedy, Lois has to choose whether to continue her pregnancy. However, Peter becomes opposed to terminating the pregnancy, and the issue becomes contentious. The episode has one scene where the Griffin family debates the ethics of terminating a pregnancy, and as to be expected, Peter’s opinions don’t contribute anything to the conversation. This episode is so controversial for the handling of its subject that it has never aired on FOX.
