Ubiquitous
2019-01-16 10:09:49 UTC
Family Guy is known for its politically incorrect humour, but now
the team behind the show are making some changes.
Fans of the animated comedy series are used to its often distasteful
humour. One character, Joe, is in a wheelchair, and the subject of
many of the show's disabled jokes.
Another, Quagmire, is used as a platform for the many references to
rape or sexual harassment.
And during the show's 17-season run, Stewie, the Griffin family
baby, has been hit with quips about being gay.
But it appears that the jokes targeted at the LGBT community are on
the way out.
In Sunday's episode, Peter Griffin, who is voiced by the show's
creator Seth MacFarlane, was seen telling a cartoon President Trump
that the show was trying to "phase out" gay jokes.
"Many children have learned their favourite Jewish, black, and gay
jokes by watching your show over the years," the animated president
tells Peter.
"In fairness, we've been trying to phase out the gay stuff," Peter
replies. "But you know what? We're a cartoon. You're the president."
The change in direction has been confirmed by the show's executive
producers Alec Sulkin and Rich Appel, who told TV Line that they
want to better reflect the current climate in the show.
Sulkin said: "If you look at a show from 2005 or 2006 and put it
side by side with a show from 2018 or 2019, they're going to have a
few differences.
"Some of the things we felt comfortable saying and joking about back
then, we now understand is not acceptable."
Appel added: "The climate is different, the culture is different and
our views are different. They've been shaped by the reality around
us, so I think the show has to shift and evolve in a lot of
different ways."
One of the defences of the show's controversial storylines is that
they make fun of all minority groups equally and some have argued
that there's no reason one particular minority group should be
exempt.
"If Family Guy is gonna be mainstream and not edgy, what's the
point?" asked one fan of the show on Twitter. "Early 2000s Family
Guy was funny because it pushed boundaries."
And some in the LGBT community argued the show does not offend them.
"I'm gay, my boyfriend and I watch Family Guy, and we laugh at the
gay jokes as much as we laugh at any of the jokes," wrote viewer
Zell on Twitter.
"I never felt like the gay jokes were at Stewie's expense, but
rather an evolution of the character," added Rhagana. "It seemed
like the more queer he became, the less evil he was."
However, some people think Family Guy is in need of change,
including Nick Duffy, the current affairs editor of Pink News, who
says it is important to reflect a more modern view of homosexuality
in the show.
"Family Guy has been very much reliant on stereotypes of predatory
gay men," he tells BBC News.
"And it's not just gay people specifically, but before Caitlyn
Jenner came out as transgender, they made heavy quips about her
gender identity, which they've been criticised for before.
"At the time she was in the closet and since then she's come out.
They've not apologised although they do seem to have moved past it."
Duffy says the reason comedy shows often miss the mark is because
they portray "a straight white man's experience of comedy - just
look at Saturday Night Live!"
But, he adds: "We are seeing more diverse narratives of LGBT
experience in comedy and new storylines coming through, like Hannah
Gadsby's show Nanette on Netflix.
"It says something about the world those shows inhabit and it's now
changing, so it looks like shows like Family Guy are becoming more
inclusive, but I hope that's also happening behind the scenes too."
Daily Mail Australia writer Jacques Peterson, who writes about pop
culture and entertainment, says that Family Guy misses the mark when
it comes to comedic value altogether.
"I'm gay and I don't have any problem with Family Guy or anyone else
telling gay jokes as long as they're funny. But Family Guy just
isn't funny," he tells BBC News.
"It's just a bunch of pop culture references and random 'stuff'
thrown together... the show doesn't even push the envelope far
enough to warrant a few laughs from shock value."
He disagrees with the idea that adding diverse writers to the mix
would improve Family Guy's gay jokes and says a good joke is a good
joke regardless of who wrote it.
"Personally I think it's rubbish to say that gay jokes have to be
written by gay people. Does that mean gay people can't write jokes
about straight people?" he asks.
"If we could only write about people who are exactly like us the
world would be a very boring place. I'm a writer and I'm going to
write about anything and anybody I want, and I hope other writers do
the same."
the team behind the show are making some changes.
Fans of the animated comedy series are used to its often distasteful
humour. One character, Joe, is in a wheelchair, and the subject of
many of the show's disabled jokes.
Another, Quagmire, is used as a platform for the many references to
rape or sexual harassment.
And during the show's 17-season run, Stewie, the Griffin family
baby, has been hit with quips about being gay.
But it appears that the jokes targeted at the LGBT community are on
the way out.
In Sunday's episode, Peter Griffin, who is voiced by the show's
creator Seth MacFarlane, was seen telling a cartoon President Trump
that the show was trying to "phase out" gay jokes.
"Many children have learned their favourite Jewish, black, and gay
jokes by watching your show over the years," the animated president
tells Peter.
"In fairness, we've been trying to phase out the gay stuff," Peter
replies. "But you know what? We're a cartoon. You're the president."
The change in direction has been confirmed by the show's executive
producers Alec Sulkin and Rich Appel, who told TV Line that they
want to better reflect the current climate in the show.
Sulkin said: "If you look at a show from 2005 or 2006 and put it
side by side with a show from 2018 or 2019, they're going to have a
few differences.
"Some of the things we felt comfortable saying and joking about back
then, we now understand is not acceptable."
Appel added: "The climate is different, the culture is different and
our views are different. They've been shaped by the reality around
us, so I think the show has to shift and evolve in a lot of
different ways."
One of the defences of the show's controversial storylines is that
they make fun of all minority groups equally and some have argued
that there's no reason one particular minority group should be
exempt.
"If Family Guy is gonna be mainstream and not edgy, what's the
point?" asked one fan of the show on Twitter. "Early 2000s Family
Guy was funny because it pushed boundaries."
And some in the LGBT community argued the show does not offend them.
"I'm gay, my boyfriend and I watch Family Guy, and we laugh at the
gay jokes as much as we laugh at any of the jokes," wrote viewer
Zell on Twitter.
"I never felt like the gay jokes were at Stewie's expense, but
rather an evolution of the character," added Rhagana. "It seemed
like the more queer he became, the less evil he was."
However, some people think Family Guy is in need of change,
including Nick Duffy, the current affairs editor of Pink News, who
says it is important to reflect a more modern view of homosexuality
in the show.
"Family Guy has been very much reliant on stereotypes of predatory
gay men," he tells BBC News.
"And it's not just gay people specifically, but before Caitlyn
Jenner came out as transgender, they made heavy quips about her
gender identity, which they've been criticised for before.
"At the time she was in the closet and since then she's come out.
They've not apologised although they do seem to have moved past it."
Duffy says the reason comedy shows often miss the mark is because
they portray "a straight white man's experience of comedy - just
look at Saturday Night Live!"
But, he adds: "We are seeing more diverse narratives of LGBT
experience in comedy and new storylines coming through, like Hannah
Gadsby's show Nanette on Netflix.
"It says something about the world those shows inhabit and it's now
changing, so it looks like shows like Family Guy are becoming more
inclusive, but I hope that's also happening behind the scenes too."
Daily Mail Australia writer Jacques Peterson, who writes about pop
culture and entertainment, says that Family Guy misses the mark when
it comes to comedic value altogether.
"I'm gay and I don't have any problem with Family Guy or anyone else
telling gay jokes as long as they're funny. But Family Guy just
isn't funny," he tells BBC News.
"It's just a bunch of pop culture references and random 'stuff'
thrown together... the show doesn't even push the envelope far
enough to warrant a few laughs from shock value."
He disagrees with the idea that adding diverse writers to the mix
would improve Family Guy's gay jokes and says a good joke is a good
joke regardless of who wrote it.
"Personally I think it's rubbish to say that gay jokes have to be
written by gay people. Does that mean gay people can't write jokes
about straight people?" he asks.
"If we could only write about people who are exactly like us the
world would be a very boring place. I'm a writer and I'm going to
write about anything and anybody I want, and I hope other writers do
the same."
--
Dems & the media want Trump to be more like Obama, but then he'd
have to audit liberals & wire tap reporters' phones.
Dems & the media want Trump to be more like Obama, but then he'd
have to audit liberals & wire tap reporters' phones.