When Family Guy got put back on the air, I was ecstatic. I was jumping for joy. The first time that it got taken off the air, I knew it had to come back. Then it got put back, and then it got taken off the air again. This time I wasn’t sure if it was off the air for good, or they were just waiting to put it back on. Then, after many months, Family Guy came back on Fox, and I was so thankful.

Family Guy is about a semi-functional (mostly dysfunctional) family. Peter is the overweight father. He is pretty much another version of Homer Simpson (as the show copies a lot from the Simpsons). Peter is very lazy, very stupid, and above all humorous (the episode where he found out he was black is a prime example of Peter’s stupidity). Lois is your average mother. Again, she is like Marge Simpson, she has good morals, and is always trying to do the right thing. She is a great mother to her children, and a good family mediator. Chris, the oldest son, is an overweight teenager. He is almost exactly like what we would get if we envisioned Peter as a teenager. He is exactly like his dad except that he’s about 10 times more stupid. Meg, the only daughter, is also a teenager. She is very self absorbed and has textbook teenage girl problems (getting to be popular, trying to get guys interested in her, etc.). Stewie is the infant. He’s by far the most creative and original character in the show. He also happens to be my favorite. Stewie has 2 goals: world domination, and defeating his mother and her “gynocracy.” He is always coming up with new inventions to dominate the world, and also new inventions to kill his mother (giving her a box of chocolates that were active grenades). The show is all about their funny experiences, and all of the quirky traits each character embraces.

Family Guy is one of the funniest shows on TV today. The fact that it’s animated makes it so much more interesting in my mind. I think it’s more interesting, because there are so many more concepts that cartoon characters can do because it’s a fiction, and the time the family is living in is really never known. We know that Family Guy takes place some time in the present tense, but it’s irrelevant because it’s fictional and that enables Stewie to come up with all these futuristic inventions.

The show is great at illustrating your average middle-class family that encounters many odd situations that all have hilarious consequences. Each episode is consistent with its rare blend of humor and intelligence. I often find myself in awe from the creator’s ideas. It amazes me that such a small amount of people can come up with such a large amount of jokes and humor-filled situations.

To be honest, the only reason I watched the show was to see how paralleled it was to The Simpsons. It turns out that it was almost the same show. But, what I’ve learned is that the Family Guy is more original in some ways. I mean, I like the Simpsons better, but Family Guy clearly makes me laugh harder, and more often. I think I like the Simpsons better than the Griffins because they are more realistic. The Griffins’ problems are ordinary, but some of their resolutions are extraordinary to the point where they are unbelievable.

The most important part of the Family Guy is the humor they use. I mean, I have never really been offended, but there are so many racist and stereotypical things. In the episode where Peter discovers he’s part African American, there are so many racist things that I’m not going to name. If I was offended, I would still watch the show, but only because I know the creators don’t mean anything by it. The fact that the jokes are concentrated on all races gives me comfort. It might seem weird, but it just proves to me that the jokes are really innocent, and not as racist as they can be interpreted.

The humor is really funny, and the show is really clever. The situations are all so wonderfully imagined; it’s always interesting to see what they’ll come up with next. The characters are not so original, except Stewie, but they give great input to the Family Guy scheme of things. Stewie is the best, he’s truly original, and he’s always a delight to watch. Stewie is by far the funniest character in my opinion.

I have a little question that's been puzzling me for a long time; why is it called the Family Guy? I know the show is about Peter Griffin, but it’s not just about him. It’s like the Simpsons, Homer is the main character, but it’s The Simpsons because it’s about the whole family. If you can answer my question, just leave a comment, and if you think I answered my own question with what I just said, tell me. Thanks.

If you like the Simpsons or Futurama, you’ll love the Family Guy. If you like animated shows, you’ll probably love the Family Guy too. If you like clever, original humor, then you’ll absolutely love the Family Guy. Just check it out on Fox, Thursday nights at 8:00PST.


Recommended: Yes

Type of Program: Cartoon or Animated
Program Quality: Thought-provoking, original material
Best Suited For: Kids to Teens