Printer friendly output:

Kelners Blog
Lighten The F**k Up - in defence of Family Guy
By Martin "Giggety giggety" Kelner
Aug 4, 2009 - 11:15:39 PM

But let us imagine we are going to treat Family Guy as if it were a family drama rather than just a bunch of jokes. On that basis, Peter Griffin's callous treatment of Meg could be seen as biting satirical commentary on the fact that within every family with multiple offspring there is often one who is either disregarded or feels he or she is. The same joke appears in The Simpsons when Homer refers to Maggie as "the other one."

Sure, it's a little broader and crueller in Family Guy, but then Family Guy also features a talking, cocktail-quaffing dog, an evil monkey hiding in the closet, and a toddler who talks like Noel Coward and is planning world domination. If you know where to look for them, the clues are there that this is not a programme to be taken entirely seriously.

Sarah Hughes also says Family Guy "has dedicated episodes to mocking rape." Does she mean there is a dedication at the end of the show, a kind of tribute, like "This one is for rapists everywhere. Way to go," or does she mean there is a specific episode dedicated to "dealing" with rape." I missed that one, so I presume what she is referring to is the character of Quagmire, for whom non-consensual sex is an energetically pursued leisure-time activity. Tell you what, Sarah, let's treat Quagmire like the talking dog, or the larcenous bear. As a cartoon character.

Of course, rape is not a laughing matter, but that, I think, is the starting point for Family Guy: let us find something that is no laughing matter, and laugh at it.

It is childish, I accept, and quite male, although I have female friends who love the show - while sometimes cringing, as I do - because they are mature enough to recognise it is a cartoon, and because it is dead bloody funny.

And what if there is an odd show on TV slightly skewed towards a male audience? There are tons of shows designed to appeal mostly to women; Sex And The City, Buffy, Grand Designs, Come Dine With Me, anything on Living. Those are the sort of programmes watched and enjoyed by my daughters - my eldest, Anna, my little one, Ruth, and the other one, whose name escapes me.


© Copyright martinkelner.com