Family Guy Takes On Tg Issues

[Carolyn Marie]

Fox Television's Family Guy series will take on the issue of transsexuals in this Sunday's episode.

Based on the preview ad I saw, this isn't going to be an episode for anyone with a thin skin. The program likes to skewer causes and issues,

and doesn't beat around the bush. It might be funny, or it might be really offensive, or both.

Reviews are welcome.

Carolyn Marie

[Guest Donna Jean]

Well, I'll try to make a point of seeing it....

They might as well insult me as anyone else....

(Ok...ok...ok....I'll give it 1/2 a chance!)

Actually I find it quite funny...they skewer everything equally....that's fair!

HUGGS!

Donna Jean

[Guest Elizabeth K]

ummmmmmm

Donno

Lizzy

[Milly]

Oh nice, maybe since Mcfarlene is done dragging his show through the lowest piles of excrement, now he's ready to do that with us. Joy! Seriously though, his show stopped being good after the 4th season. He sucks. Sorry I just have a distaste for him.

[Guest NatalieRene]

Fox Television's Family Guy series will take on the issue of transsexuals in this Sunday's episode.

Based on the preview ad I saw, this isn't going to be an episode for anyone with a thin skin. The program likes to skewer causes and issues,

and doesn't beat around the bush. It might be funny, or it might be really offensive, or both.

Reviews are welcome.

Carolyn Marie

This wouldn't be the first time. The Family Guy movie that went straight to DVD right before the TV show was picked up again portrayed Meg as a FTM named Ron. They really didn't do all that much with it. Peter was still the crappy Father he's always been and essentially ignored Ron just the same as he did when Ron was Meg.

I'll have to watch this Sunday to see what they do with the subject this time. It will probably be offensive though. It's hard to take the show seriously though even if it is offensive because they are offensive to generally speaking everything. Much like South Park I just can't take them seriously.

[Sally]

This is one of those things that Donna Jean and I differ on (I told you we were not just one person with four hands and two computers and way too much time on our hands) I have never found the Family Guy to be very funny at all - offensive yes but much like Howard Stern - peel through the layers of shock and you have nothing left.

Love ya,

Sally

[Guest CattalieChan]

I agree that family guy is just intended to offend everyone, and so I cannot take it seriously. But I would like to see a simpson's episode about trans people.

Amber

[Flint]

I don't think family guy is intended to offend everyone, more just make a mockery of people in the world with such opinions of certain things. They purposely make many of the more 'offending' ideas come across in a very dumb, immature way. It's basically laughing at the dumbness of some people. Having said that anything that does make such jokes is going to offend someone out there, either because they don't understand what the joke truly is trying to say or because....because I don't know lol

[Guest Anna_Banana]

I really wouldn't take it to heart if Family Guy or even South Park portrays us negatively. Everyone gets portrayed negatively, so it's no big deal. It's not like people are going to say, "Well Family Guy says trans people are stupid, we should too!"

.Anna

[Guest Elizabeth K]

I really wouldn't take it to heart if Family Guy or even South Park portrays us negatively. Everyone gets portrayed negatively, so it's no big deal. It's not like people are going to say, "Well Family Guy says trans people are stupid, we should too!"

.Anna

Yep - I don't care about the show - it's the general community people who take it serious-like that worries me, GRIN

Lizzy

[Guest Evan_J]

it's the general community people who take it serious-like that worries me, GRIN

Lizzy

Worries about a world that is guided by cartoon characters.

[Guest ChloëC]

I enjoy Family Guy, though it is a 'bit' raunchier than The Simpsons. And I do wonder about some of their skewering. It's one thing to make fun of the pompous, the self-rightous, the famous, publicity seekers, low lifes, oh and celebrities. For example, a politician to me is fair game for anything. The politician's spouse only if that person seeks the limelight, never any children under let's say 16 (negotiable), and older only if they're also trying to be 'on stage'. (and I personally resent the 'famous' when they haul their kids out more than once in showcase events).

The problem I have is when they skewer rather smallish groups that are already being maligned and mistreated. But I guess with a ts being hired by the current administration, the writers now think it's more mainstream. But, you know, how often are we seeing close relatives or loved ones of McFarlane or Groening or Parker/Stone in embarassing or mildly obscene cartoons. Fat chance.

However, for any long time watcher of Family Guy, one would have to be aware that Stewie is constantly a cross-dresser and sometimes - more. Maybe the most out-there scene was when Peter was trying to help Chris's self esteem and they were in cafe or someplace and Peter was trying to hook him up with a girl I think he found on the internet and Stewie showed up in drag and seeing Peter and Chris, immediately turned around and left before they saw him. That scene certainly said lots. And how often on Stewie's and Brian's roadtrips is he in drag?

Yet, all those times, there is never any political or critical innuendo in what he's doing. Like, it's just a part of his lifestyle and funny only in the sense that a toddler is as intelligent and complex as Stewie is made out to be and has all these offbeat lifestyles. (I think he must be somehow descended from 'The Brain' if you catch my drift).

It will be interesting how they portray a transsexual, and yet keep Stewie's lifestyles as non-threatening humor.

Oh, well. (It's amazing all the shows that basically were spawned by 39 episodes of The Honeymooners!)

Chloë

[Guest perlitarose]

Hi, Carolyn Marie,

Do you have a time and channel? My kids and I love this program. I think they are an equal opportunity offenders!!!

[Carolyn Marie]

Hi, Carolyn Marie,

Do you have a time and channel? My kids and I love this program. I think they are an equal opportunity offenders!!!

It should be on at 9:00 p.m. local time, on the Fox Television channel. Check with your service provider if you don't know which channel.

Carolyn Marie

[Guest Leigh]

i have always found family guy to be quite sexist and slightly homophobic...but its all sort of in a comical way. though i don't think this makes it alright.

my sister likes this show (she says it's funny in a mind numbing way) so i'll probably watch it with her.

most TV depictions of trans people just end up being offensive, so i'll be prepared.

peace&love

leigh

[Guest Natalie92]

This wouldn't be the first time. The Family Guy movie that went straight to DVD right before the TV show was picked up again portrayed Meg as a FTM named Ron. They really didn't do all that much with it. Peter was still the crappy Father he's always been and essentially ignored Ron just the same as he did when Ron was Meg.

That's not the only time. They also touched on it for a few seconds in the episode "Lethal Weapons" where the New Yorkers take over Quahog to see the leaves change when Quagmire tries to pick up women and finds out that one of them is a pre-op transsexual (although Quagmire uses the term transvestite). And then there have been several times where Brian, Stewie and even Peter have crossdressed. And the time where Peter goes to a women's camp to learn how to not sexually harass women in order to keep his job and not get sued, and he becomes totally feminized after the experience.

For the record, I have no doubt this episode will be offensive, but as a huge Family Guy fan, I'll probably be laughing too hard to care. Just remember, Family Guy has offended EVERY group that is out there: rich people, black people, latinos, gays & lesbians, fat people, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Irish people, New Englanders, Southerners, etc., so don't take any trashing they give to us as anything personal.

Natalie Alexis

[Guest mrgeof2m1991]

Maybe it said it some where but I didn't see it. xD I know it's on Fox, but at what time? I want to watch it.

[Guest insanitylives]

Dude, it's FAMILY GUY.

its going to be offensive.

(And stewie cross-dresses all the time..)

Probably 9pm local time (so about now on the east coast) for most stations

[Guest Natalie92]

Well, I'm shocked. The episode wasn't really that offensive. The only part that I found even somewhat offensive was the part where Brian was throwing up for about 30 seconds when he found out he "spent the night" with Quagmire's father Ida. The rest of the insults are things we have to deal with every day (being called "gay", people wondering what it's like after a sex change, people thinking that we're gross, etc). I laughed when Ida asked Meg where she got her operation, assuming that she was also an MTF transsexual.

Natalie Alexis

[Guest Leigh]

well, i watched it, and as expected it was totally offensive. i was hoping they would pull it in at the end and have some kind of slightly positive message, as they sometimes do concerning gay rights and woman's rights...but they didn't. oh well.

peace&love

leigh

[Guest Jean Davis]

Ohh Yea

I agree, but there was one part I kinda liked.

That's where Ida went in for her surgery and came out the same day.

I kinda wish it was that simple.

LUV

Jean

[Guest mrgeof2m1991]

I missed it!!!

[Guest Ashley C.]

Family Guy doesn't offend me--I think it's hilarious. If you want to see real homophobia and transphobia, go watch Fox News. Now that offends me.

[Carolyn Marie]

I missed it!!!

No worries, Geo. You can watch the whole thing on the Internet. Of course, reading all these spoilers, you may not need to.

Carolyn Marie

[Guest Kaitlyn88]

Where do you watch it online?