Family Guy

Fox's "resurrected" animated show Family Guy has certainly been both wildly popular and highly controversial throughout its years of syndication on television. While many teenager and adult targeted shows have been controversial in the past, it can certainly be said that Family Guy takes it to a new level in terms of questionable display of morals and ethics. Like other disputable shows, the most controversial issue almost always arises from issues of religious parody.



Perhaps the most infamous issue comes from episode 50, entitled "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein." In this particular episode, one of the main characters is in need for a new pair of glasses. Compounding issues, their family had been recently scammed out of a fairly significant amount of cash by a volcano insurance salesman. Desperately in need of help to resolve his family's fianancial crisis, Peter wishes upon a star like Pinocchio (but in Peter's case it's for a Jewish accountant).



Needless to say, this is an offensive example of the age-old stereotype that Jews are all wealthy, conservative, and especially concerned with their money. The proverbial icing on the cake comes when Peter sings the line “Even though they killed my Lord, I need a Jew.” This line, along with many other things in the episode, makes fun of what are very sensitive issues for Jewish and Catholic people alike. Family Guy pulls no punches, especially when it comes to religion.



Regardless, Peter's prejudicial wish is granted, and a Jewish man knocks on his door the next morning. When the man, with the last name of "Weinstein" (a wildly stereotypical Jewish last name), is hired he goes on an extensive search in order to recover the stolen cash. Weinstein eventually finds the cash and returns it to the family.



The mere fact that a Jewish person is hired to take care of this issue instead of anyone else could be offensive to the Jewish population. It continues to get more potentially offesnive when Peter accompanies Weinstien to a synagogue and decides that it would be best if his son, Chris, was converted to Judiasm. To go about doing this, he takes his son to a Bar Mitzvah. Lois, Peter's wife, does not approve and as she goes to stop her son from converting, the Jewish folks at the Bar Mitzvah chase the whole family away because they feel offended at her disdain for their religion. On the bus ride home, nuns hit the family with rulers because they tried to convert someone away from Catholicism.



It could certainly be considered offensive that the Jews at the Bar Mitzvah were so aggressive in their anger towards the family not converting to Judaism. It creates the picture that Jewish people are completely closed-minded when it comes to people not being receptive to their religion. Other offensive issues include the actions of the nuns on the bus ride home. The fact that they have rulers (not to mention projectile rulers with hidden razorblades) with them on a bus ride plays on the equally controversial stereotype that nuns who teach in schools use corporal punishment to discipline problem students.



The aftermath of this episode was quite dramatic in that it was not even initially aired until it was edited. Nevertheless, it shows that the writers of Family Guy do not shy away from controversial religious topics. In this day in age, television shows are getting more and more controversial and risque. This particular television show is in no way an exception. As a matter of fact, this show is one of the poster children for what controversial television is.