Throughout its 23 seasons and counting, Family Guy has been heavy on perverted and problematic jokes that gave the comedy its legacy. It also gave us iconic musical numbers and the duo of Brian and Stewie, which is unmatched. And while Family Guy felt offensive when it premiered in 1999, you become immune to the questionable material.
The show's creator and executive producer, Seth MacFarlane, was only in his twenties when he launched Peter Griffin and his family onto the small screen. FOX green lighting his show was only the start of MacFarlane's illustrative and multi-talented career. He had since branched out into creating other TV projects-American Dad! and The Orville, and became a crooner in the essence of Frank Sinatra.
Looping back to Family Guy's legacy, especially in the jokes department, MacFarlane admitted that he sees some of his older material in a mature light. Don't forget that everything was a bit more raw in the 1990s as opposed to now, especially in the TV medium, so anything went and nothing was off the table when it came to societal topics.
And Family Guy took it to a whole new level in its comedy.
When speaking with CBS Sunday Morning recently, MacFarlane addressed the problematic jokes that his show has done, and now that he's older, he's approaching how to keep the signature comedic elements embedded while trying to keep it tasteful for today's audiences.
"When I started [Family Guy], this is the conversation that tortures me at night. When I started the show, my attitude was like,' It doesn't matter; none of it matters, it's [just] funny, let's do it.' And the older I've gotten, I look back at shows that we've done and I'm like, gosh, I guess it's a little more complicated than that. Comedy and jokes do have an impact. I have to figure out a way to maintain what the show is and maintain this thing that people love, but at the same time, recognize that 'all right, I am analyzing it now in a different way than I did when I was younger."
The jokes featured on the long-running FOX animated comedy nearly touched every life situation and circumstance. For instance, Joe Swanson's paralyzation was a significant source of comedic relief, but some of the jokes' context was considered ableist and derogatory to the Disabled Community. As one who does have disabilities, the jokes felt "off", but over the years, I think they were written in to shield the real-life atrocities of what disabled people face, and it is a subliminal message for better rights and treatment.
But creating problematic jokes is just one of Family Guy's flairs, and while they have 'cooled' down in recent years, they're permanently soaked in the show's ethos. If the show has taught us anything, it is to find the humor in everyday life.
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