| In days gone by when one spoke of television | | | | beneath the surface is morbidly dysfunctional. |
| animation, one immediately thought of a certain duck | | | | The family consists of Peter and Lois Griffin and their |
| by the name of Donald, or a mouse by the name of | | | | three children, Chris, Meg, and baby Stewie, and the |
| Mickey, or perhaps even a duck named Daffy or a | | | | family dog, Brian. Chris matches his father with respect |
| mouse names Jerry, but these days the genre of | | | | to his intelligence (or lack thereof) and obesity level, |
| television animation has adopted a whole new | | | | Meg is on a never-ending and never-succeeding quest |
| persona. | | | | for popularity amongst her peers, and baby Stewie is |
| The era of Disney and Hanna-Barbera has given way | | | | an evil genius who lusts for power and works tirelessly |
| to a new generation of comedic, angst-driven | | | | towards the destruction of his naïve mother, Lois. |
| animated sitcoms, the content of which is sometimes | | | | The family dog, Brian, apart from possessing the |
| more suited to viewing in the bedroom than the | | | | remarkable ability (for a canine) to talk, sips martinis |
| playroom. The last two decades have seen the | | | | and attempts to deal with life issues, of which there |
| emergence of such animated shows as The | | | | are plenty in the Family Guy scenario. His intelligence |
| Simpsons, South Park, Futurama and Family Guy, | | | | presents a stark contrast to that of most members of |
| which are aimed squarely at an adult audience. | | | | the family. |
| The humour invariably revolves around the | | | | It seems that sometimes the raison-d'etre of |
| politically-incorrect musings of some of the characters | | | | programmes such as Family Guy (apart from making |
| of these programmes, and it seems that the more | | | | oodles of money) is to court controversy, and how |
| politically-incorrect the musings, the greater the | | | | better to do that than to offend people. The producers |
| popularity of the respective programme. Perhaps the | | | | of Family Guy certainly did that when they depicted a |
| relatively anonymous nature of animation, as opposed | | | | young woman with Down Syndrome, who was |
| to a show with real actors, lends itself to an approach | | | | supposedly the daughter of a former female Governor |
| which requires fewer boundaries. | | | | of Alaska. The real former Governor of Alaska, Sarah |
| Family Guy is a perfect example of this new model of | | | | Palin, is the mother of a young child with Down |
| television animation. Family Guy was created by Seth | | | | Syndrome and was justifiably offended by the |
| MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The | | | | depiction. Of course this publicity did the programme's |
| show has won three Primetime Emmy Awards, three | | | | ratings no harm, and unfortunately the behaviour of the |
| Annie Awards, and one Golden Reel Award. | | | | makers of the show is rewarded. |
| It first graced our tv screens in 1999 and has now | | | | In conclusion it may be said that if one can ignore such |
| completed its eighth season. Family Guy is set in a | | | | transgressions, then there is much worthwhile humour |
| fictional town called Quahog, Rhode Island. It tells the | | | | and entertainment to be experienced by watching |
| story of a superficially normal family that not far | | | | Family Guy. |