Family Guy (Fox, Syndicated)

common sense media says

Contrary to its title, this isn't a family show.


parents & educators say
  • 38% say sexual content is an issue
  • 36% say language is an issue

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Family Guy is very funny; the quirky scenarios can induce giggles or even guffaws in grown-ups. But Seth MacFarlane's show isn't meant to be watched by kids or young teens. Unpredictable is the name of the game in the town of Quahog, Rhode Island, where the Griffin family spends most of its time watching television and getting into trouble. The dog, Brian, and the infant, Stewie, are the most intelligent members of the family -- which might set off a few alarm bells in terms of inappropriate role modeling. Expect frequent sexual innuendo and salty language (of the "bitch" and "damn" variety), as well as some drinking and violence played for humor.

Positive messages: Erratic good deeds at best, character assassination at worst -- there's nothing remotely PC about this show.
Positive role models: As a rule, the characters are pretty clueless and and ineffective, even when they mean well. Dog Brian and baby Stewie are the smartest characters -- but Stewie is almost always plotting something evil. Plenty of stereotyping and mockery.
Violence: Plenty of slapstick/violence played for humor, but no main characters face life-threatening injury. Dad Peter owns a gun and produces it now and then.
Sex: Lots of sexual innuendo and references. Sometimes subtle, sometimes overt.
Language: Pretty frequent use of words like "damn," "hell," "bitch," and "ass," plus lewd references to body parts.
Consumerism: Tons of pop culture references.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Characters drink beer and wine frequently.

More on Family Guy

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about when politically correct attitudes are helpful and when they can be harmful. Do you find this show's humor funny or offensive? Why do different people have different reactions to over-the-top humor?
  • What do you make of Peter's excessive love of television? Is this the way anyone should look at the world?
  • If tweens insist on watching this show, be sure to take the time to watch it with them to get a sense of what's going on.

What's the story?

What's the story?
A blend of slapstick and fantasy, Seth MacFarlane's FAMILY GUY -- resurrected for network broadcast after being cancelled and then becoming a huge hit on DVD -- is a TV show within a TV show. Characters include patriarch Peter Griffin (voiced by MacFarlane), who has visions that look like animated channel surfing; Stewie the infant (MacFarlane again), who spews vitriolic one-liners as he throws his bottle across the room; and Brian the dog (yup, MacFarlane does his voice, too), a sensitive, well-read fellow who enjoys his wine.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
This wacky brand of fast-paced humor isn't for everyone. As a plot device, Peter's visions can serve as a distraction, which ultimately disrupts what might be a storyline. On the other hand, the constant cross-references to musicals, literature, plays, and other TV shows might amuse some viewers. Don't expect consistent content from this show.

TV themes & details

TV Details
TV Rating: TV-14
Network: Fox
Cast: Alex Borstein, Seth Green, Seth MacFarlane
Genre: Comedy
Where to watch: Fox

This review was written by Joly Herman
 
 

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What parents & educators say

13
Based on 164 parent & educator reviews:
  • 38% say sexual content is an issue
  • 36% say language is an issue
  • 32% say there's too much drinking, drugs, or smoking
  • 26% say violence is an issue

Most useful reviews by all members

Mr. Carthic
educator
 
mINORS NO
this show could be is rated TV-PG, TV-14 (edited), and TV-MA (uncut). no one under 18 may watch this and should be on HBO or a pay channel.

zacharysm148
teen, 14 years old
 
horrible show should not be on air
bad show that nobodyshould really watch. it's a bad show. lots of alcohol & drugs. Strong language. Strong sexual content that even adults shouldn't be exposed to. Lots of offensive language that's offensive against races & religions. Too violent. It's studpid because like every season they have this dumb clip where peter fights a chicken and it takes like 10 minutes out of the show. No good role models and very bad messages.

kate33
parent of 14 year old
 
WORST,INSENSITIVE,OFFENDING, SHOW ON TV IS FAMILY GUY
DISGUSTING, SICK, VULGAR, INSENSITIVE , OFFENSIVE SHOW...

Steffauri516
parent of 1 and 8 year old
 
Family Guy is a good show, mainly for teens and young adults. It's raunchy potty humor and random hilarity keep young teens interested but there are some very mature subtle subjects that get dropped into the program. While some of the episodes end with a good message or moral-lesson, for the most part they are all the same in their crude humor and lesson-less programming. This show is on for kids age 13 and older.

SpyKidsFan
kid, 11 years old
 
Hilarious!!!
Besides the racism jokes and all that stuff they make fun of hannah montana, marlee matlin, alien, the muppets, jaws, adam sandler. yeah they make fun of everthing but some of the skits are funny and clean but have just some crude humor! It kind of depends what episode your watching to determine if you can't watch the show because some of the episodes hav crude humor and mild language which are mostly theold ones (Seasons 1 and 2)

 
ITS MAURE, ITS INCONSISTENT, ITS LEWD yet...
I love it!!!!!!! Brilliant without sacrificing slapstick.

The Random ...
parent of and 6 , 11 , 11 , 14 year old
 
Bad Show!
This show is very...... bad! There many violent moments as in when Baby Stewie tries to kill Mom Lois! This show also has a lot of sexual references and refers to many people as b*tch and as$. It is very wrong!

 
Funny show for people 12 and up.
I started watching this show when I was 8 (ignore my name, that is a joke), but I do NOT recommend children under 12 should watch it. The show contains occasional graphic violence such as people's heads exploding and being shot with a lot of blood, a lot of sexual content including frequent sexual references and jokes, strong language (however the worst words like the S and F words are always bleeped), along with uses of meth, crack, cocaine, and marijuana. The show also features terrible messages not to be taken seriously like converting people to atheism and condoning marijuana use. The characters are also terrible role models, and almost every character does something terrible whether it is killing, drug use, drinking, perversity or more. Overall, the show can't be taken seriously, but it is not a show for children under the age of 12.

MonarkWing
teen, 15 years old
 
Disturbing....
I hate to say it, but it is intertaning, but I still want to go into the studio and bash the creaters heads in. They were picking on the holocaust! Making it seem like a huge joke. And it is really discusting and a complete waste of one's time. Sex is definetly one of the main topics, it makes me gag. Bad enough at school... Well, do NOT let your kids see this. Just dont if you care at all for your child.

tvgirl
adult
 
Seth MacFarlane's Humor is One of a Kind in "Family Guy"
This show is R-rated comedy for prime time. It is a good show for teenagers and adults to laugh at. It has a lot of one-liner humor, situational humor, and shock value humor. Episodes have parodied political situations, other media, religious beliefs, everyday situations (such as meeting your in-laws), and even their own broadcasting station FOX. This is NOT a show for kids and is intended for older teens and adults, this has even been confirmed by the show's writing staff. It is funny, unpredictable, and on it's way to become the next "The Simpsons". Bottom line: The show is usually rated TV-14 DLSV. Ages 16+. 5/5 stars. Enjoy.

Sasuke_Sakura
kid, 12 years old
 
lol but uhhhh
It is really funny at times, other times i run/change the chanele

 
Bonfire of the Humanities
You don't have to be religious nut or even particularly moral to identify Family guy as an ethical train wreck. This show is loathsome towards woman, and finds humor in making a mockery of sexual violation and wanton murder. I don't know how this one flew under the radar here at common sense.

cheesydude
kid, 12 years old
 
Funny but not appropriate
It's a very funny show, but it's very innapropriate. Also, the dog Brian smokes and drinks a lot. The dad Peter also drinks a lot. There's a lot more swearing than most shows too. It doesn't have very good role models either. If this was your family that would suck. But it's a great show for about 11 and up.

i hate common ...
kid, 12 years old
 
the word f--k is bleeped.
the words are "sh-t" and "d--n". It is ifffy for 12-17, mom doesn't like me watching this show. this is rated TV PG or TV 14 or TV MA and you have to be 17 to watch this in my house. any house except for mine does not have parental controls. We are just gonna wait until we are 17 years of age.

CR90
adult
 
Older prefered
This show can be quite sexual, the daughter is always the but of jokes. I enjoy the show though.

 
Innaproprite
It's a great show hilarious but very innaproprite

 

MissBridgette
parent of and 6 , 9 , 13 , 14 , 17 , 18 year old
 
Good show, not for youngsters
Very funny show, but I don't think kids under the age of 16 should be seeing this stuff. The humor is very adult, so I don't think many kids under that age would get it.

Overdrafts
kid, 13 years old
 
It really depends on your kid's maturity. So funny!
Absolutely HILARIOUS!! Seriously, I couldn't stop laughing!

BenjyBoy10
kid, 11 years old
 
The dumbest show on Earth.
Uses of b***h, a**, h*e, middle fingers, h**l, f**k, d**n, d****t, g*****n, references to Judaisum, violence, drinking, smoking, messages that are stupid, d****e, p***s, p**s, n****r, s**ks, b**ls and s**t are used frankly. Do not watch Family Guy. It's the dumbest, stupid, hyper-sweary, innuidio-ish show ever.

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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
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