Family Guy

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Contrary to its title, this isn't a family show.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

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.

  • Erratic good deeds at best, character assassination at worst -- there's nothing remotely PC about this show.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Lots of sexual innuendo and references. Sometimes subtle, sometimes overt.
  • Pretty frequent use of words like "damn," "hell," "bitch," and "ass," plus lewd references to body parts.
  • Tons of pop culture references.
  • Characters drink beer and wine frequently.

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?

 

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.


Explore, discuss, enjoy

  • 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.


This review of Family Guy was written by
Educator
May 3, 2010
 
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.

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Parent of 14 year old
April 30, 2011
 
WORST,INSENSITIVE,OFFENDING, SHOW ON TV IS FAMILY GUY
DISGUSTING, SICK, VULGAR, INSENSITIVE , OFFENSIVE SHOW...
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Kid, 12 years old
July 17, 2009
 
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.
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Parent of an infant and 7 year old
September 3, 2010
 
A Hit and Miss program
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.
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Kid, 9 years old
February 6, 2010
 
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)
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Adult
February 26, 2009
 
ITS MAURE, ITS INCONSISTENT, ITS LEWD yet...
I love it!!!!!!! Brilliant without sacrificing slapstick.

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Parent of an infant, 5, 11, 11, and 14 year old
February 1, 2011
 
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!
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Adult
February 26, 2011
 
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.
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Adult
June 30, 2009
 
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.
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Teen, 14 years old
June 29, 2010
 
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.
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This review of Family Guy was written by
TV rating:TV-14
Networks:Fox, Syndicated
Cast:Alex Borstein, Seth Green, Seth MacFarlane
Genre:Comedy

This review of Family Guy was written by
 

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