I think it’s safe to say that many of my readers are fans of the Fox animated hit “Family Guy”. Or at least, you’ve watched an episode or two, in which case, you should already know that they’re equal opportunity offenders. Now, hold on, before you get your Fruit of the Looms in a twist, hear me out. If you’ve watched at least two seasons of Family Guy, you already know that they are not afraid to push the limits, much like their Comedy Central counterpart “South Park” (stay tuned. I may cover them in a future post). We all know Family Guy is not afraid to tackle subjects regarding religion, race, sex and gender issues.
I’m not thrilled that they’re going to make a joke about a character’s sister being raped. I don’t think a rape joke should be included in this episode–or for that matter, any episode of any show. I also don’t think rape jokes are funny and I have an issue with people who do. But I also know one thing: Family Guy is probably not going to back down on the subject. Seriously, at this stage, we should already expect them to offend us with the latest “we probably shouldn’t touch it, but we’re gonna do it anyway” stunt. I’m not even shocked they’re doing it. I’m not saying we should tolerate it, but a show like Family Guy lives to offend. There are shows that would drop the joke in a heartbeat and give a heartfelt apology for even writing the joke, but Family Guy is NOT one of those shows.
After watching this show for several years, I’ve learned that about them. I’ve learned that about South Park, and they offend everybody and their mother. Just ask Cartman. (Hey!) As I pointed out before, I’m offended by rape jokes, but I don’t expect Family Guy to be all that sensitive about the subject. I haven’t had that expectation of them since I started watching the show. When the episode airs, you can do one of two things: watch the show as you normally would with whatever reaction you deem appropriate at the time, or change the channel to another station. It’s entirely up to you. More than likely, I won’t be home when it airs. But I’m sure I’ll read quite a few comments on Facebook afterwards. Now, just so we’re clear, I am NOT an advocate of rape jokes or even of Family Guy’s use of them. I’m simply giving you my take on the whole thing. This really applies to all episodes of Family Guy. Trust me, there will be more offensive jokes after this one.
energeticwizdom 