The Cinematique’s Top Five TV Moments #3 – Family Guy

“Violence in movies and sex on TV” is all we get nowadays but that particular saying is made more ironic by the opening theme of one of our favourite animated shows Family Guy, which is the focus of my third installment of my Top Five TV moments. Years ago, The Simpsons held the crown as the beloved US cartoon and became lauded by critics and audiences but once adult themes became more prominent on TV, it was Family Guy which benefited from that and attracted a large audience. Even after surviving two cancellations, the show refused to back down as creator Seth MacFarlane’s creative but obscure mind ensured that it would still be universally loved today after over a decade on our screens. We are lucky that there’s a Family Guy show to keep us laughing.

PETER GRIFFIN: “Oh my god, Brian, there’s a message in my Alphabits. It says, ‘Oooooo.'”

BRIAN GRIFFIN: “Peter, those are Cheerios.”

#5 – Chowder Vomiting

The first moment on this list is ironically the first scene I ever watched of Family Guy which was courtesy of my brother who already had been laughing over this show a few years back. Never could The Simpsons do a scene this grotesque as the four male characters Peter, Brian, Chris and Stewie have a contest by drinking some medicine. Cue 90 seconds of vileness in which by the end of this clip, all four of them are soaked in their own vomit having thrown up one at a time with Lois’s bad timing worsening things when she chooses to ask them if they want chowder! It’s a horrid moment but that’s adult humour for you which is what attracted me to the series!

 

#4 – Bag of Weed musical number

One of the genius things about Family Guy has been its spoofing of cultural situations whether they be films, television shows or music. It has been the latter situation that has been the most successful with MacFarlane always having the skill to make or ridicule songs. Probably the best example of that was when MacFarlane’s crew cleverly re-wrote the ‘Me Ol’ Bamboo’ song from beloved children’s film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and turned it into a pro-marijuana musical number started by Stewie and Brian as they attempt to make weed legal in Quahog. Throughout this moment, the song also sees the pair poke fun at Helen Keller and Michael Jackson via the clever writing. Leading star Dick Van Dyke must be appalled at the sight of one of his classic film songs being reworded to talk about legalising weed!

 

#3 – It’s a Wonderful Day for Pie

As mentioned with the previous moment, Family Guy likes to poke fun at everything in artistic entertainment which leads us to this classic scene from the brilliant Road to the Multiverse episode. When Brian and Stewie are teleported to different worlds, they eventually encounter the Disney universe which sees them transform into Disney characters. It’s a stunning sequence which reminds us of old-school Disney as it is immaculately recreated here (though poor Meg still ends up being an octopus)! But even when we have all the characters singing about pies, the dark humour soon sets in as Mort Goldman gets a brutal beating from the anti-Semitic characters which is something Walt Disney may have been proud of!

 

#2 – Bird is the word

Have you guys heard what my second favourite Family Guy moment is? “Crap!” says Stewie! When Peter discovers a record from the Trashmen of “The Bird is the Word”, he becomes instantly attached to it much to the chagrin of his family as he blurts out the song on various occasions in this episode (and later ones). The most hilarious moment though comes from this scene where he sneakily tries to use an article in the newspaper to make a point about whether Brian has heard the word. Poor Stewie’s desperate cry for Brian to shush proves ineffective as Peter gets his dance moves on and sings to the point where he nearly has a stroke. Even when he sleeps, the song is hummed! While it may have its critics, Bird is the Word is regarded as one of the most memorable things about Family Guy and always raises a smile on my face whenever it makes an appearance in the newer episodes!

 

#1 – Peter vs. Giant Chicken Part 4

While Family Guy has been lauded for its comical humour, it has also earned credit for its visuality. But when it comes to action on a big scale, I have never been more astounded by action in animation than the epic fight sequences between Peter and his nemesis The Giant Chicken. What started off as a little argument between the unlikely pair over a coupon soon led to four of the most pulsating and vicious fight scenes you can ever watch in an animated show as they clash everywhere whether it be on an underground train or on top of a Ferris wheel or the most recent one in space. The irony about them is that despite how long they go on for, they never interrupt what is going on in that scene e.g. Peter and Lois’s conversation about Chris. Though critics say these scenes are just filler for the episodes, Seth MacFarlane and his team do put a lot of hard work into these bruising encounters and even find time to spoof scenes from films like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Back to the Future Part III. It has been this type of humour that brought me to the world of Family Guy and long may it continue! Giggity“!

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