Did Family Guy Go Too Far?

[tropicsgoddess]

This episode of Family Guy is about Quagmire's sister, Brenda that's in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend, Jeff. What do you think?

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/sho...ne-too-far.hln

[dendawg]

If Family Guy went too far, then so did the Dixie Chicks for "Goodbye Earl," and Farrah Fawcett for "The Burning Bed."

Also, how could they criticize for the controversy, and yet not touch upon Quagmire's apparently regular partaking in auto-erotic asphyxiation?

[bara]

Also, how could they criticize for the controversy, and yet not touch upon Quagmire's apparently regular partaking in auto-erotic asphyxiation?

Or his herd of tagged asian women, when his dad got a sex change...

Im sure I could watch a season and come up with a lot.

Im just guessing nothing else at all happened in the world last night and thats the only reason this had any news coverage.

But from the clips I saw it pretty well described the hell that abused women go through and to the extent that abused women are controlled mentally.

Note: The above comments are for any abusive relationships whether its a male or female suffering the abuse.

[Rebel]

What did they want Family Guy to do?
Show Brenda in an abusive relationship, but once people point out what is going on, suddenly break up with Jeff and in the next scene she's perfectly happy and life is good?

Abusive relationships don't tend to end like that, and people in them don't suddenly realize their situation just because of an outsider commenting on it.

Family Guy showed something that actually happens to a lot of people. It also showed how a the abuse victim can justify it (at least to themselves).

I think this is more a reaction that what was shown was too close to real life situations. I guess people ignored all the other characters who spoke up against the abuse and instead focused on the "poor, stupid woman who was too dumb to leave her abusive relationship".

I'm kinda more insulted that the expert was referring to Brenda in that way.

[siead_lietrathua]

wait, a show that typically is about unsupervised murderous infants, idiotic parents and endophile neighbors went too far with a frank take on domestic abuse?

besides how many times on that show have people been whaled on by their family members? it's just been as a gag instead of the shows theme.

i agree with the "nothing else must have been going on" angle.

[Gravekeeper]

wait, a show that typically is about unsupervised murderous infants, idiotic parents and endophile neighbors went too far with a frank take on domestic abuse?

Yeah, saying "The Family Guy Went Too Far" is basically saying "We don't actually know what Family Guy is". That's sort of the entire point of the show and this is no where remotely the worst thing they've done. >.>

Considering South Park is still on the air too, this is downright tame.

[draggar]

I'm having deja vous over this - isn't domestic violence not uncommon on Family Guy? There was an episode where the whole family got into a brawl...

[Eisa]

Family Guy goes too far for me personally all the time, which is why I keep trying to make myself never watch it again. It's hard to take the constant domestic violence, Quagmire's illegal perviness, the Peter-raped-by-bull scene, the way they make fun of everything...

But that's my own personal triggers, and it's sort of the point.

And I haven't clicked on the link yet, but a lot of abused women don't leave. For whatever reason. And I really hate how people focus on "how stupid" she (or he) must be not to leave...how about focusing the anger and hate on the abuser instead? How stupid do you have to be to abuse and hurt another human being?

[bhskittykatt]

And I really hate how people focus on "how stupid" she (or he) must be not to leave...how about focusing the anger and hate on the abuser instead? How stupid do you have to be to abuse and hurt another human being?

Exactly. It's really easy to see the situation for what it is when you're on the outside, but when you're on the inside, it's a whole different thing. Abusers are very manipulative. It's not just physical; it's financial, emotional, and psychological as well.

I've had friends and coworkers in these sorts of situations. I don't consider any of them to be stupid at all. They were being manipulated and controlled. Looking back they see it, but at the time they didn't, and that's exactly what the abusers were after! When your abuser controls your money, your transportation, your phone calls, all your contact with the outside world...leaving isn't always easy. And if he's (or she's) got you in a real good psychological hold, you won't even want to.

[MrsEclipse]

The video lost credibility with me when she said they were making fun of the abused woman for being too stupid to leave. I didn't see the jokes as coming from her at all.

If anything, the show played out like a Very Special Episode with some jokes thrown in to lighten the tension and a moral that no one should follow in real life.

[Rageaholic]

Yeah, I haven't seen the episode, but from what I can tell, they held back on the jokes and took it pretty seriously.

I dunno, maybe those who didn't like it felt it was out of character of a show like Family Guy to have a Very Special Episode.

[bara]

If the show helps just ONE person see how trapped people can be by abusive husbands/wives then it didnt go to far.

[Beckpatton]

I'm a little worried that I watched the clip and thought "is that it?"

With all the stuff shown on Family Guy this seemed tame, from the networks response I was really expecting the woman to get her head kicked in! But how is this worse than say when Stewie was beating up Brian because he owed him $50?? "Where's my f%&ing money man??!?!!"

I will be paying close attention when the episode finally airs here in full.. or when hubby and I get the dvd's..

[LadyBarbossa]

This from the same show that has poked fun at 9/11, pedophilia, necrophilia, beastiality, rape, and countless other taboos. I really see nothing new here, to be honest.