Broadcast TV Show - Family Guy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Broadcast TV Show - Family Guy - Research Paper Example Family Guy, for example, is an animated evening sitcom broadcast by the FOX network that celebrates the dysfunction of the American family but attempts to encourage more critical thinking in social commentary. Generally, Family Guy presents the different adventures of an average American family that includes the four major roles within the dysfunctional family. The Griffin family consists of the overweight, mentally disadvantaged father Peter, his fallen debutante wife Lois, their oldest son Chris, daughter Meg, infant son Stewie, and anthropomorphic pet dog Brian. Chris is almost as stupid as his father, but he takes on the role of the caretaker, "the families social director or clown, diverting the familys attention from pain and anger" (Burney, 2008). Meg is the scapegoat, seen as the unathletic, not necessarily intellectual, slightly overweight, highly insecure, unpopular girl. Stewie is the genius of the family and is set up for the family hero role. Although hes an infant that no one else in the family seems to understand, he constantly comes up with new inventions and ideas of how to eliminate his mother or to rule the world. His plans are sometimes stopped, sometimes joined, by Br ian, the other intellectual member of the family and takes on the role of the lost child. Where Stewies motivations are generally childishly selfish, Brian has a more mature outlook and attempts to add reason back into the conversations. Unlike Stewie, Brian can be understood by the family. It is thought these types of shows are entertaining because they help us feel better about ourselves or our own dysfunctional families. "All families have challenges and problems and sometimes very serious ones. And somehow, when we see them on film, I guess it somehow expiates our own troubles" (Shapiro, 2008). To understand how the show both celebrates American dysfunction and attempts to encourage critical thought within social commentary, it is