by Amer Numan

Created on: October 19, 2009

Despite a very controversial delivery style, Family Guy does present a host of social, political, and religious statements that stir the type of discussions very few people dare to initiate on their own. However, it does so in a very comedic and exaggerated way that is often too obscure for children to understand and too blown-out-of-proportion for adults to take offense. The visuals and sounds make everyone in the family laugh regardless.

Several families I have shared an episode of Family Guy with have enjoyed the show's hidden messages and been pleased that someone, cartoon or not, dares to say something they've been dying to say without being able to, in a world full of law suits and political correctness.

Current topics from the Iraq war to Britney Spears are explored. Debates on abortion, marijuana, and Jesus' story are touched on from all angles. Stereotypes about Arabs, African-Americans, and Russians are hilariously portrayed to show the extent of bias the world is witnessing these days. In an interesting way, it almost prepares the viewer for what they could be faced with at school or work - what stereotypes exist around them.

People who take offense by watching a show like this are simply void of open-mindedness and humor. The show simply tries to make people of different backgrounds and beliefs take a more conscious look at themselves and their biases and just relate to it and laugh about it.

If anything, the show is a channel to portray realities to our kids that we have been unable to portray ourselves. Like a drunk driver crashing into the bar he got drunk in, losing his car and getting injured and later giving up drinking for good, or teenagers falling into clicks at a high school and the different good and bad ones they could run into. Or a woman's role in the household where she is no longer a follower but someone who manages the family and has a very interesting life of her own. Or the misconceptions and attitudes undertaken against your religion and lifestyle and how they're dealt with by different characters.

Adding the comedic touch of an uncontrollable evil infant, Stewie, explores what a baby could possibly be thinking of the family surrounding them, and whether they have their own thoughts and plots for the world. Add a refined, intellectual, eloquent dog, and you have yourself all the angles of an American family - only animated, opinionated, and dissected on screen.

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