'American Dad' Joins 'Family Guy' on Fox

“It seems today that all you see is violence in movies and sex on TV/But where are those good old-fashioned values on which we used to rely?/Lucky there’s a Family Guy/Lucky there’s a man who positively can do all the things that make us laugh and cry/He’s a Family Guy!”

That’s the opening to Fox's Family Guy, and you'd think that such a grand and inspiring intro would herald a return to wholesome TV.

It doesn't.

Bumbling Dads Unite!
Newsweek recently labeled Family Guy “a traditional domestic sitcom soaked in battery acid.” They're right on the money, and the same description fits series sibling—and near clone—American Dad. (Both shows were created by animator Seth MacFarlane.)

Led by a dim-witted father named Peter, Family Guy’s Griffin clan includes two teenagers, a talking dog and a brainiac infant consumed with ruling the world. American Dad’s Smiths are headed by an equally dim-witted dad, CIA agent Stan, and include two kids, a talking goldfish and a braniac alien consumed with escaping the house. Both families have a token level-headed (but ancillary) mom.

An American Family Tree
In 1999, Family Guy became a hit after only a handful of episodes. Trying to put a dent in NBC’s mammoth Friends ratings, Fox eagerly moved the promising show to Thursday nights, where it quickly fizzled. It was canceled in 2002. Then, to promote an upcoming DVD, Family Guy was included in Cartoon Network’s late-night “Adult Swim” lineup, where it promptly stirred up the ratings water, bringing in more young males than even time-slot competitors Jay Leno and David Letterman. Fans proceeded to buy more than 3 million DVDs. And Fox began paying attention—again.

Already committed to pushing new series American Dad, the network did something unprecedented. It revived Family Guy and, hoping to draw its loyal cable viewers, slotted it alongside American Dad.

The Same, But Different
“The Seth MacFarlane Hour” was now official. Fox felt the two shows were distinct enough to run back-to-back, and MacFarlane didn’t object. “Where Family Guy is a very pop culture-oriented show, American Dad is going to be a bit more politically satirical, socially and culturally satirical,” he said prior to the launch.

What does that look like? Family Guy mercilessly pokes at The Passion of the Christ, spoofs Star Wars scenes and mimics the opening of Law & Order. American Dad takes political jabs at the likes of Brit Hume, Sean Hannity, Allan Greenspan and, of course, George W. Bush, while caricaturing right-wing Republicans through its thick-headed leading man.

Both shows operate by the same guiding principle, however: Nothing is off-limits. From necrophilia to cocaine to oral sex to gay sex, it’s all there. Sex, alcohol and drug jokes and visuals get rapid-fire delivery. Trying to describe the messy material MacFarlane generates is like attempting to wipe up a mud puddle on a country road.

On American Dad, for instance, the family goldfish constantly hits on Stan’s wife, celebrating the day she forgot to wear underpants. In another episode, Stan and his wife discover their hippie daughter has rebelled by becoming a stripper. To show their unconditional support and love as “good” parents, they sit on the front row during one of her routines, cheering, making crude remarks and tossing money onto the stage. Yet another episode shows a naked Stan in a hot tub with two gay neighbors. (As expected, penis jokes follow.)

Family Guy is equally uncouth, with one recent show winking at a sex addict who spies on women in the bathroom. Another has the genius baby swiping a condom off a couple “in action”—so he can give it to his teenage brother who wants to "score" with his buxom teacher.

In the meantime, both series take pot shots at God, Christians, Muslims, blacks, the homeless, the blind and the handicapped. MacFarlane apparently intends to offend whomever can be offended—and he’s making no apologies, as long as it garners a laugh. He admits “it’s not the most cutting-edge comedy in the world, but there’s just a flavor to that stuff that I think is just so wonderful. ... In the design style and music, it’s very traditional, but we layer the outrageous comedy on top of that. What you get is the best of all worlds.”

Exactly how Family Guy and American Dad can be considered the best of anything is almost as incomprehensible as a pet alien, a talking dog and a baby bent on world domination.