Family Guy is an adult animated sitcom that revolves around the shenanigans of Peter Griffin and friends. The sitcom draws humor from its caricature of American Society, and when it comes lampooning issues, it leaves no stone unturned: from race and gender to religion and politics -- Family Guy makes for satire writ large. Not surprisingly, Family Guy has been criticized for its political incorrectness. Nevertheless, the unabashed sitcom had been nominated for many awards -- most prominent among them, the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series.
In this essay, I will analyze one episode (episode 14 from seasons 3 "Peter Griffin: Husband, Father...., Brother?" released December 6, 2001) in the context of Critical Race Theory (CRT). Specifically,
But Chris ' new vernacular doesn 't sit well with Peter, so the unsatisfied father takes it upon himself to teach Chris about their white Irish culture. In the processes of doing so, however, Peter happens upon a genealogy book tracing his family history tree; and much to his surprise, Peter discovers that his great-great-great-great grandfather was a slave named Nate. Surprised initially, Peter decides to identify as a black man and demand reparation from his father in law Carter, whose family owned Nate. Peter does receive reparation but, in humorous twist, looses his white privileges as
Specifically, it depicts the black community as being at the receiving end of the law. After Peter publicly receives reparation from Carter, he is abruptly stopped while driving by a white police officer. "Hey, you 're that black guy I saw in the news conference, ain 't ya?" the police officer inquires. The police man then proceeds to call back up, claiming that Peter stole the car and is acting belligerent. Back up arrives immediately.
Moreover, we see the status quo in play: we see it between Peter and his son Chris. When Chris joins the basketball team, the vernacular of his black comrades edges onto him. Soon, Chris had so adopted Ebonics that Peter damns and douses him with a water hose, as if to wash the impurities off his mouth. Peter 's actions can be interpreted as the imposition of a euro-centric status quo: that is, he is aware that Ebonics is the province of blacks, not whites; and for Chris to adopt such a language is unacceptable by Peter 's
... Peter's wife is on the brink of yelling, urging Peter to wake up. When he finally awakens, he takes Anne out of the burning house where she is reunited with her daughter. Boyce traps Jack in the fire by pouring gasoline on him before dying. Peter rushes back into the burning house where he sees his wife and daughters for the last time and is finally forced to let them go. At this point he has coped with his Dissociative Identity Disorder and is letting the traumatic event go. He fully lets go of Will Atenton and embraces his new found self, Peter Ward.
The novel The Garies and their Friends is a realistic examination of the complex psychology of blacks who try to assimilate through miscegenation and crossing the color barrier by “passing as white.” Frank J. Webb critiques why blacks cannot pass as being white through the characters Mr. Winston and Clarence Jr.
One concept from chapter eight I find to be very relevant to this episode are the theories of race and ethnicity, specifically the conflict theory. The conflict theory is the belief that majority groups use racism and ethnocentrism to protect their interests (Ferris, 2016). This episode touched a lot upon the history of racism and racial construction within the united states. Caucasians justified their actions and protected their interests by constructing racial superiority and scientific beliefs that were racist, which is an example of
One examples is, even before his surgery was complete and he had not made the full transition from white to black yet, he was startled at what he heard from his doctor. At the time of his surgery, he spoke with the dermatologist who was changing his skin color, and found out that even this man had prejudices over black people. The doctor was insistent that the “lighter-skinned Negroes” were more ethical and more sensible than the darker-skinned ones. This man, with a high intellectual IQ and much schooling, also claimed that, as a whole group and race, blacks are always violent. Griffin, horrified that he let this man be in charge of his operation, was utterly and completely appalled that a liberal man could indulge in such hateful fallacies. Not only before and during his surgery does Griffin find himself being appalled by white people, but also during his time as a black man in the south he experienced many harsh and unfriendly situations, he never would have experienced if he was a white man. For example, on his first day as a black man he goes into a drugstore forgetting his skin color and that he now, since he is black, he forbidden from ordering a fountain drink, but after a few mean and disgusted looks from the white workers he realizes, he wasn’t even allowed in the store. His first day hit him hard when he figured out that everywhere he went whites seemed to look at him with suspicion and hostility. Also, after having the word nigger seem to never escape his ears its implications almost became unbearable. Hearing this really made me think about all of the black people in the south that have had to put up this and even worse things every day of their lives and how strong they all were; a white man has been through this one day and can barely take it; how have these people put up with this for so
In D. W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation the interactions between black and white characters represent Griffith’s view of an appropriate racial construct in America. His ideological construction is white dominance and black subordination. Characters, such as the southern Cameron’s and their house maid, who interact within these boundaries, are portrayed as decent people. Whereas characters who cross the line of racial oppression; such as Austin Stoneman, Gus and Silas Lynch, are portrayed as bad. Both Lynch and Lydia Brown, the mulatto characters, are cast in a very negative light because they confuse the ideological construct the most. The mixing of races puts blacks and whites on a common ground, which, in Griffith’s view, is a big step in the wrong direction. Griffith portrays how the relationship between blacks and whites can be good only if the color line and positions of dominance and subordination are maintained. Through the mulatto characters he illustrates the danger that blurring the color line poses to American society.
The father figure is now shown more as a responsible, loving, and moral person with more realistic faults. Color now seems, through evolution, to be taken out of the equation for the African-American television families.
...nly seen in everyday television. Common beliefs of black families being more aggressive, having lesser moral values, and living less socially acceptable and lawful lives can be clearly seen through the actions of the white characters, and the thoughts that Chris expresses throughout the episode. The show uses satire to exaggerate black stereotypes to the point where it means the opposite of the comedic nature of which it was presented. The treatment and visualization of the lives of the black characters in the episode, through comedy and exaggeration, clearly shows the real-life problem of black stereotyping that is still all too present in American life. Chris’ everyday life as a black student in a white school and struggle to “fit in” is a struggle that non-white students have faced and are still facing today.
The American Dream is something that defines the United States of America, where everyone has the right to pursue happiness in the land of opportunity. The American Dream is different for everyone because it is simply whatever one considers the happiest possible way of living. Although interpretations of the American Dream are different, there are usually common elements that exist, such as a house, a family, and being financially stable. Today, popular series like Duck Dynasty and Modern Family portray different versions of the American Dream and images of family life in the United States. Anyone who is even remotely familiar with these shows would agree that they could not be more different. Despite this claim, Duck Dynasty and Modern Family are becoming increasingly popular because they both display important family values and reflect struggles facing 21st century families, making them relatable to broad audiences.
Family Guy, an animated sitcom about a New England family and their everyday dilemmas, is a way for viewers to see the comedic side of a dysfunctional family. The Griffins consist of Peter and Lois, the patriarch and matriarch, and Meg, Chris, and Stewie are the children(Family Guy). Every character is different from the next character. They are also weird in their own way. The television show itself displays feminism, structuralism, and gay and lesbian criticism. Each character in the show also displays those criticisms in a certain fashion. Family Guy can be offensive to viewers with its satire, and the way the show delivers its message can make the family and the other characters in the show seem dysfunctional.
Different Strokes a comedy sitcom, first aired in 1978, and lasted until 1986. This sitcom consisted of a widowed Manhattan millionaire, Phillip Drummond , who adopted two orphaned brothers. Arnold who was 8 years old and Willis who was 12. The boys' mother was Drummonds housekeeper who became very ill, so Drummond made a promise to her that he would take care of her two sons after she passed away. Drummond treated the two boys like his own. He also lived with his daughter, Kimberly, who was 13 years old, and his current housekeeper. This sitcom showed typical life lessons in growing up, and social problems that were occurring during that time. Some of the aspects of this show were both positive and negative.
2.Growing up I watched a show called "Everybody Hates Chris" I really love this show because it had a significance meaning behind it all. This show presents both social class and social mobility.His social class is being poor. Social mobility is being showed when they modernized their lifestyle by moving out of the projects to live in an all white neighborhood. It was difficult for chris to adapt because he was colored and was treated unfairy. His brother and sister were able to get an education in their old neighborhood while he had to go to a school called Brooklyn beach which was a poor neighborhood on the other side of his town. He's mother felt that him going to a white school will provide him with a better education. He had big responsiblities
It shows that every time the police is called it doesn’t have to result into something negative. For instance, once the other children seen Officer White engages in a game of basketball with their peers, they ran outside and joined them. The children wasn’t committing a crime nor bothering anyone they were children being children playing outside. The compassion he had for the children, because the emergency dispatcher was called on them for simply being children. Officer White reassured them that they didn’t do anything wrong, and it was okay to play basketball outside.
A most poignant document of Black Mountain College's early years is the snapshot of Josef and Anni Albers's arrival, published in Nordi Carolina's AsheviUe Citizen on December 5, 1933 (Fig. 1). "Germans to Teach Art near Here" the caption reads, though "Fresh Off the Boat" would do just as well; the grainy newsprint depicts the couple posed tensely in formal attire - he in tie and jacket, she in fur, cloche, and veil. Tightly angled in a corner, they look very much the anxious, recent immigrants. While Anni's mild gaze seeks out the viewer, Josef averts his eyes, his stiff bearing and tightly clasped hands registering trepidation, even strain. Fleeing the Nazi regime, the couple left Berlin for the site of a newly founded experimental school in rural Appalachia, a quite
Chris was my best friend as a kid. He often told me hilarious stories of his outrageous family, rundown neighborhood, and sympathetic, but extremely racist school. I always had my ears open to listen to him verbalize his complex life for many hours in a day, but our time unfortunately concluded and I wouldn’t see him as frequently anymore. During my adolescence, I made a new friend named April. She made me laugh so hard that I would burst into tears. Somehow, she discovered my dark sense of humor and her oddly monotoned voice made her lifestyle and persona intriguing, but after a couple of weeks her story finished and I was recommended to consume nine seasons filled with escapades of coworkers in an office. April Ludgate from Parks and Recreation and Chris from Everybody Hates Chris are more than just characters, they were my child hood friends. I would observe their frequent reruns and binge their shows multiple times. Not because I had nothing to do, but I found people who are just like me. I finally found my muse when I was a person with a voice, aching to be heard, but couldn’t find the
Being that their professions are journalism and ministry, John Griffin and Nathan Price are accustomed to the use of words, whether written or spoken, to reach out to others and relay information. Once they cross over into the new territories, their abilities to be heard accurately or at all become difficult. In this new setting, Griffin finds the opportunity to speak to a white person does not present itself because it is preceded by a silent language spoken by whites. He first encounters this silent language outside a "Whites Only" restaurant as he is reading the menu in the window. He says, "I looked up to see the frowns of disapproval that can s...