Tonight flipping through the channels I stumbled across family guy. I do enjoy the show and it can sometimes be very funny. The one that was on tonight was titled "Whistle While Your Wife Works". Peter has fallen behind at work and needs Lois to help him catch up. Lois goes to the office and helps Peter with his work. As that happens Brian starts to date a very pretty but very stupid girl, who happens to be blonde of course, named Jillian. This episode depicts alot of the topics we discussed in class starting with Lois having to not only help Peter with his own office work, but also run the household. The episode also taps into another topic that we covered in class. The "lady in the street but a freak in the bed", because Lois is helping out Peter in his office, Peter wants him and Lois to have sex right there because he thinks it will be "hot". When they do have sex Lois's whole demeanor changes and she actually initiates it, where Peter responds by saying "Thanks for having sex with me in my office, I knew I'd get you". While Lois is helping Peter with HIS work he says, "It's like your my secretary". Wait? isn't she doing the exact same work he was assigned to do, but when she does it she is some how below him in job status. The title of the show should be Family Women, not Family Guy. Lois holds the family together, what does Peter actually do?
I also mentioned that Brian is dating a girl named Jillian. She is tall, skinny, blonde and has big boobs. Did I mention that she isn't very bright. Jillian can be beautiful but why can't she be smart too? The show depicts the "perfect looking" women, but she can't be smart at the same time.
I love Family Guy (It seems like stupidity is the new cocaine) but I 100% agree with your post. It's really sad to think about how sexism becomes a big joke on this show (any so many other popular shows for that matter). Since we've started our class, I've noticed that I start to question a lot of popular society when it comes to sexism and feminism - and it's awesome to see other people feel the same way!
ReplyDeleteI think that is the point of Family Guy. It uses humor to kind of hold a mirror to Americans about the ridiculous parts of our culture. Whether or not using humor/irony to deconstruct how people view the world is effective or not is an entirely different question though.
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