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I hate politically correct comedy. Comedy is supposed to offended you with the truth and make fun of everybody.
Rich Appel and Alec Sulkin told Deadline’s sister publication TV Line that the long-running show is evolving, although still decidedly politically incorrect. The Seth MacFarlane series features the adventures of the Griffin family of Quahog, R.I.,
“If you look at a show from 2005 or 2006 and put it side by side with a show from 2018 or 2019, they’re going to have a few differences,” Sulkin said. “Some of the things we felt comfortable saying and joking about back then, we now understand is not acceptable.”
Appel said that any show on the air 20 years (Family Guy first aired on Jan. 31, 1999), “the culture changes. And it’s not us reacting and thinking, “They won’t let us [say certain things].” No, we’ve changed too. The climate is different, the culture is different and our views are different. They’ve been shaped by the reality around us, so I think the show has to shift and evolve in a lot of different ways.”
Even though the most recent show featured a brawl where Donald Trump suffered a beating, the EPs said they are even-handed politically.
“We’ve had some episodes in the past that had some left leanings in them,” Sulkin said. “But we take hard shots all around. We’ve made fun of the Clintons and Barack Obama. It’s not like we would avoid anyone because we vote this way or that way. In any time that Family Guyhas been on, we’ve pointed out idiots and the dumb things they do. This just happens to be our current person, and it would be no different if a Democrat were doing something idiotic, which they do.”
Appel concurred. “We’re not proselytizing for one political agenda; hypocrisy, lying and buffoonery in the public sphere should just be called out.”
“If you look at a show from 2005 or 2006 and put it side by side with a show from 2018 or 2019, they’re going to have a few differences,” Sulkin said. “Some of the things we felt comfortable saying and joking about back then, we now understand is not acceptable.”
Appel said that any show on the air 20 years (Family Guy first aired on Jan. 31, 1999), “the culture changes. And it’s not us reacting and thinking, “They won’t let us [say certain things].” No, we’ve changed too. The climate is different, the culture is different and our views are different. They’ve been shaped by the reality around us, so I think the show has to shift and evolve in a lot of different ways.”
Even though the most recent show featured a brawl where Donald Trump suffered a beating, the EPs said they are even-handed politically.
“We’ve had some episodes in the past that had some left leanings in them,” Sulkin said. “But we take hard shots all around. We’ve made fun of the Clintons and Barack Obama. It’s not like we would avoid anyone because we vote this way or that way. In any time that Family Guyhas been on, we’ve pointed out idiots and the dumb things they do. This just happens to be our current person, and it would be no different if a Democrat were doing something idiotic, which they do.”
Appel concurred. “We’re not proselytizing for one political agenda; hypocrisy, lying and buffoonery in the public sphere should just be called out.”
‘Family Guy’ Is “Phasing Out” Jokes About Gay People, Executive Producers Say https://t.co/IG3CmAk7lC pic.twitter.com/onZcAUBU0B
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) January 15, 2019
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