Family Guy Funny and True Joke

Being one of the first adult animation shows to grace the small screen, Family Guy is known for its crude humor, offensive jokes, and raunchiness for the sake of raunchiness. Critics of the show have called it hateful, with a plethora of jokes that are racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, etc. If you think of a really offensive joke, chances are Family Guy has beat you to it. The creator, Seth MacFarlane, has gone on to create many other comedy shows.

That being said, longtime fans of the show have probably caught certain moments that deliver more than just comedy. Being that Family Guy is a satire of all of our favorite suburban family sitcoms of the '90s, it makes sense that in between the jokes the show runners deliver us with semi-hopeful messages on love, family, growing up, etc., just like the sitcoms Family Guy is spoofing. These moments aren't as rare as one might think, you just have to know where to find them.

Death Reminds Peter To Appreciate Lois ("Death Lives", Season 3, Episode 6)

Death shows up more than a few times throughout the show to help Peter (Seth MacFarlane) understand the meaning of life. When Peter blows Lois (Alex Borstein) off on their anniversary to go golfing with the guys, he is struck by lightning and visited by Death.

The episode gives some insight into the relationship of the two characters through a series of flashbacks, and it's genuinely romantic. As Peter walks through his own past he remembers what it was that drew him and Lois together, the way that bond has shifted and changed over the past 20 years, and he vows to appreciate his wife much more. And, he actually does, at least for the rest of that episode.

Lois Attempts To Reform Sex Education Teachings ("Prick Up Your Ears", Season 5, Episode 6)

When Lois realizes that Meg (Mila Kunis) and Chris' (Seth Green) high school is teaching an abstinence-only sex education program, she volunteers to teach the course herself. Of course, her class material soon meets backlash from parents who don't want their children knowing anything about sex, including birth control and such.

Lois' drive within this episode comes from a genuine care and respect for the kids, as well as the understanding that forcing abstinence on teenagers creates an extremely unrealistic expectation and just increases the rate of STD's and teen pregnancies. It all comes to a head when Lois crashes an abstinence-only teaching assembly and gets the message across that sex is completely natural, and it isn't something to be ashamed of or avoided.

Brian And Stewie Save Meg From Human Trafficking ("Leggo My Meg-O", Season 10, Episode 20)

The most endearing part of Brian (MacFarlane) and Stewie's (MacFarlane) journey to rescue Meg is that it is so uncharacteristic of the show to have such a plot. Meg, being the butt of constant jokes, is universally panned as the least-favorite member of the Griffin family, but this episode sees the dog and baby dynamic duo tracking her down in a Taken-esque style and rescuing her from her kidnappers.

This is an important moment because it is one of several instances of Brian and Stewie taking pity on Meg. The former two characters are considered to be the most reasonable and sane in the Griffin family (though the bar is pretty low) so for them to ally themselves with Meg is to imply that the family's constant abuse of Meg is stupid, cruel, and insane, which of course it is.

Brian Talks Meg Out Of Robbing A Store And Going On The Lam ("Dial Meg For Murder", Season 8, Episode 11)

After Meg goes to prison for harboring a fugitive, she comes back completely changed. In this Family Guy episode, Meg becomes the abuser and all the others the abused, and it is actually really satisfying. Violence should never be condoned but watching Meg finally get back at her family after years of abuse is genuinely a pleasurable viewing experience. Frankly, they had it coming.

Be that as it may, that isn't Meg's personality, and while watching her physically and emotionally abuse her family members is hilariously disturbing, and the perfect Family Guy gag, in the end it's Brian who brings her back to who she is. When Meg takes Brian hostage and attempts to rob Mort's pharmacy, Brian intervenes. He reminds her of how smart, kind, and genuinely caring she is, despite all the abuse she has suffered throughout her life. It is truly a tender moment between the two characters, and it is one of the finer moments of the show's run.

Joe And Bonnie's First Meeting ("Internal Affairs", Season 10, Episode 23)

When Bonnie (Jennifer Tilly) leaves Joe (Patrick Warburton) after he has an affair, Joe realizes how much he loves his wife and looks back on some early memories of their relationship. Specifically, he looks on the first time they met, which involved the raid of a strip club, a well-used pair of handcuffs, and Toto's magnum opus, "Africa".

The flashback shows Joe and his fellow police officers raiding the strip club, and it's love at first sight when he sees Bonnie on the pole. Accompanied by "Africa", the scene is absolutely hilarious, but it is also kind of sweet. A surprisingly romantic lap dance was given, and Jo and Bonnie's relationship began. What makes the episode even sweeter is that Joe recreates the whole scene for Bonnie to prove how much she means to him, and they make up.

Brian And Stewie In The Vault ("Brian and Stewie", Season 8, Episode 17)

Family Guy gets philosophical when Brian and Stewie are trapped in a vault for 36 hours and have nothing to do but talk about life. The episode explores the characters' dynamics and what makes them work so well with each other. You almost forget they are voiced by the same person.

In the vault, Brian and Stewie talk about life, love, and what they mean to each other. Brian confides in Stewie that he's thought about suicide, and Stewie tells him he couldn't live without him. The episode is about friendship and closeness, and the ability to find meaning in your relationship to others, and for them to find meaning in you.

Brian, Meg, Book Burnings, And God ("Not All Dogs Go To Heaven", Season 7, Episode 11)

When Meg is bedridden because Lois and Peter neglected to get her a mumps shot, she spends weeks watching a Christian enthusiast channel and suddenly becomes very devout. Naturally, this causes a rift between her and Brian as she spends the majority of the episode trying to convert him, going so far as to tell the liquor store and bar that he is an atheist so no one in town will serve him alcohol. Ouch.

When Meg takes Brian to a book burning, he puts his foot down, and it is he who converts her. In the end, Meg decides she doesn't believe in God and is left feeling hopeless, but Brian comforts her by telling her the journey of life is to find meaning, and just because she hasn't found it in God doesn't mean she won't find it somewhere else.

Peter And The Gang Rob Lois' Dad So Joe Can Pay His Massive Hospital Bill ("Ocean's Three and a Half", Season 7, Episode 7)

Remember when there was a long-running gag in Family Guy that Bonnie was eternally pregnant? Well, after being pregnant for seven seasons she finally gives birth to Susie, voiced by the amazing Patrick Stewart. Bonnie and Joe are left with a terrible hospital bill.

Peter gets together with Joe, Quagmire (MacFarlane), and Cleveland (Mike Henry), and they plan a robbery of Lois' wealthy father. They politely asked Carter for the money, but he refuses to give it to them even though he has more than enough to spare. However, Lois convinces Joe not to go through with it, and she gets the money from her father under false pretenses. So, it wasn't just Peter that came through for Joe, but Lois as well. See, that's some wholesome, family-friendly content.

Quagmire And His Dad ("Quagmire's Dad", Season 8, Episode 18)

Of all the characters in Family Guy, Quagmire is probably the least likely to have a redeeming moment, but they did manage to squeeze a few in there. This episode sees Quagmire being visited by his war-hero father, whom he adores, and finding out his father plans on transitioning from male to female, as he's been unhappy in his skin for a long time.

Naturally, many jokes were made and Quagmire is left feeling confused and bewildered, but in the end he comes around and tells his father, now going by Ida, that he accepts her no matter what. If she is happy, he is happy. Despite all the jokes made, the episode had Trans representation and showed a series regular accepting a Trans relative for who she was, and that's a win. Frankly, we take what we can get with this show.

Meg And Brian During The Hurricane ("Seahorse Seashell Party", Season 10, Episode 2)

There are several Brian and Meg moments mentioned, but this one is arguably the best. When a hurricane rocks Quahog and the Griffins are stuck inside all night, Brian ingests psychedelic mushrooms and Meg finally blows up on her family after suffering years of abuse. It is intensely satisfying to watch Meg rip apart Peter, Lois, and Chris, reducing them to tears one by one.

However, when she realizes her words have broken everyone and split the family apart, she confides in Brian that she would rather bear the brunt of the family's dysfunction than see it all fall apart. In this episode Meg voices aloud the realization that all the ways her family members have hurt her over the years were all symptoms of their own insecurities and fears; it had nothing to do with her. It is a revelation that has been a long time coming. Brian agrees with Meg and tells her she is the strongest person in the family, which she is. Whether you agree with Meg's decision to continue taking the abuse for her family's sake, the point is that she finds closure and a sense of peace in realizing there isn't anything fundamentally wrong with her.

Next: Best 'Family Guy' Christmas Episodes, Ranked

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