Critique of Family Guy
Haley Weller
Professor Burt
ENL101-41
28 October 2012
A Critique of Family Guy and Freud: Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious As Antonia Peacocke quotes in her essay, “The show Family Guy is one of the first in history that has been canceled not just once, but twice” (300-301). The show was brought back in August 2000 and again in July 2001 when fans could not get enough of the adult cartoon. As well as being a fan favorite, Family Guy is also a controversial topic for critics all over the world. In the essay, “Family Guy and Freud: Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious”, Antonia Peacocke analyzes the show and gives her reasons why it is not all negative and crude humor. Antonia Peacocke is a student at Harvard University. She is also a National Merit Scholar, and has won awards such as the Catherine Fairfax MacRae prize for Excellence in both English and Mathematics. She was asked to write this essay specifically for the book They Say, I say: with readings. The Peacocke’s main point of her entire essay is that she wants to let readers know why Family Guy is not a bad show, in her and others opinions, but one that has been criticized for solely bringing entertainment. Peacocke does a successful job in portraying this, but it is not completely clear until the end, where her thesis can be found. The very last sentence of the essay is her thesis: “While I love Family Guy as much as any fan, it’s important not to lose sight of what’s truly unfunny in real life – even as we appreciate what is hilarious in fiction” (Peacocke 308). Peacocke’s thesis could be a little more clear throughout her essay, therefore, I do not feel it is as effective as it could be, but the author clearly states her argument and presents her case. Peacocke starts the essay of by saying, “ Before I was such a devotee, however, I was adamantly opposed to the program for its particular brand of humor” (Peacocke 300). She makes it clear her feelings about the show in the very
Professor Burt
ENL101-41
28 October 2012
A Critique of Family Guy and Freud: Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious As Antonia Peacocke quotes in her essay, “The show Family Guy is one of the first in history that has been canceled not just once, but twice” (300-301). The show was brought back in August 2000 and again in July 2001 when fans could not get enough of the adult cartoon. As well as being a fan favorite, Family Guy is also a controversial topic for critics all over the world. In the essay, “Family Guy and Freud: Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious”, Antonia Peacocke analyzes the show and gives her reasons why it is not all negative and crude humor. Antonia Peacocke is a student at Harvard University. She is also a National Merit Scholar, and has won awards such as the Catherine Fairfax MacRae prize for Excellence in both English and Mathematics. She was asked to write this essay specifically for the book They Say, I say: with readings. The Peacocke’s main point of her entire essay is that she wants to let readers know why Family Guy is not a bad show, in her and others opinions, but one that has been criticized for solely bringing entertainment. Peacocke does a successful job in portraying this, but it is not completely clear until the end, where her thesis can be found. The very last sentence of the essay is her thesis: “While I love Family Guy as much as any fan, it’s important not to lose sight of what’s truly unfunny in real life – even as we appreciate what is hilarious in fiction” (Peacocke 308). Peacocke’s thesis could be a little more clear throughout her essay, therefore, I do not feel it is as effective as it could be, but the author clearly states her argument and presents her case. Peacocke starts the essay of by saying, “ Before I was such a devotee, however, I was adamantly opposed to the program for its particular brand of humor” (Peacocke 300). She makes it clear her feelings about the show in the very
Cited: Peacocke, Antonia. “Family Guy and Freud: Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious.” They Say, I Say: with readings. Ed. Cathy Birkenstein, Russel Durst, and Gerald Graff. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. 300-308. Print.