Family Guy: where pop culture meets truth

Speaking of universal truth and the pop culture binge reminds me of a particular achievement of creative ingenuity that miraculously manages to combine both in a compelling fashion. It is firmly ensconced in the mainstream, yet unrelenting in its scathing critique of the same. It is crass and sometimes outright disgusting, yet incredibly perceptive and subtle. It is childish, yet strictly adult. It is possibly the most contradictory show on TV and the most consistent in being contradictory.

I don’t remember when I got into “Family Guy”. It’s one of those things that you start watching occasionally, then regularly, until it becomes a point of reference, a prism that bundles contemporary events and phenomena and breaks them into a set of colors that represent a distinct take on reality. For a number of reasons, cartoons do that job particularly well. As a socio-cultural yardstick, they’re simply the best. “The Simpsons” was the first cartoon show to take a serious look at the US through the lens of a humanoid, lower middle-class, small-town family. It worked very well for a long time and itself became the subject of cultural reference. After 25 seasons, it has lost most of its steam though. “Family Guy”, with its edgier dialogue, grittier humor and often absurd plots, is a better representation of post-2008 reality and viewer preferences.

The universality of “Family Guy” comes from the fact that you don’t get hung up on the actors behind the characters. What you see is what you get: the complete physical embodiment of a character with all his moods and mannerisms. The perfect unity of mind, physique and physiognomy. It allows for pure, unfiltered projection by the viewer and conveys an unambiguous message in return. No wonder that the infatuation with certain characters can reach remarkable heights. When Brian Griffin, the intellectual dog of the family, was recently killed off, it not only caused widespread outrage but true dismay amongst viewers.

It takes true talent to create something that works on a superficial, as well as on a psychologically profound level. That’s what ultimately defies the obsolete distinction between pop and high culture. By offering multiple truths, it also emboldens its own relevance to the widest audience. Lucky there’s a family guy!