Fox Refuses to Air "Family Guy" Abortion Episode
For only the 2nd time since it began airing in 1999, the controversial animated sitcom Family Guy has had an episode canceled by parent company Fox.
The 1st stifled episode, censored in 2000 but later aired in 2004 and available on DVD, was "When you wish upon a Weinstein," considered anti-Semitic.
Now Fox has censored "Partial terms of endearment," an episode about abortion, storyline unknown.
Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane revealed the controversy on July 25 at the comic book convention Comic-Con. According to Monsters and Critics:
Riding high off its respectability of an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series, MacFarlane and the rest of the Family Guy panel teased future episodes, and the episode which will most likely not air, where Mila Kunis' Meg gets raped in prison, dubbed the "abortion episode."
"Twentieth Century Fox, as always, allowed us to produce the episode and then said, 'You know what? We're scared to f-cking death of this,'" MacFarlane said.
MacFarlane, who signed a $100 million deal with Fox earlier this year, later thought better of biting the hand that feeds him and backtracked, according to The Life Feed:
When asked for further comment, MacFarlane e-mailed a statement: "Clearly my sarcasm doesn't come across in print. I completely support whatever decision Fox makes. We were allowed to take a crack at this controversial story and that's enough for me."
Well, here is the decision MacFarlane must "completely support," according to a Fox statement posted by TV Guide July 29:
Fox will not air the 'Partial Terms of Endearment' episode of Family Guy, but we fully support the producers' right to make the episode and distribute it in whatever way they want.
Most interesting was pro-abort trepidation re: Fox's decision. Wrote Jezebel:
Surely the episode will fit right into the other hilarious takes on women that Family Guy is so fond of, like, say, rape jokes, or shooting prostitutes as a form of "community service," or punching them in the face as they cry, "I don't understand! What did I do wrong?" You know, really hilarious stuff.
The Live Feed:
There were few details offered about the content of the episode, but given the show's penchant for political incorrectness - it has in the past featured a character wearing a McCain/Palin button on an SS uniform, among other flourishes - it's unlikely Planned Parenthood would use the episode in a PSA anytime soon.
But on the other hand pro-aborts are frustrated by broadcast entertainment's predominant abortion taboo of the last 2 decades. Wrote Amanda Marcotte:
If you want a textbook example of how systemic sexism works, the taboo about portraying abortion on TV will suffice. It's the most common outpatient procedure in the country, and yet we write it off as fringe. There's only 694k open heart surgeries a year on average, 600k hysterectomies, and 193k hip replacements a year - but there's 1.2 million abortions performed every year.
But I'll bet you could find more people who claim they don't know anyone personally who's had an abortion than make the same claim about hysterectomies, heart surgery, or hip replacement. Of course, they do know someone who's had an abortion, most likely, but she's mum about it, because of this taboo against speaking about it. And that troubling taboo creates ridiculous situations where shows like Family Guy that get away with pretty much anything can't do a show about abortion.
And Sarah Seltzer at RH Reality Check:
TV has created this bizarro world where a choice that most American women would consider strongly after an unintended pregnancy is all but erased.
It's a damning silence. And that silence is why jokes about abortion, even if they're off-color, are different from other types of misogynist jokes (specifically rape jokes). Yes, the proliferation of rape jokes can do damage by trivializing a horrible and all too accepted crime. But conversely the lack of abortion jokes creates this hyped-up atmosphere of tragedy and controversy around something that is quite common and needs to be discussed more. Even if Seth McFarlane and the Family Guy team failed miserably to be funny or edgy in their attempts to milk humor from abortion, even if they were crass and sexist, I'd hope the episode would be an opening salvo for more comics, artists and others to talk about this reality in women's lives that, like all realities, has to contain fodder for humor.
No it doesn't. The interesting phenomenon is that the longer legalized abortion is with us, the more unfunny and tabooed it becomes. This indicates an increasing unease by everyone - even liberal Hollywood - with abortion. Ultrasounds show abortion kills children. Post-abortion mothers say abortion leaves deep scars. And how many silent post-abortive fathers - including writers, producers, and directors - know that to be true as well.
Not many cultural experiences grow touchier as time goes on. Usually there is the opposite effect.
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The main problem with Fox censuring this episode is that the episode is simply stating an opinion which Fox didn't let them express.
This was yet another example of this government allowing, if not encouraging, the complete dismissal of the first ammendment, the right to free speech.
being funny quite a while ago anyway, so big deal huh?
I just find it crazy that in this day and age, that there is still censorship going on in the media . I find the show humorous just because there don't seem to be any taboo subjects. Maybe my sense of humor is a little wierd, but I don't care. Show the episode and let others complain.
On another note, just think how much money they're going to make when they release that episode on DVD or wherever. People, including me, are going to snap it up in a hearbeat.
Pro-aborts?
Okay, then, Pro-slavery would be a good term you should use. You're an activist for Enslaving Women. How about a cute moniker? We could call you and the rest of the so-called " pro-life " people EWE's. That's just short for Enslaving Women Everywhere.
Or how about Anti-Choicer? Would that work for you?
How about trying to disguise more Pro-Enslavement crap as a legitimate article? Would that work?
Get real, SocialistBetty... I've seen numerous articles on here by anti- abortion activists calling themselves "Pro-Life" and others "Pro-Aborts". I've also seen just as many, if not more, by pro-abortion activists calling themselves "Pro-Choice" and others "Anti-Choice". Quite frankly, calling someone "pro-abort" is technically right because they ARE for a woman 's right to have an abortion. Anti-choice, however, would be, in essence, incorrect because I believe a person can do what they want with their body, but abortion is what they do to the unborn baby , not their own body. Pro-life probably the most accurate term either because I'm all for capital punishment . A person deserves to die the way they killed . Lastly, I would consider pro-choice to not be that accurate because whenever I talk to people who are such, they usually try to shove their beliefs down my throat, not letting me choose what I want to believe in.
There are two predominant schools of thought on the abortion issue.
1) Abortion is a woman's right.
2) Abortions kill helpless babies.
If FOX does not want to satrize baby-killing (in line with how the majority view abortion) then I would think that it is their right to not display it.
Amanda Marcotte's statement seems to me as a plea for normalizing of abortion or desensitizing of America about abortion. Clever of her to try and make it about women's rights. One valid argument in the abortion debate is the woman's choice, of course, but women do not have the right to see more abortions on T.V. I don't think Americans-- Men or women-- really want to see a bunch of abortions on T.V.
The plural of 'anecdote' is not 'data'.
Yep I said it, your right. A corporation has all the right to decide what does and doesn't air.
As for the Abortion aspect though. I love how people think that abortion is killing a baby but then threaten, (even some attempts) to kill doctors and women who go through are somehow okay. Take Angie Jackson, a woman who already had a child with mental disablilites who doctors warned her that being pregnant again would risk her life and the fetus, became pregnant (despite using various birth control options) live tweeted her experience taking the " abortion pill ". She did this because of support of followers and to inform women what exactly happens during it...MANY threats have been said against her life.
However, it is less wrong to take the life of doctors , like Tiller.
It is exactly as ethical to take Dr. Tiller's life as it would be to take Hitler's or Saddam's. And for the same reason: they kill countless people for a living.
Take one life to save tens of thousands? Easy decision.
The plural of 'anecdote' is not 'data'.