Trashy 'Family Guy' slams trans culture

"Family Guy" has long been a cartoon notorious for taking its jokes too far, but most of the time that's ok. Fans of the show approach it with the same mentality "South Park" devotees reserve for their animated obscenity fest of choice: It's meant to be offensive, so suspend your moral standards and enjoy the ride.

But the latest "Family Guy" episode, "Quagmire's Dad," takes the "offensively funny" idea to a whole new level—one where it fails to be funny and just comes off as totally and completely offensive.

The synopsis: Womanizer Glenn Quagmire's father Dan comes to Quahog, R.I. to be honored as a war hero, and during his visit he comes out as a male-to-female transsexual and informs his son that he will be undergoing sexual reassignment surgery during his stay. Typical distasteful "Family Guy" hijinks ensue.

Which is fine, in theory. Transsexuality exists today as perhaps the most taboo sex-oriented topic in America. With gays winning rights across the country, transsexual and transgendered individuals still remain ostracized. The idea of a wildly popular television show giving exposure to the topic of trans-life has so much potential, but after Sunday, it is evident the topic could never have been in worse hands.

At one point, Brian—the Griffin family's anthropomorphic dog—sleeps with Ira (formerly Dan) Quagmire after a night of heavy boozing. When he returns to the Griffin family home the next day, he is beaming about the "incredible" woman he met until genius-baby Stewie informs him that Ira only recently became a woman.

And then Brian vomits on-screen for something like 90 straight seconds. He and Stewie proceed to panic over the fact that he slept with a man—which makes Brian, according to the show's lowbrow moral standard, "sooooo gay." And then the two characters converse in agitated screams about the heinously gay offense Brian committed, and in the process they equate transsexuals with sex offenders, asking why the citizens of Quahog weren't informed about such a sexual deviant moving to town.

To make matters worse, in the scene following Brian's vomiting, Ira confides to his son that he slept with Brian, and Glenn proceeds to storm the Griffin household and beat Brian within an inch of his life, keeping with one of this season's recurring themes: animal abuse.

I shouldn't even have to say it, but I want to make it clear: There is absolutely nothing funny about transsexuality and/or gender identity disorder. And there is likewise nothing funny about animal abuse. I am aware that "Family Guy's" modus operandi is "offend to entertain," but at this point their offending is totally devoid of any redeeming humor value.

By insinuating that transsexuals should be treated like sex offenders and put on registries in communities, "Family Guy" has crossed the line from offensive to abusive. I am not transsexual or transgendered, but I know people who are, and I can only imagine how they must feel watching this show persecute them under the guise of entertainment.

Ignoring the fact that the episode completely misrepresents gender identity disorder and transsexual/transgender issues in general—it makes it seem as though sexual reassignment surgery is an instantaneous procedure, when in reality it is often preceded by years of hormone therapy and counseling—"Quagmire's Dad" grievously brands the trans community as disgusting and "unnatural."

Does that sound funny to you?

Matthew may be reached at copy@su-spectator.com