If there’s one constant about Family Guy, it’s that it will find a way to offend just about everyone. Different countries, celebrities, and fictional figures have all been the target of mockery by Family Guy, leading to complaints and even a few lawsuits being filed against the show. However, a recent string of episodes almost led to Russia banning Family Guy in its entirety. What could be so bad that an entire country would ban the series?
The answer lies with Season 21’s two-part finale, “From Russia With Love” and “Adult Education.” In “From Russia with Love”, Brian (Seth MacFarlane) has his Instagram profile hacked, which leads Meg (Mila Kunis) to travel to Chelyabinsk, Russia to confront the hacker. She ends up falling in love and deciding to stay in Chelyabinsk, eventually learning that her new boyfriend wants to use her for a green card marriage. On the surface, it sounds like your typical Family Guy episode, down to Meg once again striking out at life. It’s the contents of both episodes that incurred Russia’s wrath.
‘Family Guy’ Was Almost Banned in Russia Thanks to a Musical Number
“From Russia With Love” and “Adult Education” aren’t the first time that Russia has been the subject of mockery on Family Guy. One episode actually features Peter Griffin having a (rigged) boxing match with Vladmir Putin! Where “Adult Education” crossed the line, apparently, was in an elaborate musical number that ruthlessly mocks Chelyabinsk titled “This Old Town”. While it was meant to mirror Belle’s introductory song in Beauty and the Beast, Chelyabinsk region deputy Yana Lantratova was less than pleased and made her feelings known in an interview with Russian publication Rise:
“The artist has the right to his vision, but this is a deliberately offensive artistic image that has nothing to do with reality…This is a deliberate work against our country. Information warfare through artistic works. They deliberately create an image of Russia as a country where everyone is unhappy with life, drinking, using drugs, taking bribes.”
Ironically, Sergej Sumlenny, a European travel expert, would take to Twitter and say that Family Guy‘s depiction of Chelyabinsk was actually spot on. At the time of writing, the ban has yet to occur and Family Guy fans in Russia can still watch the series. However, this isn’t the first time that a Family Guy episode has landed the series in hot water.
The 10 Best Sci-Fi Episodes of ‘Family Guy,’ Ranked
“I know we have a dangerous job to do here, but I’m takin’ this. I’m takin’ this couch…”
Previous Episodes of ‘Family Guy’ Haven’t Aired on Fox Due to Their Subject Matter
In Family Guy‘s entire history, only two episodes have been banned from fully airing on Fox. The first, Season 3’s “When You Wish Upon A Weinstein,” finds Peter seeking out the help of tax expert Max Weinstein…and then deciding that since Max is Jewish, getting his son Chris (Seth Green) to convert to Judaism will help Chris succeed in life. Fox chose not to air “When You Wish Upon a Weinstein” for fear that it could be considered anti-Semitic, though it eventually aired on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block.
The other episode, “Partial Terms of Endearment”, had a far more valid reason for why Fox chose to never air it on live television. After Lois (Alex Borstein) agrees to be a surrogate mother for one of her old friends, tragedy strikes when the friend and her husband perish in a car crash. Lois is torn between whether she wants to keep the baby or have an abortion, and matters aren’t helped when an anti-abortion protest convinces Peter that abortion is murder. While “Partial Terms of Endearment” received praise for how well it handles its subject matter, Family Guy fans will have to buy the DVD release if they ever want to see the episode.
Family Guy will probably continue courting controversy during its run, especially as its edgy humor hasn’t been toned down over the years. Yet, the furor over certain episodes is a reminder that, contrary to the theme song, Peter Griffin and his family can’t make everyone laugh and cry.
