Inside the Censored Family Guy Abortion Episode

The episode, in which Griffin matriarch Lois becomes a surrogate mom for a college friend and her husband, really focuses on the “will she/won’t she” abortion question only in the third act, after the couple dies in a car accident. What follows is a trip to a family-planning center, where Peter, initially encouraging his wife to end the pregnancy (and thus avoid her crazy-while-pregnant phase), is stopped by a group of antiabortion activists who try to change his mind with a video featuring Ziggy the Zygote, who just wants a hug.

Family Guy is a college student staple, and I watch every episode. As a feminist, I cringe at the domestic violence against Lois and then cringe at the inevitable accompanying scene where she exacts her revenge. As Samhita pointed out, the hilarious part about Fox’s decision not to air the episode is that its audience will likely find it wholly uncontroversial– to hazard a guess in the absence of polling, Family Guy’s audience still doesn’t include elderly voters or anti-choicers. The only thought-provoking topic I foresee in the episode could be the struggle between Lois’ individual choice vs. a family decision. Lois ends up getting the abortion, after delivering a speech on the value of bringing new life into the world. There is no discussion or apology afterward; it rolls immediately to credits.
It looks like the episode is non-unique to the Family Guy lexicon, offering a little bit of offense to everyone. As equal-opportunity offenders, the writers clearly lean liberal. According to the WaPo article, this episode apparently tackles abortion apologists, abortion protesters, the characterization of pregnant women as insane, surrogate parenthood, experiences in family-planning centers, and a hearty family decision on whether to carry out the abortion. As per usual, the episode will include references to Hitler and Osama Bin Laden. I, for one, can’t wait to watch.
Related:
What’s with Family Guy’s Rape Jokes?
Family Guy Abortion Episode Will Likely Not Air on Fox