At the peak of The Simpsons and Family Guy’s television feud, the Fox shows took turns throwing jabs at each other. With much of the adult animation fandom attesting that the latter is a rip-off of the former, Family Guy’s legacy is strongly tied to The Simpsons, which has gone as far as calling Peter Griffin “Plagiarismo” and depicting him as Homer’s clone. Even though Family Guy’s brand of dark comedy, unlike The Simpsons, pushes the boundaries of shock humor, the show and its creator Seth MacFarlane don’t deny drawing inspiration from The Simpsons.
For instance, Peter Griffin introduced himself as “Second-best Homer” in “Foxx in the Men House,” Season 16, Episode 2, just as he once said, “We act like we didn’t take a lot from The Simpsons, but we took a lot from The Simpsons.” — Season 14, Episode 3: “Guy, Robot.” With the two shows crossing over in 2014 and 2023, their feud has evolved into a banter over the years. Here are five memorable moments Family Guy made fun of The Simpsons.
1. When Stewie Sang The Simpson Isn’t Funny Anymore
Sometimes, Family Guy’s gags targeting The Simpsons are random and unambiguous. A good example of this unfolded in Stewie Griffin’s “I’ve Got a Little List” musical number in “Lois Kills Stewie,” Season 6, Episode 5. After taking power and declaring himself President of the World, the youngest Griffin broadcast his new laws, warning against any uprising in a song that listed people he’d execute who wouldn’t be missed.
From the white kid with baggy clothes talking like he’s black to Shakira’s lyricist, the song covers Stewie’s long list of irritants. This includes “The guy who watched The Simpsons back in 1994 and won’t admit the damn thing isn’t funny anymore,” sings the Family Guy’s diabolical infant. Although cut from the broadcast version of the episode, the jest is included in the DVD exclusive edition.
2. When Mayor Adam West Asked Simpson To Leave Quahog
Family Guy doesn’t shy away from controversial issues, in fact, the show has a knack for building its storylines around controversial personalities or situations. This was the case in “The Juice Is Loose,” Season 7, Episode 9, wherein Peter Griffin befriended O. J. Simpson and brought him home to the chagrin of Quahog residents. Amid an effort to get the townspeople warm up to the former NFL star, an angry mob agitating for Simpson to leave Quahog approaches the Griffin family. When the mob leader Mayor Adam West said: “We don’t want you in our town, Simpson! We don’t love you like we did in 1993!” the scene cuts to Homer Simpson as he lets out his signature “D’oh!”
3. When Stewie Chased Down Homer To Mock The Simpsons’ Intro
Family Guy has fully embraced making fun of itself with jokes acknowledging its imitation of The Simpsons. Before this became a norm, the show seldomly pushed back on critics insisting that it’s derivative of The Simpsons. This was seen in “PTV,” Season 4, Episode 14, where Peter Griffin feigns he doesn’t know Homer — subtly dismissing claims about Family Guy plagiarizing The Simpsons.
The episode’s opening sequence ended with the youngest Griffin ramming Homer into a garage door with his bike. The scene pokes fun at The Simpsons’ opening sequence featuring Marge and Homer in a similar situation. More than that, Peter throws a subtle jab at the rival show. When he sees Homer lying on the garage floor, the Family Guy protagonist asks, “Who the hell is that?”
4. When Peter Declared That The Simpsons Sucks
Family Guy returned for Season 13 with a crossover event featuring The Simpsons. “The Simpsons Guy,” Season 13, Episode 1, revolves around the Griffin family in Springfield where the Simpsons sheltered them. They all got along until Bart ended his friendship with Stewie just as Peter and Homer fell out, attacking each other in an epic fight akin to Peter’s brawls with the Giant Chicken.
Before they got into it, Family Guy took a swipe at The Simpsons, using its dimwit protagonist to assert that the rival show has lost its appeal. “You know, when I first met you, I thought ‘Hey, I love this guy! This is the funniest guy I’ve ever met. I’m gonna quote this guy to all my friends. I love his town, I love his family,'” Peter said. “But now, I think I speak for all of us when I say, I am over The Simpsons.” Astonished, Homer asked, “What are you saying?” And Peter declared “I’m saying The Simpsons suck!”
5. When Gleen Quagmire Murdered All The Simpsons
Family Guy’s most morally bankrupt character Gleen Quagmire was used to take a dig at The Simpsons in “Movin’ Out (Brian’s Song),” Season 6, Episode 2. The episode features an animated chyron depicting Quagmire as he lunges himself at Marge, sexually violating her. Agreeing it “wasn’t so bad” thereafter, the two head to Marge’s home for another round.
Homer walks in on them while they’re at it, Quagmire shoots him and then the rest of the Simpsons family. The unsettling gag compelled Fox executives to intervene in the feud between the shows. While the network removed the gag from what it aired, it was left in the version broadcast on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim and Canada’s Global. Check out the memorable episodes of Nosferatu in SpongeBob.
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