Family Goy
Encyclopedia
"Family Goy" is the second episode of the eighth season
of the animated comedy series
Family Guy
. It originally aired on Fox
in the United States on October 4, 2009. The episode features Irish Catholic
Peter
after his wife, Lois
, discovers that her mother is Jewish
, and begins her struggle to adapt to her newfound heritage. Meanwhile, Peter begins to embrace his wife's new religion, but after a spiritual visit from his deceased Irish Catholic stepfather, Francis, he becomes increasingly anti-semitic towards Lois and the family's religion.
The episode was written by Mark Hentemann
and directed by James Purdum
. It received mixed reviews from critics for its storyline and many cultural references, in addition to receiving criticism
from the Parents Television Council
. According to Nielsen ratings
, it was viewed in 9.66 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Jeff Bergman
, Max Burkholder
, Charles Durning
, Ben Stein
and William Woodson, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series. It was first announced at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con International. "Family Goy" was released on DVD
along with seven other episodes from the season on June 15, 2010.
. He takes her home and has an 'affair' with her. Soon he is caught by Lois who calls him an idiot. Peter introduces Cathy to the kids as their new mom, but after finding that Chris took her into his room, he angrily confronts her and ends up ripping her in half. He tearfully buries her in the yard and begs Lois for forgiveness.
Lois forgives him and they have sex
and Lois is shocked when Peter
discovers a lump
on her breast
, causing her to go to the hospital the next day to have it tested for breast cancer
. The test comes back negative, but while looking through her medical records, the doctor discovers that Lois's mother is a Jewish
Holocaust
survivor, making Lois and her children Jewish by heritage. Barbara confirms her heritage, and Carter admits he kept it a family secret so that they could join the country club
. Despite not being Jewish himself, Peter takes to it eagerly, much to Lois's frustration. That night, however, Peter is visited by the ghost of his stepfather, Francis, who warns him that he will go to Hell
for not being Catholic
. The next day, Peter decides to convert the family back to Catholicism and becomes prejudiced against Lois for her heritage, becoming anti-Semitic.
Taking advice from her mother not to let Peter suppress her identity, like her own husband did to her, Lois decides to hold a Passover Seder
, which Peter tries to ruin so he can celebrate Easter
, showing up in an Easter bunny
costume while drunk. Fortunately, Jesus
appears and points out that Catholicism
and Judaism
are very similar. Brian
then tries to interject that Islam
is more or less part of that religious family, but Jesus replies "let's not muddy things up here." He then tells Peter that he should treat people of different faiths fairly as much as he wants to be treated. Realizing this, Peter and Lois apologize to each other, but are at a loss for what religion they should follow now. Jesus tells them "Stick to one; they're all complete crap", which Brian, being an atheist
, thanks Jesus for pointing out.
Meanwhile, Quagmire learns about internet porn and becomes recluse, and gains large muscles in his left arm from masturbating.
on July 25, 2009, by future showrunner Mark Hentemann, the episode was directed by supervising director James Purdum
, written by Hentemann and Ricky Blitt
, the latter being uncredited, shortly after the conclusion of the seventh production season.
"Family Goy", along with the seven other episodes from Family Guys eighth season, were released on a three-disc DVD
set in the United States on June 15, 2010. The sets included brief audio commentaries by Seth MacFarlane and various crew and cast members for several episodes, a collection of deleted scenes, a special mini-feature which discussed the process behind animating "Road to the Multiverse
", and mini-feature entitled Family Guy Karaoke.
Actors Ben Stein
and Charles Durning
guest starred in the episode as Rabbi Goldberg and Francis Griffin, respectively. Rabbi Goldberg and Max Weinstein, two Jewish characters whom Lois and Peter seek advice from after discovering Lois's heritage, made their second appearance in the series, having previously appeared in the third season
episode "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein
", which was originally banned from airing on network television. In addition to Stein and Durning, voice actor Jeff Bergman
(who portrayed Max Weinstein, previously played by Peter Riegert
), child actor Max Burkholder
and voice actor William Woodson guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors Johnny Brennan, actor Ralph Garman
, writer Mark Hentemann
, writer Danny Smith
, writer Alec Sulkin
and writer John Viener also made minor appearances.
, with the central characters of Family Guy replacing The All-New Super Friends Hours main characters. As Lois collects the mail Peter attempts to shoot her, topless and armed with a sniper rifle
, but instead hits the mailbox which is reminiscent of a scene in Schindler's List
of Amon Göth
shooting down Jews
in the Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp in occupied Poland
. Stewie's prayer over the candles is a real prayer that women recite before a non-Sabbath festival's start, however, the prayer turns in to a reference to the 1984 adventure film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
where Indian priest Mola Ram takes out the heart of a man during a ritual. Peter references William Shakespeare
's play Macbeth
, but the cutaway gag shows a battle in a spaceship, to which Peter admits that he is not very familiar with Shakespeare's works.
The episode met with mixed critical responses. Ahsan Haque of IGN
praised the second half of the episode but felt that the Kathy Ireland plot was too long. In his review, he commented "It's definitely meant for people who are open-minded to this kind of humor, and can make sure they treat the subject matter purely as comedy and not any manner of social commentary or prejudice. Take away the slow start, and this episode managed to really deliver some memorable shocking comedy." TV Guide
critic Alex Rocha praised the show's League of Justice opening sequence and the Kathy Ireland plot but reacted negatively to the second half of the episode, stating that he "dozed off" during the last fifteen minutes. TV Guide also listed the episode on the "TV hot list" of October 4. The Toronto Star noted the episode was "worth watching". Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
gave the episode a negative review, giving it a C— grade. VanDerWerff said, "Overall, the episode was just an excuse to drag out a bunch of tired Jewish jokes and also have Peter briefly descend into anti-Semitism". Though he mostly disliked the episode, VanDerWerff praised Stewie's part in the episode, as well as the Shakespeare cutaway gag and a cutaway that featured Peter getting into fight with a cat. Jewish Journal
critic Adam Willis commented "My hope is that the series will roast the familiar Jewish themes introduced in “Family Goy,” rather than continuing on the Jews-as-targets route. The show has regularly featured some inspiring Jewish gags – both in good taste and bad. And while highbrow community in-jokes would be better received by Jewish viewers, the likely reality is the Holocaust humor will continue to dominate."
Media watchdog group the Parents Television Council
, a frequent critic
of the show, named "Family Goy" its "Worst TV Show of the Week" for the week ending October 9, 2009, due to the perceived anti-Semitic plot.
Family Guy (season 8)
Family Guy eighth season first aired on the Fox network in twenty episodes from September 27, 2009 to May 23, 2010 before being released as two DVD box sets and in syndication. It ran on Sunday nights between May and July 2010 on BBC Three in the UK...
of the animated comedy series
Television comedy
Television comedy had a presence from the earliest days of broadcasting. Among the earliest BBC television programmes in the 1930s was Starlight, which offered a series of guests from the music hall era — singers and comedians amongst them...
Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
. It originally aired on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in the United States on October 4, 2009. The episode features Irish Catholic
Irish Catholic
Irish Catholic is a term used to describe people who are both Roman Catholic and Irish .Note: the term is not used to describe a variant of Catholicism. More particularly, it is not a separate creed or sect in the sense that "Anglo-Catholic", "Old Catholic", "Eastern Orthodox Catholic" might be...
Peter
Peter Griffin
Peter Griffin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is voiced by cartoonist Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998....
after his wife, Lois
Lois Griffin
Lois Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is voiced by writer Alex Borstein and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Lois was created and designed by series creator Seth MacFarlane...
, discovers that her mother is Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and begins her struggle to adapt to her newfound heritage. Meanwhile, Peter begins to embrace his wife's new religion, but after a spiritual visit from his deceased Irish Catholic stepfather, Francis, he becomes increasingly anti-semitic towards Lois and the family's religion.
The episode was written by Mark Hentemann
Mark Hentemann
Mark Hentemann is an American animation writer. Hentemann is most notably known for writing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy...
and directed by James Purdum
James Purdum
James Purdum is an American animation director. Purdum is most notably known for directing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy....
. It received mixed reviews from critics for its storyline and many cultural references, in addition to receiving criticism
Criticism of Family Guy
The American animated sitcom Family Guy has been the target of numerous complaints concerning taste and indecency. Parents Television Council has expressed moral opposition to the series, and filed complaints with the Federal Communications Commission....
from the Parents Television Council
Parents Television Council
The Parents Television Council is a U.S. based advocacy group founded by conservative activist L. Brent Bozell III in 1995 using the National Legion of Decency as a model...
. According to Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, it was viewed in 9.66 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Jeff Bergman
Jeff Bergman
Jeff Allen Bergman is an American voice actor, who provides the modern day voices of various classic cartoon characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, George Jetson, Fred Flintstone, Yogi Bear, and Huckleberry Hound.-Life and career:Originally from Philadelphia,...
, Max Burkholder
Max Burkholder
Maxwell Henry Wolf "Max" Burkholder is an American child actor most noticeable for his role Max Braverman, who has Asperger Syndrome, in the NBC series Parenthood. Prior to that, he became known as a voice actor, among his many roles were those of Chomper in The Land Before Time television series...
, Charles Durning
Charles Durning
Charles Durning is an American actor. With appearances in over 100 films, Durning's memorable roles include police officers in the Oscar-winning The Sting and crime drama Dog Day Afternoon , along with the comedies Tootsie, To Be Or Not To Be and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, the last two...
, Ben Stein
Ben Stein
Benjamin Jeremy "Ben" Stein is an American actor, writer, lawyer, and commentator on political and economic issues. He attained early success as a speechwriter for American presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford...
and William Woodson, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series. It was first announced at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con International. "Family Goy" was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
along with seven other episodes from the season on June 15, 2010.
Plot
While at the Drunken Clam, Peter falls in love with a cardboard cut out of Kathy IrelandKathy Ireland
Kathleen Marie "Kathy" Ireland is an American former model, actress, and entrepreneur. She is the CEO and designer of her eponymous brand product marketing company, Kathy Ireland Worldwide.-Life and career:...
. He takes her home and has an 'affair' with her. Soon he is caught by Lois who calls him an idiot. Peter introduces Cathy to the kids as their new mom, but after finding that Chris took her into his room, he angrily confronts her and ends up ripping her in half. He tearfully buries her in the yard and begs Lois for forgiveness.
Lois forgives him and they have sex
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
and Lois is shocked when Peter
Peter Griffin
Peter Griffin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is voiced by cartoonist Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998....
discovers a lump
Lump
Lump is a 2000 greatest hits compilation album by The Presidents of the United States of America.The album includes three covers: "Video Killed the Radio Star", originally by The Buggles, "Kick Out the Jams", originally by MC5 and "Cleveland Rocks", originally by Ian Hunter.Unusual for a "Greatest...
on her breast
Breast
The breast is the upper ventral region of the torso of a primate, in left and right sides, which in a female contains the mammary gland that secretes milk used to feed infants.Both men and women develop breasts from the same embryological tissues...
, causing her to go to the hospital the next day to have it tested for breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
. The test comes back negative, but while looking through her medical records, the doctor discovers that Lois's mother is a Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
survivor, making Lois and her children Jewish by heritage. Barbara confirms her heritage, and Carter admits he kept it a family secret so that they could join the country club
Country club
A country club is a private club, often with a closed membership, that typically offers a variety of recreational sports facilities and is located in city outskirts or rural areas. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or polo...
. Despite not being Jewish himself, Peter takes to it eagerly, much to Lois's frustration. That night, however, Peter is visited by the ghost of his stepfather, Francis, who warns him that he will go to Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
for not being Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
. The next day, Peter decides to convert the family back to Catholicism and becomes prejudiced against Lois for her heritage, becoming anti-Semitic.
Taking advice from her mother not to let Peter suppress her identity, like her own husband did to her, Lois decides to hold a Passover Seder
Passover Seder
The Passover Seder is a Jewish ritual feast that marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. It is conducted on the evenings of the 14th day of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, and on the 15th by traditionally observant Jews living outside Israel. This corresponds to late March or April in...
, which Peter tries to ruin so he can celebrate Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
, showing up in an Easter bunny
Easter Bunny
The Easter Bunny or Easter Rabbit is a character depicted as a rabbit bringing Easter eggs, who sometimes is depicted with clothes...
costume while drunk. Fortunately, Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
appears and points out that Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
and Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
are very similar. Brian
Brian Griffin
Brian Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is voiced by Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family, in a 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Brian was created and designed by MacFarlane himself...
then tries to interject that Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
is more or less part of that religious family, but Jesus replies "let's not muddy things up here." He then tells Peter that he should treat people of different faiths fairly as much as he wants to be treated. Realizing this, Peter and Lois apologize to each other, but are at a loss for what religion they should follow now. Jesus tells them "Stick to one; they're all complete crap", which Brian, being an atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, thanks Jesus for pointing out.
Meanwhile, Quagmire learns about internet porn and becomes recluse, and gains large muscles in his left arm from masturbating.
Production and development
First announced at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con International in San Diego, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
on July 25, 2009, by future showrunner Mark Hentemann, the episode was directed by supervising director James Purdum
James Purdum
James Purdum is an American animation director. Purdum is most notably known for directing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy....
, written by Hentemann and Ricky Blitt
Ricky Blitt
Ricky Blitt is a screenwriter, executive producer, show creator, and voice actor based in West Hollywood, California. Early in his career, Blitt was a writer on The Parent Hood, The Jeff Foxworthy Show, The Jon Stewart Show, On the Record with Bob Costas, Costas Now, and Brotherly Love...
, the latter being uncredited, shortly after the conclusion of the seventh production season.
"Family Goy", along with the seven other episodes from Family Guys eighth season, were released on a three-disc DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
set in the United States on June 15, 2010. The sets included brief audio commentaries by Seth MacFarlane and various crew and cast members for several episodes, a collection of deleted scenes, a special mini-feature which discussed the process behind animating "Road to the Multiverse
Road to the Multiverse
"Road to the Multiverse" is the first episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. Directed by Greg Colton and written by Wellesley Wild, the episode originally aired on Fox in the United States on September 27, 2009...
", and mini-feature entitled Family Guy Karaoke.
Actors Ben Stein
Ben Stein
Benjamin Jeremy "Ben" Stein is an American actor, writer, lawyer, and commentator on political and economic issues. He attained early success as a speechwriter for American presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford...
and Charles Durning
Charles Durning
Charles Durning is an American actor. With appearances in over 100 films, Durning's memorable roles include police officers in the Oscar-winning The Sting and crime drama Dog Day Afternoon , along with the comedies Tootsie, To Be Or Not To Be and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, the last two...
guest starred in the episode as Rabbi Goldberg and Francis Griffin, respectively. Rabbi Goldberg and Max Weinstein, two Jewish characters whom Lois and Peter seek advice from after discovering Lois's heritage, made their second appearance in the series, having previously appeared in the third season
Family Guy (season 3)
Family Guy third season first aired on the Fox network in twenty-two episodes from July 11, 2001 to November 9, 2003 before being released as a DVD box set and in syndication. It premiered with the episode "The Thin White Line" and finished with "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein"...
episode "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein
When You Wish upon a Weinstein
"When You Wish Upon a Weinstein" is an episode of the animated television sitcom Family Guy that would have first aired in 2000, but due to concerns about its content it was not aired until November 9, 2003, when it was broadcast on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. It was later aired on Fox on...
", which was originally banned from airing on network television. In addition to Stein and Durning, voice actor Jeff Bergman
Jeff Bergman
Jeff Allen Bergman is an American voice actor, who provides the modern day voices of various classic cartoon characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, George Jetson, Fred Flintstone, Yogi Bear, and Huckleberry Hound.-Life and career:Originally from Philadelphia,...
(who portrayed Max Weinstein, previously played by Peter Riegert
Peter Riegert
Peter Riegert is an American actor, screenwriter, and film director, best known for his role as Boon from Animal House and crooked New Jersey State Assemblyman Ronald Zellman on the HBO original series The Sopranos.-Early life:...
), child actor Max Burkholder
Max Burkholder
Maxwell Henry Wolf "Max" Burkholder is an American child actor most noticeable for his role Max Braverman, who has Asperger Syndrome, in the NBC series Parenthood. Prior to that, he became known as a voice actor, among his many roles were those of Chomper in The Land Before Time television series...
and voice actor William Woodson guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors Johnny Brennan, actor Ralph Garman
Ralph Garman
Ralph Garman is an American actor, comedian, and radio host best known as the host of The Joe Schmo Show, for his voice work in Family Guy, and as the entertainment reporter and impressionist for the Kevin and Bean morning show on Los Angeles radio station, KROQ-FM...
, writer Mark Hentemann
Mark Hentemann
Mark Hentemann is an American animation writer. Hentemann is most notably known for writing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy...
, writer Danny Smith
Danny Smith (writer)
Daniel "Danny" Smith is an executive producer, writer and voice actor on the American animated television series Family Guy. He has been with the show since its inception and throughout the years has contributed many episodes, such as "Holy Crap", "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Fonz", "Chitty...
, writer Alec Sulkin
Alec Sulkin
Alec Sulkin is an American television writer. Most notable for writing and producing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy, he has also contributed to The Cleveland Show, another series by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane....
and writer John Viener also made minor appearances.
Cultural references
"Family Goy" contained various cultural references. The episode opens with a parody of the opening sequence of The All-New Super Friends HourThe All-New Super Friends Hour
The All-New Super Friends Hour is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from September 10, 1977, to September 2, 1978, on ABC...
, with the central characters of Family Guy replacing The All-New Super Friends Hours main characters. As Lois collects the mail Peter attempts to shoot her, topless and armed with a sniper rifle
Sniper rifle
In military and law enforcement terminology, a sniper rifle is a precision-rifle used to ensure more accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than other small arms. A typical sniper rifle is built for optimal levels of accuracy, fitted with a telescopic sight and chambered for a military...
, but instead hits the mailbox which is reminiscent of a scene in Schindler's List
Schindler's List
Schindler's List is a 1993 American film about Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved the lives of more than a thousand mostly Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg, and based on the novel Schindler's Ark...
of Amon Göth
Amon Göth
Amon Leopold Göth was an Austrian Nazi and the commandant of the Nazi concentration camp at Płaszów, General Government...
shooting down Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
in the Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp in occupied Poland
General Government
The General Government was an area of Second Republic of Poland under Nazi German rule during World War II; designated as a separate region of the Third Reich between 1939–1945...
. Stewie's prayer over the candles is a real prayer that women recite before a non-Sabbath festival's start, however, the prayer turns in to a reference to the 1984 adventure film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a 1984 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is the second film in the Indiana Jones franchise and prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark . After arriving in India, Indiana Jones is asked by a desperate village to find a mystical stone...
where Indian priest Mola Ram takes out the heart of a man during a ritual. Peter references William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's play Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
, but the cutaway gag shows a battle in a spaceship, to which Peter admits that he is not very familiar with Shakespeare's works.
Reception
"Family Goy" was first broadcast in the United States and Canada on Fox on October 4, 2009. The episode was viewed by 9.66 million people and received a 5.4/8 Nielsen Rating, making "Family Goy" the ninth most-watched show of the night it was broadcast.The episode met with mixed critical responses. Ahsan Haque of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
praised the second half of the episode but felt that the Kathy Ireland plot was too long. In his review, he commented "It's definitely meant for people who are open-minded to this kind of humor, and can make sure they treat the subject matter purely as comedy and not any manner of social commentary or prejudice. Take away the slow start, and this episode managed to really deliver some memorable shocking comedy." TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
critic Alex Rocha praised the show's League of Justice opening sequence and the Kathy Ireland plot but reacted negatively to the second half of the episode, stating that he "dozed off" during the last fifteen minutes. TV Guide also listed the episode on the "TV hot list" of October 4. The Toronto Star noted the episode was "worth watching". Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
gave the episode a negative review, giving it a C— grade. VanDerWerff said, "Overall, the episode was just an excuse to drag out a bunch of tired Jewish jokes and also have Peter briefly descend into anti-Semitism". Though he mostly disliked the episode, VanDerWerff praised Stewie's part in the episode, as well as the Shakespeare cutaway gag and a cutaway that featured Peter getting into fight with a cat. Jewish Journal
The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles is an independent, nonprofit community weekly newspaper serving the Jewish community of greater Los Angeles, published by TRIBE Media Corp. The Journal was established in 1985. As of 2010 it had a verified circulation of 60,000 and an estimated readership...
critic Adam Willis commented "My hope is that the series will roast the familiar Jewish themes introduced in “Family Goy,” rather than continuing on the Jews-as-targets route. The show has regularly featured some inspiring Jewish gags – both in good taste and bad. And while highbrow community in-jokes would be better received by Jewish viewers, the likely reality is the Holocaust humor will continue to dominate."
Media watchdog group the Parents Television Council
Parents Television Council
The Parents Television Council is a U.S. based advocacy group founded by conservative activist L. Brent Bozell III in 1995 using the National Legion of Decency as a model...
, a frequent critic
Criticism of Family Guy
The American animated sitcom Family Guy has been the target of numerous complaints concerning taste and indecency. Parents Television Council has expressed moral opposition to the series, and filed complaints with the Federal Communications Commission....
of the show, named "Family Goy" its "Worst TV Show of the Week" for the week ending October 9, 2009, due to the perceived anti-Semitic plot.