Stan of Arabia
Encyclopedia
"Stan of Arabia" is a two-part episode of the first season of American Dad!
. Part 1 is the twelfth episode and Part 2 is the thirteenth episode of the season, and they first aired in the United States
on Fox
on November 6, 2005 and November 13, 2005, respectively. The episode follows Stan Smith
who plans a party for his CIA
boss Avery Bullock, who relocates his family from their hometown Langley Falls to Saudi Arabia
. Stan appreciates the country's culture of women subservient to men, and he burns all the Smiths' passports, preventing the family from returning to the United States.
. Stan takes charge of planning the party but imposes all his responsibilities upon Francine, who refuses because she is committed to her play performance on the same day. Steve bribes Hayley into driving him to see the latest Michael Moore
semi-documentary
. Hayley is disgusted by the movie as it turns out to be pornographic. Steve tries to stay, but Hayley calls the ushers
, who remove him for being under age 17 in an R-rated movie. At the party, Stan kills Jay Leno
for insinuating that Francine wears the pants in their relationship. He takes Leno's position at the front podium and unintentionally insults Bullock. Bullock relocates the Smiths to Saudi Arabia
.
While Hayley and Francine initially appreciate the country's culture because women are not objectified, Stan displays ignorance of it. During his new job supervising oil pipelines, he remains suspicious of the Arab workers. Stan explains his hardships with his wife, which befuddles them because women in Saudi Arabian society must be accompanied by men outside the house. Francine discusses with three Arab neighbors their husbands' hardships, but the three immediately attend to his every whim when their shared husband arrives home. Francine asserts her rights within the house, refusing to listen to Stan's final say on everything. Stan acquires an Arab woman as his second wife, nicknamed "Thundercat" (Paget Brewster
), who obeys his every command. Francine tries to prevent Thundercat from stealing her position as Stan's wife, escalating to physical violence between the two. Roger, dressed as a Saudi woman, searches for booze
at a bazaar
but ends up sold to a male Arab by Steve. Steve uses the cash to buy a Mercedes-Benz
. While driving the desert, he crashes his vehicle into an oil derrick. While escaping a bad date with the neighbor's son, Hayley leaves a Burger King
and is chased down by the police because she is unescorted by a man. Stan turns down Bullock's offer of returning to the United States, claiming the Smiths have a better life in Saudi Arabia. He renounces his family's citizenship and burns their passports.
.
The man who bought Roger from Steve takes the alien to a palace, where he enjoys the high-class life. Upon learning the palace owner merely wishes to engage in sexual intercourse
with him, Roger obliges. Hayley is rescued from the police by a man who becomes her new boyfriend. After the two sleep together he leaves a note telling her not to go to the United States Embassy. Believing he is a terrorist planning to bomb the building, she goes to stop him, only to discover he is just a Shawarma
King vendor. Hayley beats him up and is sentenced to stoning along with Stan and Francine. Lost in the desert since he crashed his vehicle, Steve has a vision of God in the guise of Angelina Jolie
, who shows him her boobs, turning him into a prophet. Steve returns to the city and shares his experiences with the citizens, who listen to him until he declares that God is a woman, prompting them to sentence him to stoning with his family.
The Smiths are trapped in the ground at a colosseum
with the spectators prepared to stone them. After Stan prays for a miracle, George W. Bush
rescues the family and declares that democracy has arrived in Saudi Arabia, leading to a celebration. However, Bush's appearance was only Stan's fantasy, and the Smiths are still stuck in the ground. Roger convinces the palace owner to arrange for the family's release. The family returns to America having learned to appreciate it.
. The English daily ArabNews published an article that accused the series of engaging in Arab-bashing
. As a result, the two-part episode was banned in Saudi Arabia, although the TV series itself does not air there.
American Dad!
American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television...
. Part 1 is the twelfth episode and Part 2 is the thirteenth episode of the season, and they first aired in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
on November 6, 2005 and November 13, 2005, respectively. The episode follows Stan Smith
Stan Smith (American Dad!)
Stan Smith is a character from the animated television series American Dad!. Stan is a Central Intelligence Agency officer. Although once a case officer, he is now a weapons expert. Stan is voiced by the series' creator and executive producer, Seth MacFarlane.-Summary:Stan Smith born 12 February,...
who plans a party for his CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
boss Avery Bullock, who relocates his family from their hometown Langley Falls to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. Stan appreciates the country's culture of women subservient to men, and he burns all the Smiths' passports, preventing the family from returning to the United States.
"Stan of Arabia: Part 1"
Stan and three co-workers plan a surprise party for Avery Bullock commemorating 25 years of service with the CIACentral Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
. Stan takes charge of planning the party but imposes all his responsibilities upon Francine, who refuses because she is committed to her play performance on the same day. Steve bribes Hayley into driving him to see the latest Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
semi-documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
. Hayley is disgusted by the movie as it turns out to be pornographic. Steve tries to stay, but Hayley calls the ushers
Usher (occupation)
Ushers assist visitors by formally showing the way in a large building or to their appropriate seats. This may coincide with a security role. The word comes from the French huissier, with the same meaning , ushers were servants or courtiers who showed or ushered visitors in and out of meetings in...
, who remove him for being under age 17 in an R-rated movie. At the party, Stan kills Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
for insinuating that Francine wears the pants in their relationship. He takes Leno's position at the front podium and unintentionally insults Bullock. Bullock relocates the Smiths to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
.
While Hayley and Francine initially appreciate the country's culture because women are not objectified, Stan displays ignorance of it. During his new job supervising oil pipelines, he remains suspicious of the Arab workers. Stan explains his hardships with his wife, which befuddles them because women in Saudi Arabian society must be accompanied by men outside the house. Francine discusses with three Arab neighbors their husbands' hardships, but the three immediately attend to his every whim when their shared husband arrives home. Francine asserts her rights within the house, refusing to listen to Stan's final say on everything. Stan acquires an Arab woman as his second wife, nicknamed "Thundercat" (Paget Brewster
Paget Brewster
Paget Valerie Brewster is an American actress. She is currently known for playing Special Agent Emily Prentiss on the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds. In June 2010, it was said that her role on Criminal Minds would be reduced in the sixth season. In March 2011, Brewster's character left the series...
), who obeys his every command. Francine tries to prevent Thundercat from stealing her position as Stan's wife, escalating to physical violence between the two. Roger, dressed as a Saudi woman, searches for booze
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
at a bazaar
Bazaar
A bazaar , Cypriot Greek: pantopoula) is a permanent merchandising area, marketplace, or street of shops where goods and services are exchanged or sold. The term is sometimes also used to refer to the "network of merchants, bankers and craftsmen" who work that area...
but ends up sold to a male Arab by Steve. Steve uses the cash to buy a Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
. While driving the desert, he crashes his vehicle into an oil derrick. While escaping a bad date with the neighbor's son, Hayley leaves a Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
and is chased down by the police because she is unescorted by a man. Stan turns down Bullock's offer of returning to the United States, claiming the Smiths have a better life in Saudi Arabia. He renounces his family's citizenship and burns their passports.
"Stan of Arabia: Part 2"
Francine makes a phone call to Bullock, who tells her that he offered her husband the CIA job back but he rejected it. Francine argues with Stan at the bazaar, conveying the misery of a woman living in Saudi Arabia by singing a musical number, an illegal act. In court the judge sentences her to death by stoning. Stan realizes that marriage is an equal partnership, rejecting Thundercat and asking to be killed along with Francine. After asking the judge how can a man get stoned, Stan makes out with a police officer and is sentenced to death for homosexualityHomosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
.
The man who bought Roger from Steve takes the alien to a palace, where he enjoys the high-class life. Upon learning the palace owner merely wishes to engage in sexual intercourse
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...
with him, Roger obliges. Hayley is rescued from the police by a man who becomes her new boyfriend. After the two sleep together he leaves a note telling her not to go to the United States Embassy. Believing he is a terrorist planning to bomb the building, she goes to stop him, only to discover he is just a Shawarma
Shawarma
Shawarma is a Levantine Arab sandwich-like wrap of shaved lamb, goat, chicken, turkey, beef, or mixed meats. The meat is placed on a spit, and may be grilled for as long as a day. It is eaten with pita bread, tabbouleh, fattoush, taboon bread, tomato and cucumber. Toppings include tahini, hummus,...
King vendor. Hayley beats him up and is sentenced to stoning along with Stan and Francine. Lost in the desert since he crashed his vehicle, Steve has a vision of God in the guise of Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and was named Hollywood's highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2009 and 2011. Jolie is noted for promoting humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the...
, who shows him her boobs, turning him into a prophet. Steve returns to the city and shares his experiences with the citizens, who listen to him until he declares that God is a woman, prompting them to sentence him to stoning with his family.
The Smiths are trapped in the ground at a colosseum
Colosseum
The Colosseum, or the Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre , is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire...
with the spectators prepared to stone them. After Stan prays for a miracle, George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
rescues the family and declares that democracy has arrived in Saudi Arabia, leading to a celebration. However, Bush's appearance was only Stan's fantasy, and the Smiths are still stuck in the ground. Roger convinces the palace owner to arrange for the family's release. The family returns to America having learned to appreciate it.
Reception
The two-part episode was the subject of criticism by the Saudi governmentPolitics of Saudi Arabia
The politics of Saudi Arabia takes place in the context of an Islamic absolute monarchy. The King of Saudi Arabia is both head of state and the head of government, but decisions are, to a large extent, made on the basis of consultation among the senior princes of the royal family and the religious...
. The English daily ArabNews published an article that accused the series of engaging in Arab-bashing
Islamophobia
Islamophobia describes prejudice against, hatred or irrational fear of Islam or MuslimsThe term dates back to the late 1980s or early 1990s, but came into common usage after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States....
. As a result, the two-part episode was banned in Saudi Arabia, although the TV series itself does not air there.