The Tan Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Encyclopedia
"The Tan Aquatic with Steve Zissou" is the eleventh episode of season five of Family Guy
, which originally aired on February 18, 2007. After discovering Chris
is being tormented by a bully, Peter
goes to the bully's house to speak with him, but ends up beating him up. Meanwhile, Stewie develops a tan, but becomes obsessed with his new look and attempts to keep it, eventually stopping after being told by the doctor he may now have cancer
.
The episode was written by Mark Hentemann
and directed by Julius Wu
. It received mostly mixed reviews from critics for its storyline and many cultural references. According to Nielsen ratings
, it was viewed in 8.53 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Mike Barker, Jeff Bergman
, Chris Cox
, Michael Clarke Duncan
, Keir Gilchrist
, Beth Littleford
and Rachael MacFarlane
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series.
, Joe, Cleveland
, and a hot-tempered Quagmire
go to their local golf course with Stewie, Stewie develops a sun tan
, since Peter neglected to apply sun screen to his body. Stewie takes an instant liking to it and decides he wants to keep it, so he decides to make regular efforts to keep himself tanned. Meanwhile, Chris discovers his newspaper recipient, Herbert
, is now having his newspaper delivered by Kyle, a new and rude paper delivery boy who torments Chris. After the installation of a sunbed
in the Griffin house, Stewie uses it and asks Brian
to wake him up after fifteen minutes. However, Brian falls asleep, and only wakes up a severely burned Stewie six and a half hours later.
After being told of Kyle bullying Chris, Peter visits the boy's house to talk him with him, but ends up assaulting him for trash-talking him. Shortly after, Peter leaps out of a nearby window and escapes back to his house. Kyle's parents later call the Griffin house, where Lois discovers what Peter has done. She forces him to apologize to the boy so his mother wouldn't press charge
s. Peter and Kyle later become friends and Kyle convinces Peter that it is a positive thing to bully people, which ultimately makes Peter begin to bully his family and neighbors relentlessly.
After his skin returns to normal, Stewie discovers a mole
on his stomach. Fearing that he may now have cancer, he goes to see Dr. Hartman, who tells him he will have to await the result of some tests to discover if it is cancerous. Believing himself to be dying, Stewie requests Brian's help in performing a list of things he wishes to accomplish before he dies. Stewie is eventually informed by the doctor that he does not have cancer and that he will not die, much to his delight. Meanwhile, in an attempt to teach Chris a lesson in life, Peter takes him to the location of his former high school bully, Randy Fulcher, whom he intends to beat up for revenge, not caring that Randy now suffers from multiple sclerosis
(believing it to be a monkey scrotum
). However, he ends up being beaten up himself by Chris in his attempt to stand up to his own father, whom he believes to be a bully, which finally convinces Peter that bullying is wrong.
comments, regarding the plot partially following Herbert
that "there is always a bit of trouble pitching a Herbert storyline to the network." Samm Levine
had originally been selected to voice Kyle, but the character was recast because, as show producer Seth MacFarlane
comments, "it seemed a lot funnier when Peter was beating up a kid if he was younger and more defenseless." A deleted scene had been made which showed Chris asking for money and stating "I spent my last ten bucks on a ham costume," and Peter replying with "it's just sitting there right now, but you know what the great thing is, it's just three months until Halloween and I am done." Peter's ancestor shown preparing to wrestle with a kangaroo was described by Seth MacFarlane to be "a very strange gag," which was added after the other parts of the episode had been created. Quagmire speaking profanities at the golf course was censored from television because of the inappropriate language. Broadcasting Standards prohibited the show from televising the scene of a nymphomaniac as it consists when Stewie recalls sleeping below her.
The voice of a guest at the tanning-party which Stewie is hosting was provided by Mike Barker. David A. Goodman comments on the DVD commentary that "It's nice to hear Mike Barker back on Family Guy.," as Barker had performed multiple voices of characters in previous episodes. Peter asking "I'm going to prison, aren't I?" when hiding in the tree caused a little bit of trouble for the show. A sketch had been created showing Brian falling asleep when watching Late Night with Bib Fortuna while Stewie was still in the tanning booth, but it did not seem good enough to air, so it was never broadcast. When Stewie is being sprayed by Brian with sun-screen, Ralph Furley
enters the room and mistakenly thinks he sees Brian ejaculating
on Stewie. The cream was originally intended to keep squirting out of the bottle as if Brian were continuing to ejaculate despite Mr. Furley's presence, but it "did not seem to go ahead" and was removed completely. MacFarlane comments that he was amazed that broadcasting standards allowed them to do what they did not the televised version. A deleted scene was made and designed to happen directly after Peter makes Meg
throw-up in the kitchen by releasing wind next to her which showed Peter giving Chris his lunch money for school, then taking it off him as he is boarding the school bus. The gag showing Dick Cheney
as a Wal-Mart
greeter telling the customers to "go fuck themselves" was described by MacFarlane to be "way too unacceptable" for television and was thus censored. Peter falling to the floor after being pushed away from hitting Randy by Chris was very difficult to do, as it is difficult to do slow-motion in animation.
In addition to Barker and the regular cast, actor Jeff Bergman
, voice actor Chris Cox
, actor Michael Clarke Duncan
, actor Keir Gilchrist
, actress Beth Littleford
and voice actress Rachael MacFarlane
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors Chris Sheridan, writer Danny Smith
, writer Alec Sulkin
and writer John Viener made minor appearances.
. The episode also acquired a 3.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic, being slightly edged out by The Simpsons
, while still winning over American Dad!
and King of the Hill
.
Ahsan Haque of IGN
gave "The Tan Aquatic with Steve Zissou" a 7.4/10 and commented "the random filler jokes just don't work, especially in this episode as both Jim Henson's Muppets and Frosted Flakes' Tony the Tiger are misused as random source material for jokes that simply fail to deliver," adding that "The idea of Peter going overboard with his newfound desire to bully his family and friends is also not quite as funny as it could have been." In a negative review by Brett Love of TV Squad. he noted "[the episode] was something of the opposite of "Peter's Two Dads." Where that one excelled with the structure of the story, this one wasn't as strong.
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...
, which originally aired on February 18, 2007. After discovering Chris
Chris Griffin
Chris Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is the son and middle child of Peter and Lois Griffin, brother of Stewie and Meg Griffin. Chris is voiced by Seth Green.-Personality:...
is being tormented by a bully, 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....
goes to the bully's house to speak with him, but ends up beating him up. Meanwhile, Stewie develops a tan, but becomes obsessed with his new look and attempts to keep it, eventually stopping after being told by the doctor he may now have cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
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 Julius Wu
Julius Wu
Julius Wu is an American animation director. Wu is most notably known for directing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy.Wu has also served as a director, assistant director and storyboard artist on King of the Hill and The Oblongs, before their cancellation.-Family Guy:Wu joined...
. It received mostly mixed reviews from critics for its storyline and many cultural references. 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 8.53 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Mike Barker, 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,...
, Chris Cox
Chris Cox (actor)
Chris Cox is a filmmaker and voice actor. He is best known, as himself, for the 2001 Small Shots TV series for Spike TV.Cox replaced George Eads in the role of Captain Atom for the popular animated series Justice League Unlimited. Eads was unwilling to reprise his voice role after an appearance in...
, Michael Clarke Duncan
Michael Clarke Duncan
Michael Clarke Duncan is an American actor, best known for his breakout role as John Coffey in The Green Mile, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.- Early life :...
, Keir Gilchrist
Keir Gilchrist
Keir David Peters Gilchrist is a Canadian actor. Gilchrist is known for playing teen Marshall Gregson on Showtime's original series United States of Tara, and for starring in the 2010 drama-comedy It's Kind of a Funny Story....
, Beth Littleford
Beth Littleford
Elizabeth Anna Halcyon "Beth" Littleford is an American actress, comedienne, and television personality. She is perhaps best known for being one of the original correspondents on the popular Comedy Central satirical news series The Daily Show from 1996 to 2000; she is also known as Tripp's mother...
and Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael Ann MacFarlane is an American voice actress best known for her appearances in Codename: Kids Next Door as supreme leader Numbuh 362 and the FOX animated series Family Guy and American Dad!, both created and executive-produced by her older brother Seth MacFarlane.Aside from voice acting,...
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series.
Plot
When PeterPeter 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....
, Joe, Cleveland
Cleveland Brown
Cleveland Orenthal Brown is a character from the animated television series Family Guy, and its spin-off series The Cleveland Show. He is voiced by Mike Henry. In the first seven seasons of Family Guy, Brown is a frequently recurring character. As one of Peter Griffin's neighbors and friends,...
, and a hot-tempered Quagmire
Glenn Quagmire
Glenn Quagmire, often referred to as just Quagmire, is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. Quagmire is a neighbor and friend of the Griffin family. He is best known for his hypersexuality...
go to their local golf course with Stewie, Stewie develops a sun tan
Sun tanning
Sun tanning or simply tanning is the process whereby skin color is darkened or tanned. The process is most often a result of exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun or from artificial sources, such as a tanning bed, but can also be a result of windburn or reflected light...
, since Peter neglected to apply sun screen to his body. Stewie takes an instant liking to it and decides he wants to keep it, so he decides to make regular efforts to keep himself tanned. Meanwhile, Chris discovers his newspaper recipient, Herbert
Herbert (Family Guy)
Herbert is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is voiced by writer and voice actor Mike Henry, who created and designed the character...
, is now having his newspaper delivered by Kyle, a new and rude paper delivery boy who torments Chris. After the installation of a sunbed
Sunbed
A sunbed , tanning bed or sun tanning bed is a device which emits ultraviolet radiation to produce a cosmetic tan. Regular tanning beds use several fluorescent lamps that have phosphor blends designed to emit UV in a spectrum that is somewhat similar to the sun...
in the Griffin house, Stewie uses it and asks 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...
to wake him up after fifteen minutes. However, Brian falls asleep, and only wakes up a severely burned Stewie six and a half hours later.
After being told of Kyle bullying Chris, Peter visits the boy's house to talk him with him, but ends up assaulting him for trash-talking him. Shortly after, Peter leaps out of a nearby window and escapes back to his house. Kyle's parents later call the Griffin house, where Lois discovers what Peter has done. She forces him to apologize to the boy so his mother wouldn't press charge
Criminal charge
A criminal charge is a formal accusation made by a governmental authority asserting that somebody has committed a crime. A charging document, which contains one or more criminal charges or counts, can take several forms, including:* complaint...
s. Peter and Kyle later become friends and Kyle convinces Peter that it is a positive thing to bully people, which ultimately makes Peter begin to bully his family and neighbors relentlessly.
After his skin returns to normal, Stewie discovers a mole
Mole (skin marking)
A melanocytic nevus is a type of lesion that contains nevus cells .Some sources equate the term mole with "melanocytic nevus". Other sources reserve the term "mole" for other purposes....
on his stomach. Fearing that he may now have cancer, he goes to see Dr. Hartman, who tells him he will have to await the result of some tests to discover if it is cancerous. Believing himself to be dying, Stewie requests Brian's help in performing a list of things he wishes to accomplish before he dies. Stewie is eventually informed by the doctor that he does not have cancer and that he will not die, much to his delight. Meanwhile, in an attempt to teach Chris a lesson in life, Peter takes him to the location of his former high school bully, Randy Fulcher, whom he intends to beat up for revenge, not caring that Randy now suffers from multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
(believing it to be a monkey scrotum
Scrotum
In some male mammals the scrotum is a dual-chambered protuberance of skin and muscle containing the testicles and divided by a septum. It is an extension of the perineum, and is located between the penis and anus. In humans and some other mammals, the base of the scrotum becomes covered with curly...
). However, he ends up being beaten up himself by Chris in his attempt to stand up to his own father, whom he believes to be a bully, which finally convinces Peter that bullying is wrong.
Production
David GoodmanDavid A. Goodman
David A. Goodman is an American writer and producer and a graduate of the University of Chicago, earning an BA in 1984. He was one of the executive producers of Family Guy, beginning its fourth season, joining the show as a co-executive producer in season three...
comments, regarding the plot partially following Herbert
Herbert (Family Guy)
Herbert is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is voiced by writer and voice actor Mike Henry, who created and designed the character...
that "there is always a bit of trouble pitching a Herbert storyline to the network." Samm Levine
Samm Levine
Samuel Franklin "Samm" Levine is an American television and film actor. He is known for his portrayal of Neal Schweiber on NBC's short-lived Freaks and Geeks and PFC Hirschberg in the hit 2009 film Inglourious Basterds...
had originally been selected to voice Kyle, but the character was recast because, as show producer Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, writer, comedian, producer, actor, singer, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.A native of Kent,...
comments, "it seemed a lot funnier when Peter was beating up a kid if he was younger and more defenseless." A deleted scene had been made which showed Chris asking for money and stating "I spent my last ten bucks on a ham costume," and Peter replying with "it's just sitting there right now, but you know what the great thing is, it's just three months until Halloween and I am done." Peter's ancestor shown preparing to wrestle with a kangaroo was described by Seth MacFarlane to be "a very strange gag," which was added after the other parts of the episode had been created. Quagmire speaking profanities at the golf course was censored from television because of the inappropriate language. Broadcasting Standards prohibited the show from televising the scene of a nymphomaniac as it consists when Stewie recalls sleeping below her.
The voice of a guest at the tanning-party which Stewie is hosting was provided by Mike Barker. David A. Goodman comments on the DVD commentary that "It's nice to hear Mike Barker back on Family Guy.," as Barker had performed multiple voices of characters in previous episodes. Peter asking "I'm going to prison, aren't I?" when hiding in the tree caused a little bit of trouble for the show. A sketch had been created showing Brian falling asleep when watching Late Night with Bib Fortuna while Stewie was still in the tanning booth, but it did not seem good enough to air, so it was never broadcast. When Stewie is being sprayed by Brian with sun-screen, Ralph Furley
Ralph Furley
Ralph "RF" Furley is the name of a fictional character from the sitcom Three's Company, played by Don Knotts.Mr. Furley is the landlord of a Santa Monica apartment building that is owned by his brother, Bart, who acquired it from Stanley Roper. It is the home to Jack Tripper, Larry Dallas, Janet...
enters the room and mistakenly thinks he sees Brian ejaculating
Ejaculation
Ejaculation is the ejecting of semen from the male reproductory tract, and is usually accompanied by orgasm. It is usually the final stage and natural objective of male sexual stimulation, and an essential component of natural conception. In rare cases ejaculation occurs because of prostatic disease...
on Stewie. The cream was originally intended to keep squirting out of the bottle as if Brian were continuing to ejaculate despite Mr. Furley's presence, but it "did not seem to go ahead" and was removed completely. MacFarlane comments that he was amazed that broadcasting standards allowed them to do what they did not the televised version. A deleted scene was made and designed to happen directly after Peter makes Meg
Meg Griffin
Meg Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is the eldest child of Lois and Peter and elder sister of Chris and Stewie. Meg is considered as the black sheep of the series due to the lack of attention she receives....
throw-up in the kitchen by releasing wind next to her which showed Peter giving Chris his lunch money for school, then taking it off him as he is boarding the school bus. The gag showing Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
as a Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
greeter telling the customers to "go fuck themselves" was described by MacFarlane to be "way too unacceptable" for television and was thus censored. Peter falling to the floor after being pushed away from hitting Randy by Chris was very difficult to do, as it is difficult to do slow-motion in animation.
In addition to Barker and the regular cast, 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,...
, voice actor Chris Cox
Chris Cox (actor)
Chris Cox is a filmmaker and voice actor. He is best known, as himself, for the 2001 Small Shots TV series for Spike TV.Cox replaced George Eads in the role of Captain Atom for the popular animated series Justice League Unlimited. Eads was unwilling to reprise his voice role after an appearance in...
, actor Michael Clarke Duncan
Michael Clarke Duncan
Michael Clarke Duncan is an American actor, best known for his breakout role as John Coffey in The Green Mile, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.- Early life :...
, actor Keir Gilchrist
Keir Gilchrist
Keir David Peters Gilchrist is a Canadian actor. Gilchrist is known for playing teen Marshall Gregson on Showtime's original series United States of Tara, and for starring in the 2010 drama-comedy It's Kind of a Funny Story....
, actress Beth Littleford
Beth Littleford
Elizabeth Anna Halcyon "Beth" Littleford is an American actress, comedienne, and television personality. She is perhaps best known for being one of the original correspondents on the popular Comedy Central satirical news series The Daily Show from 1996 to 2000; she is also known as Tripp's mother...
and voice actress Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael Ann MacFarlane is an American voice actress best known for her appearances in Codename: Kids Next Door as supreme leader Numbuh 362 and the FOX animated series Family Guy and American Dad!, both created and executive-produced by her older brother Seth MacFarlane.Aside from voice acting,...
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors Chris Sheridan, 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 made minor appearances.
Cultural references
- An unused ending to the episode had been similar to the ending of 1984 AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comedy film Revenge of the NerdsRevenge of the NerdsRevenge of the Nerds is a 1984 comedy film satirizing social life on a college campus. The film stars Robert Carradine and Anthony Edwards, with Curtis Armstrong, Ted McGinley, Julia Montgomery, Brian Tochi, Larry B. Scott, John Goodman, and Donald Gibb...
, but "it never really clicked," hence, it was not broadcast. - Stewie at a party with other tan-obsessed people is an a reference to the Tony Lacey scene in Annie HallAnnie HallAnnie Hall is a 1977 American romantic comedy directed by Woody Allen from a screenplay co-written with Marshall Brickman and co-starring Diane Keaton. One of Allen's most popular and most honored films, it won four Academy Awards including Best Picture...
. - Stewie reciting a poem he wrote to Brian is a reference to non-fiction novelNon-fiction novelThe non-fiction novel is a literary genre which, broadly speaking, depicts real historical figures and actual events narrated woven together with fictitious allegations and using the storytelling techniques of fiction. The non-fiction novel is an otherwise loosely-defined and flexible genre...
Tuesdays with MorrieTuesdays With MorrieTuesdays with Morrie is a 1997 non-fiction novel by American writer Mitch Albom. The story was later adapted by Thomas Rickman into a TV movie of the same name directed by Mick Jackson, which aired on 5 December 1999 and starred Jack Lemmon and Hank Azaria...
. - Stewie and Brian visiting the Art Institute of ChicagoArt Institute of ChicagoThe School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, located in the Loop in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, and "The Art Institute of Chicago" or "Chicago Art Institute" often refers to either...
as one of Stewie's last wishes is a reference to Ferris Bueller's Day OffFerris Bueller's Day OffFerris Bueller's Day Off is a 1986 American teen coming-of-age comedy film written and directed by John Hughes.The film follows high school senior Ferris Bueller , who decides to skip school and spend the day in downtown Chicago...
. - There is a dispute between Peter and Lois in regards to how different LEGOLegoLego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
is from Mega BloksMega BloksMega Brands, Incorporated , formerly Mega Bloks, Incorporated, is a publicly traded children's toy company. Mega Bloks is the name of their most popular product, a line of construction set toys, with other brands including Mega Puzzles, Board Dudes and Rose Art. Mega Brands, Inc. distributes a...
. - A parody of Kellogg’s Frosted FlakesFrosted FlakesKellogg's Frosted Flakes is a breakfast cereal first introduced by the Kellogg Company. It consists of corn flakes "frosted" or coated with sugar. The "Frosted Flakes" name is used by Kellogg's in United States and Canada. The cereal was first introduced in 1951 as Sugar Frosted Flakes...
’ Tony the TigerTony the TigerTony the Tiger is the advertising cartoon mascot for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes breakfast cereal, appearing on its packaging and advertising. More recently, Tony has also become the mascot for Tony's Cinnamon Krunchers and Tiger Power...
called Terry the Tiger is seen in the Griffin kitchen, saying “They’re food!” - When Lois notices Stewie's sunburn, she tells Peter that it was similar to the time he fed his MogwaiGremlinsGremlins is a 1984 American horror comedy film directed by Joe Dante, released by Warner Bros. The film is about a young man who receives a strange creature—called a Mogwai—as a pet, which then spawns other creatures who transform into small, destructive, evil monsters. It was followed by a sequel,...
after midnight. A cutaway scene shows Peter feeding the Mogwai a drumstickDrumstick (ice cream)Drumstick is the brand name for a variety of ice cream cones sold in the United States, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, and other countries across the world. The original product was invented by I.C...
, causing it to turn into Fran DrescherFran DrescherFrancine Joy "Fran" Drescher is an American film and television actress, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer, author, singer, talk show host, political lobbyist and health activist...
, whose head Peter then microwaves. - When Lois wipes off Stewie's fake pencil mustache, Stewie compares the salivaSalivaSaliva , referred to in various contexts as spit, spittle, drivel, drool, or slobber, is the watery substance produced in the mouths of humans and most other animals. Saliva is a component of oral fluid. In mammals, saliva is produced in and secreted from the three pairs of major salivary glands,...
being cleaned on his upper lip to the time he had dinner with Martin LandauMartin LandauMartin Landau is an American film and television actor. Landau began his career in the 1950s. His early films include a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest . He played continuing roles in the television series Mission: Impossible and Space:1999...
. A cutaway shows Martin Landau having a distinct speech pattern by not chewing up his food as he speaks. - When Brian advises Stewie to “wait and see” whether or not he has cancerCancerCancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, Stewie says “Jim HensonJim HensonJames Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
had a wait and see attitude, and look what happened to him. Now we’ve got wrong-sounding Muppets,” a reference to Henson’s failure to properly address a cold he had, which led to pneumonia, and ultimately his death in 1990. The scene then cuts to Kermit the FrogKermit the FrogKermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over...
and the Swedish ChefSwedish ChefThe Swedish Chef is a Muppet that appeared on The Muppet Show. He was operated by Jim Henson and Frank Oz simultaneously and is now puppeteered by Bill Barretta.-Character:...
(two characters Henson voiced) in a dialogue sequence, with much different voice tones. The two would later appear at the end of the show, discussing the preceding events, when Fozzie BearFozzie BearFozzie Bear is a Muppet, created by Jim Henson. He is an orange, particularly fuzzy bear who works as a stand-up comic and has a catchphrase, "Wocka Wocka Wocka". Shortly after telling the joke, he is usually the target of rotten tomatoes and ridicule, especially from hecklers Statler and Waldorf...
walks in, and says in a deep voice (supplied by actor Michael Clark Duncan): “Wocka wocka. Who wants to hear a funny-ass joke?” Unlike Kermit and the Chef, Fozzie would not fall into the category in real life, as he was voiced by Frank OzFrank OzFrank Oz is a British-born American film director, actor, voice actor and puppeteer who is known for creating and performing the characters Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear in The Muppet Show, Cookie Monster, Bert and Grover in Sesame Street, and for directing films, including the 1986 Little Shop of...
, who is still alive today. It should be noted this gag could also refer to The Walt Disney CompanyThe Walt Disney CompanyThe Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
’s decision to have the Muppets be performed by different puppeteers rather than their usual ones outside of the movies. - When Peter realizes that he should bully Randy Fulcher, he compares this to Dick CheneyDick CheneyRichard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
being a Wal-MartWal-MartWal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
greeter. He greets each costumer with "Go f*ck yourself", a reference to a 2004 incident where he said those words to Senator Patrick Leahy, after he asked the vice president about HalliburtonHalliburtonHalliburton is the world's second largest oilfield services corporation with operations in more than 70 countries. It has hundreds of subsidiaries, affiliates, branches, brands and divisions worldwide and employs over 50,000 people....
's alleged war profiteering. - When Stewie gets off his beach chair during a tan, Stewie is seen drinking a can of TaBTab (soft drink)Tab, stylized as TaB, is a diet cola soft drink produced by the Coca-Cola Company, first introduced in 1963. The soda was created by Coca Cola after the successful sales and marketing of Diet Rite cola, owned by The Royal Crown Company; previously, Diet Rite had been the only sugarless soda on the...
, and then slowly looking to the camera - a parody of TaB commercials in the '80s. - The title of the episode "The Tan Aquatic with Steve Zissou" is a reference to the 2004 Wes Anderson movie "The Life Aquatic with Steve ZissouThe Life Aquatic with Steve ZissouThe Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is an American comedy-drama film directed, written, and co-produced by Wes Anderson. It is Anderson's fourth feature length film, released in the U.S. on December 25, 2004...
".
Reception
In a significant improvement over the previous week, the episode was viewed in 8.53 million homes in its original airing, according to Nielsen ratingsNielsen 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...
. The episode also acquired a 3.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic, being slightly edged out by The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, while still winning over American Dad!
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...
and King of the Hill
King of the Hill
King of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
.
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...
gave "The Tan Aquatic with Steve Zissou" a 7.4/10 and commented "the random filler jokes just don't work, especially in this episode as both Jim Henson's Muppets and Frosted Flakes' Tony the Tiger are misused as random source material for jokes that simply fail to deliver," adding that "The idea of Peter going overboard with his newfound desire to bully his family and friends is also not quite as funny as it could have been." In a negative review by Brett Love of TV Squad. he noted "[the episode] was something of the opposite of "Peter's Two Dads." Where that one excelled with the structure of the story, this one wasn't as strong.