A new episode of long-running animated series Family Guy has seen main character Peter Griffin reference the show's long history of poking fun at LGBTIQ+ people, announcing that their writers would be “trying to phase out” gay jokes in the future.
It was a comment later backed up by producer Alec Sulkin and show runner Richard Appel, who told TV Line that society had changed since the show began in 1999.
“If you look at a show from 2005 or 2006 and put it side by side with a show from 2018 or 2019, they’re going to have a few differences," Sulkin said.
"Some of the things we felt comfortable saying and joking about back then, we now understand is not acceptable.”
“It’s almost unique to Family Guy, though I can think of one other show that’s been on the air longer,” Appel explained, likely referencing The Simpsons.
He continued: “But if a show has literally been on the air for 20 years, the culture changes. And it’s not us reacting and thinking, ’They won’t let us [say certain things].’ No, we’ve changed too. The climate is different, the culture is different and our views are different. They’ve been shaped by the reality around us, so I think the show has to shift and evolve in a lot of different ways.”
Family Guy has been criticised by members of the LGBTIQ+ community in the past, particularly for its poor handling of trans characters.
