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Macfarlane's Use Of Negative Stereotypes In Family Guy

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Since its debut in 1999, Seth MacFarlane's animated television series Family Guy has developed a sizable fan base. Yet, it has also come under fire for perpetuating negative stereotypes and using foul humor. Asians are one group that has been specifically targeted in the show since they are frequently portrayed in stereotypical and derogatory ways. By using Asian characters, Family Guy encourages negative stereotypes and racism towards this population. First off, a lot of the Asian characters in Family Guy are portrayed as nerdy, awkward, and unsocial. The idea that Asians are "perpetual foreigners" who are unable to integrate into American culture. Professor K. Scott Wong notes, "Asians are still largely portrayed as outsiders, different and peculiar… They have a hard time assimilating and tend to be viewed as marginal figures”(Wong, 2013). Family Guy contributes to the stereotype that Asians are fundamentally …show more content…

This serves to objectify Asians for comedic effect and reinforces the stereotype that they are exotic and foreign. According to James J. Yoo, “By ridiculing Asians in this way, Family Guy perpetuates the myth that Asians are forever foreigners” (Yoo, 2011). This type of humor perpetuates a dangerous form of racism that sees Asians as inherently different and inferior in addition to being offensive.
Additionally, Family Guy frequently employs offensive and crude stereotypes in its jokes, using Asia as a punchline. Peter Griffin, for instance, sings a song about how he finds everything in Japan to be "funny" in one episode. As a result, the complexity of Asian society is reduced to an offensive caricature, reinforcing the notion that Asian culture is inherently strange and puzzling. “Asia is presented as a place of exotic, sexualized fantasies rather than a continent with diverse people, cultures, and histories” (Lee-Morrison,

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