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Family Guy has been a part of American television culture since 1999. It is a television series about wicked satire, offbeat humor, and its success in satirizing nearly all aspects of modern life. It is a sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, which features the Griffin family residing in the fictional suburb of Quahog, Rhode Island. The suburb is a microcosm of suburbia and a setting for the offbeat, anarchic storylines of the show.
The Griffin family is as ordinary as possible. Peter Griffin is a hapless, dynastically troubled father who tries his best but messes things up more often than not. His wife, Lois, is smart, quick on her wits, and comes from money. She's usually the voice of reason.
They have equally quirky children: Meg is the doormat teenager. Chris is laid-back and nice. Stewie is a genius infant who aspires to control the world. And there is Brian, their dog. He sips martinis, reads philosophy books, and enjoys being more human than the rest of the family.
The show breaks traditional narrative. It jump-cuts from one idea to another, combining surreal humor, absurdity, and—most notoriously—cutaway gags. The short, independent scenes typically start from an isolated line of dialogue. They allow the authors to mock everything: movies, history, celebrities, etc.
However, the show's run was not without issues. Its early season ratings were low, so it got cancelled twice. But its DVD sales skyrocketed. Word of mouth was so good that Fox brought it back in 2005. Family Guy has aired more than 438 episodes to this point (as of May 2025). It is now in its 23rd season.
Behind it all, though, is a mastermind by the name of Seth MacFarlane. He is the writer of the show and the voice of most of the main characters, including Peter, Stewie, and Brian. His writing has a wit-filled humor with humorous references mixed with silly jokes and acerbic satires. It's one of a handful of cartoons ever to be nominated for an Emmy for Best Comedy Series—something it shares only with The Flintstones.
But what sets Family Guy apart from its peers is that it hits pop culture so relentlessly. Nothing is taboo. No celebrity is sacred. The show goes for it on everything from films to political scandals.
Family Guy creates havoc just for laughs. Its flagrancy has been more influential than any other family comedy thus far. Here are ten of Family Guy's most iconic pop culture roasts—moments that cut deep and stirred the pot.
Top 10 pop culture roasts by Family Guy
The Beatles
The Beatles, commonly referred to as the most famous band of all time, are a frequent target on Family Guy. Everything from Ringo Starr's alleged lack of ability to play to the breakup of the band and Yoko Ono's involvement is satirized.
During one of the cutaways, Stewie introduces John Lennon to Yoko and accuses her of breaking them up. A second joke satirizes Paul McCartney's former wife, Heather Mills, and her prosthetic leg.
Ringo's music gets child art therapy—stuck on the fridge and forgotten. These are not just homage jokes; they bring down a legend around each of them.
By satirizing The Beatles, Family Guy makes us think about the fact that not everybody who is iconic is sacred. It makes us think about how we treat celebrities and greatness. The joke is not just in the jokes, but in having the audacity to make them at all.
Bill Cosby
Prior to Bill Cosby's offenses becoming public, the series was mocking his speech and demeanor. When the story broke, the jokes darkened.
One of The Princess Bride parodies features Cosby in a sickening skit that refers to his offenses. A second joke parodies the start of The Cosby Show, with Cosby dancing on top of unconscious cast members.
These aren't only edgy—they confront his downfall directly. The show confronts us with the unpleasant realities using humor. The Cosby jokes show us how satire can compel us to deal with things that have occurred in the world.
O.J. Simpson
The trial of O.J. Simpson for murder is referenced heavily throughout the show, typically with graphic frankness. The series satirizes the white Bronco chase, puts the Griffin family in the middle of the crime scene within fantasy storylines, and constructs an entire episode ("The Juice Is Loose") around Peter befriending him.
Quahow is appalled. The humor is a delicate tightrope of wit and tackiness. In referencing the Simpson case, Family Guy reminds popular culture of a painful page in American history. It uses satire to decry the media furor and public fascination with scandal.
Madonna
Madonna's ongoing reinvention and public persona make her an easy target. The series mocks her age and bizarre antics. Peter won't tell her that she ages badly in one joke during a game of truth or dare. She gets on stage dressed as a colonial settler in another, ridiculing her rebranding.
Those are on the threshold of jokes being mean-spirited, not only at the icon, but at the individual. The Madonna roasts demonstrate how celebrity women, particularly older ones, get roasted more thoroughly. They are jokes about society's double standards and youth fixation.
Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin's private life is open to gags. His brothers "milk" him in a disturbing spoof in a cutaway. Another joke makes him a subject in "Hungry Hungry Alec Baldwins," a parody of the kids' game. They are bizarre, outlandish, and vicious jokes.
The show starts with one characteristic—Baldwin's ego or family feud—and drives it to extremes. The joke peels away celebrity superficiality to reveal how bizarre stardom can be.
Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber's celebrity gossip and lightning-fast rise make him a target. In "Lois Comes Out of Her Shell," Lois attends a Bieber concert. The show lampoons his gender-fluid appeal and demeanor. Later, he's portrayed as someone who succeeded despite being immature.
Peter even calls Bieber "talks and dresses like he's Black," a dig at cultural appropriation. These jokes don't pull punches. The roasts of Bieber are not simply making fun of a pop sensation. They're going after the machine that commercializes young idols—and the culture's complicit hand in doing so.
The Star Wars Trilogy
Family Guy's three-part Star Wars parody is a tribute. The show splices together iconic scenes with the Griffin family and others, but also makes fun of the series' continuity and character motivations.
It particularly laments George Lucas's cuts and over-commercialization of the franchise. While these shows are admired for their wit and irreverence, they set a new standard for spoofing.
Internet & influencer culture
Meg's Fall In "Girl, Internetted," Meg turns into an influencer online. She will do anything in order to get attention and risk her safety to become powerful. The episode satirizes how far individuals will go for likes and the way audiences ostracize individuals for acting badly. It does not aim at a single person but at the whole system.
This is a direct commentary on influencer culture. The dark underbelly of social media is revealed in this episode, and viewers are rebuked for being complicit.
Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise shows up frequently, typically as the butt of a joke. He is joked about in terms of height and Scientology membership. He is referred to as "tiny Tom Cruise" by Stewie, and a few jokes ridicule his eccentric public antics.
These jokes are symptomatic of wider discomfort with celebrity cult and fringe ideology. They puncture the squeaky-clean image that stars attempt to maintain.
Themselves
Trending
The show does not hesitate to roast itself. In episodes such as "PTV," it makes fun of using cutaway gags, its own excess of humor, and even Fox censoring the series. It is unapologetically honest, condemning its own failing and taste.
Through self-roasting, Family Guy earns respect. It shows that no one—not even the series itself—can escape criticism.
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