8 Literary References Found In Family Guy

Fox’s animated sitcom Family Guy was created by Seth MacFarlane, with its first episode airing on January the 31st 1999. The show follows the antics of the Griffin family and their friends in Quahog, a fictional district of Rhode Island.

The dysfunctional family consists of Peter (father), Lois (mother), Chris (son), Meg (daughter), Stewie (baby son), and Brian their anthropomorphised dog.The show is known for its non-sequitur cutaway scenes, and musical numbers; each episode is a whirlwind of popular culture references, borderline offensive (and at times absolutely offensive)  jokes, and toilet humour. It is often subversive, at times intelligent, but mostly puerile nonsense (which is totally fine- no judgement!)

Having sat through quite a few Family Guy episodes myself, I have noticed its inclusion of literary references in amongst the pop culture. Here are some of what we could find on our travels through Quahog with the Family Guy gang…

In Season 4, episode 24 we see Peter write his own erotic stories, with one parodying a classic title… “Catch Her in the Eye,” is a reference to J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye.

J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye is referenced again in Season 8, episode 7. Peter’s friend Quagmire hates Brian with a fiery passion. As he rants about him in this episode he mentions Brian’s strange habit of giving women a copy of Catcher in the Rye. 

In episode 10 of season 3, the writers give a shout out to Charles Dickens’ Bleak House when Stewie fantasises about his father spontaneously combusting. Also in this episode, Meg is seen reading The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.

In season 4, episode 2 Brian gets a job at the school. He dresses up as Mark Twain to help inspire his remedial English class, and in the same episode assigns a book report on the Charles Dickens novel, Great Expectations.

Family Guy episode 11 in season 2 sees the Griffin family at a carnival where Stewie notices a horrifying clown doll and remarks: “Ooooo how deliciously evil looking! It’s like something out of Stephen King”

The scene then cuts away to Stephen King (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) attempting to sell a new book:

Stephen King: Okay, for my 307th book .. this couple is attacked by a… uh… A lamp monster! .. ooh…
Publisher/Agent: You’re not even trying anymore, are you?
King: ..
Publisher: When can I have it?

In season 2, episode 17 Stewie references the ending of the novel by Frank Gipson, Old Yeller, but implies the dog is shot not for rabies, but for failing to relay a phone message.

In a classical mythology reference, Peter couldn’t stop staring at the mirror and has an accident as a result. This reference parallels Narcissus from Greek mythology who fell in love with himself and drowned to death in his own reflection on a pool of water.

In season 2, episode 4 finds Brian driving in the countryside. He runs over writer Dean Koontz, a competitor to fellow suspense writer Stephen King. This scene could be seen as a reference to Stephen King’s accident when he was hit by a minivan in 1999. After hitting Koontz with his car, Brian gets out to check on him. Brian asks if Koontz is Stephen King, but the man says he is Dean Koontz, so Brian gets back in his truck and runs him over again.

In this episode (15 of season 7) Peter discovers the writing of Stephen King. He imagines his family and friends in three of King’s most famous works: Misery, The Shawshank Redemption, and Stand By Me. 

In the episode Peter remarks that the Family Guy producers would see Stephen King in court, however in real life he approved of the episodes after they approached him with the ideas first.