What’s funny about abortion?

Well that was a question that was addressed by the one television show that could possibly find a funny angle to such a controversial topic. Family Guy. Of course the general public will never be able to see this on television, unless it comes out in a DVD (yeah, that won’t happen).

For those that somehow have missed this long running, 2x resurrected, animated comedy show you have no idea what you are missing. Don’t let the fact that this is animated beguile you into thinking this is just some kiddie entertainment. This even isn’t on the level of The Simpsons. No this is often high-brow, adult focused, risqué, pusing the edge comedy. With a bit of slapstick thrown in.

Some of the topics the show has dealt with are infidelity, swinging, gay lifestyles, nuclear holocaust, sex, BDSM, race relations, divorce, disabilities, pedophilia, various Rights and Liberties (taken to extreme), and television programming to name just the tip of the iceberg. To say this show often offends some viewers, on either side of the political scale, is to say that air is a nice thing to have.

Here are 2 examples of what I mean (though the video clip I wanted I can't find)





But the show hit a new point when they took on the abortion issue. Whatever actually happens in the show must have really sent the censors running as FOX will NEVER air the episodes on broadcast television. But they did provide this episode to the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences that will be voting for the Emmy for a comedic series. Family Guy is nominated in this category, the first time since 1961 that an animated show since The Flinstones has been nominated.

What I do know of the story is the following:

“Most of the episode dealt with matriarch Lois (played by Borstein) deciding to become a surrogate mother for her infertile friend — against Peter's wishes. After her friend is killed in a car crash, the Griffins are left with the difficult decision of what to do about the pregnancy.

At one point, Peter watches an anti-abortion video, which proclaims several people would be alive if abortion wasn't legal, including a fourth Stooge, the guy who would have killed Adolf Hitler and Osama bin Laden's America-loving brother, who could have prevented 9/11.”

According to the AP the viewers were in stitches, thus answering the question posed in the headline of this post. Which makes me all the more curious about what they did in this episode. But until the DVD comes out, or someone makes a bootleg on the internet – neither of which will happen anytime soon – we will never know.

Still, somehow, I expect that those for and against abortion will waste no time in attacking this episode of Family Guy, and/or anyone speaking about it.