Family Guy Fans Think The Meg Jokes Went Too Far In This Episode
Not every joke in "Family Guy" goes the way the writers would like it to, and some just fall so flat that fans can't help but throw serious amounts of shade at the failed attempt at humor. While many moments fit the criteria, there are some that rub viewers the wrong way more so than others, including one centered on Meg Griffin.
Meg is the middle child of the dysfunctional Griffin family from Quahog, Rhode Island, and it's no secret that she gets treated pretty poorly on the show. She started out being voiced by Lacey Chabert until Mila Kunis took over the role. Kunis told Rolling Stone that creator Seth MacFarlane has compared Meg to cousin John on "The Munsters," who was considered a freak on the classic sitcom, and that is pretty much how she is presented on "Family Guy." She is constantly ignored, abused, and portrayed as an eccentric outcast that people tend to avoid. Most of the time, fans find her arc rather amusing, and the jokes made at her expense can be utterly hilarious. But sometimes, the Emmy-winning show goes too far.
While the character has had some redeeming moments, the show usually makes her the butt of the joke more often than not. But there was an episode where it looked like Meg was finally going to get redemption, vindication, and some much-deserved satisfaction after years of abuse and ridicule, only to have it turn into something that was the furthest thing from funny, according to some fans.
Fans find the reason for Meg Griffin's abuse unsettling
In Season 10, Episode 2 ("Seashore Seashell Party"), Meg Griffin becomes completely fed up with the way she is treated by her family and begins to give them a taste of their own medicine. She throws all of their flaws, vices, and shortcomings in their faces only to come to the odd conclusion that her ability to absorb the dysfunction and abuse like a lightning rod is what is actually keeping the family from going completely off the rails. They learn nothing from the ordeal and go back to treating her poorly.
u/SarcasticVoyage posted his issue with the joke in the r/raisedbynarcissists community on Reddit, stating, "I mean, I get that there's no entertainment value in suddenly treating a scapegoat character like a normal person, but dammit if that whole thing didn't make me cringe." Several comments agreed with his assessment showcasing their disdain for the uninspired bit.
The episode was also panned by critics, with Kevin McFarland from The AV Club expressing his frustration in his review, saying, "Nobody cares about any member of the Griffin family the way we care about every last Simpson. I feel bad about Meg becoming the scapegoat." Kate Moon from TV Fanatic wrote that Meg confronting her family felt "contrived and uninteresting."
Meg has had it rough over the years, and her less than stellar treatment continues to be a running gag on the popular animated series. But apparently, there are limits to the amount of abuse certain fans are willing to watch Meg endure, and this joke crossed the line for some of the show's followers.