Deep Throats
Encyclopedia
"Deep Throats" is the twenty-third episode of season four of the television series Family Guy
. It was written by Alex Borstein
and directed by Greg Colton
. Appalled at parking charges introduced by Mayor West
, Brian
decides to expose the corruption of the Mayor, despite the prospect of potentially destroying Meg
's new career as the Mayor's intern. Meanwhile, Peter and Lois decide to participate in the Quahog community talent show with a folk singing
act, as they did in the 1980s, but the couple become largely reliant on marijuana for inspiration and eventually fail the competition for their poor performance, despite their beliefs they were singing well when under the influence of the drugs.
is employed as an intern for Mayor West
after doing an interview with him. The family is impressed by this news, and Brian
feels pressured as he is becoming the "new Meg" due to him not having a job. Brian decides to become a taxicab driver, but soon becomes intent on exposing the corruption of Mayor West to the public after receiving a $
400 parking ticket for parking his taxicab on a handicapped zone without permit next to a store where Brian bought some milk for Lois. After discussing his corruption beliefs with Meg, she argues that he is a nice person and that he should drop it. Stewie
, after learning of Brian's intentions to expose Mayor West, decides to go with Brian and assist him. After meeting a whistleblower in a parking lot that happens to be Kermit the Frog
, Brian discovers where Mayor West will be on the night, and follows him to a motel with Stewie.
They arrive at a motel, they spy on West through the wall, and discover he is involved in a relationship with Meg. Seeing this relationship as an ideal opportunity to take West down, Brian photographs the two together in romantic scenes and recorded their talk in a restaurant, threatening to release them to the press. After Meg finds out about this, she confronts West, who says he and Meg should separate due to the negative media images which will follow if Brian does release the images, because even though he's used to it, he doesn't want Meg's life to be ruined, stating how much he really cares about her. They separate, with Mayor West stating that he will always be there for Meg, and Brian, having secretly heard this, realizes he has made a mistake and Mayor West isn't as bad as he thought, subsequently destroys the images, and later apologizes to Meg. He intends to give her a ride home in his cab, but finds Cleveland Brown
trashing the cab in anger because Brian decided to buy the milk for Lois rather than taking Cleveland to his destination before Brian got the ticket, thinking that Brian didn't pick him up because he was black.
Earlier, Peter and Brian pass Lois, and Peter rams her car and then shoots the tires. She is furious with Peter, but they manage to laugh and make up afterwards.
Peter and Lois decide to participate in a community talent show
with a folk-singing
act they always used to do back in the 1980s. They are having a hard time, however, at writing new songs and start to smoke marijuana
, thinking it will provide inspiration. Peter and Lois begin to behave bizarrely in their high state, which greatly disturbs the family. At one point, they even eat a guitar, and lie on the sofa naked in front of Brian and Stewie. At the show, they initially appear to wow the entire crowd with their performance, but, when the scene cut to their house, it turns out that they lost. Chris
, who was in the audience at the show, explains that they were completely oblivious to this fact in their high state and thought they were singing well, when in reality, they blundered horribly. Stewie ends the episode by singing the 'Mr. Belvedere' opening theme angrily as Chris explains the dangers of marijuana to Lois and Peter.
to beat Meg up when she is applying for a job within his office, but the scene was never used. The clay cars sketch was not animated by the regular show producers, rather it was drawn by Eileen Colehep, a woman who attended college with show producer Seth MacFarlane
. The voice of Bruce the performance artist was performed by Mike Henry, and was originally scheduled to last longer, but it was reduced for unknown reasons. The concept behind the storyline of Peter and Lois performing in pubs
when they were younger relates to MacFarlane's father, who used to stage performances in bars. When he was performing, the woman who was to be MacFarlane's mother, came in to the bar and tracked his father down, asking for guitar lessons once she had found him. The song which Peter and Lois were singing when remembering their performances they hosted in their earlier years was created by Alec Sulkin and Patrick Megan, producers of Family Guy. Alex Borstein
, voice actor of Lois Griffin
had originally wanted Meg to be wearing a business outfit in the episode during her employment by Mayor West, but it was not used.
The episode marks the first time in the series that Stewie has expressed an attraction for Brian. The name of Peter and Lois' band was originally intended to be "Mouthful of Peter
," but broadcasting standards insisted that the show producers change the name to "Handful of Peter
." In response to this, MacFarlane comments that "a handjob is more acceptable than a blowjob." When performing for the Quahog Talent Competition, one of the lyrics to Peter and Lois' song was scheduled to be "God would do her from behind, even do it a second time," but it was never used. Patrick Clark
organized the format of the credits, which were different from the regular set.
Peter singing "Carol of the Bells
" was shortened for the televised version of the episode, with an extended version on the DVD. Cleveland
sticking his middle finger up to Brian after he fails to stop in his taxi was allowed on the televised version of the episode. This was permitted because MacFarlane rang the shows broadcasting standards and asked for their explicit permission, explaining that it was very distant, and they allowed it. After smoking marijuana
, Peter and Lois are shown lying on top of each other on the sofa; in the television version, they are wearing underwear, but are completely naked on the DVD version. Similarly, Lois' comment during the scene, "Brian, he's knocking on the back door, what should I do? Should I let him in?" was censored from television, as it is a reference to anal sex
.
) secretly meets Brian in an underground parking lot. Brian calls the informant "Deep Throat," in a reference to the anonymous informant Deep Throat
. The meeting itself is a reference to the meeting with Deep Throat or to the 1976
film All the Presidents Men
. The part-time job Peter had wherein he sings a song about Burger King
is based on the popular internet meme "Ding Fries are Done,", which is a parody of the popular Christmas song Carol of the Bells
. The Noid
attempting to ruin Mayor West's pizza is a reference to the Noid from former Domino's Pizza
television advertisements. The scene where Cleveland runs off as a black panther when he notices Meg and Brian looking at him as he destroys Brian's cab with a crowbar is a reference to Michael Jackson
's Black or White 2nd ending known as the Black or White Panther Dance. When Lois mentions to Peter that it would be fun to be in the community talent show, Stewie says "You know what else is fun? Watching Mr. Belvedere
without people talking so loudly!". He then proceeds to sing the theme song loudly.
, hosted by the stars of the film Superbad. "Deep Throats," alongside two other episodes of that set, were titled the "Worst TV Show of the Week" by the Parents Television Council
, a frequent critic
of Family Guy.
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
. It was written by Alex Borstein
Alex Borstein
Alexandrea "Alex" Borstein is an American actress, singer, voice actress, writer and comedian. She is best known for her long-running role as Lois Griffin on the animated television series Family Guy, and as a cast member on the sketch comedy series MADtv.A native of Highland Park, Illinois,...
and directed by Greg Colton
Greg Colton
Greg Colton is an American animation director. Colton is most notably known for directing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy and Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy....
. Appalled at parking charges introduced by Mayor West
Adam West (Family Guy)
Adam West, also known as Mayor West, is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. The character, voiced by the actor of the same name, is the eccentric mayor of the town of Quahog, Rhode Island, where the series is set.-Character:...
, Brian
Brian Griffin
Brian Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is voiced by Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family, in a 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Brian was created and designed by MacFarlane himself...
decides to expose the corruption of the Mayor, despite the prospect of potentially destroying Meg
Meg Griffin
Meg Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is the eldest child of Lois and Peter and elder sister of Chris and Stewie. Meg is considered as the black sheep of the series due to the lack of attention she receives....
's new career as the Mayor's intern. Meanwhile, Peter and Lois decide to participate in the Quahog community talent show with a folk singing
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
act, as they did in the 1980s, but the couple become largely reliant on marijuana for inspiration and eventually fail the competition for their poor performance, despite their beliefs they were singing well when under the influence of the drugs.
Plot
MegMeg Griffin
Meg Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is the eldest child of Lois and Peter and elder sister of Chris and Stewie. Meg is considered as the black sheep of the series due to the lack of attention she receives....
is employed as an intern for Mayor West
Adam West (Family Guy)
Adam West, also known as Mayor West, is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. The character, voiced by the actor of the same name, is the eccentric mayor of the town of Quahog, Rhode Island, where the series is set.-Character:...
after doing an interview with him. The family is impressed by this news, and Brian
Brian Griffin
Brian Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is voiced by Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family, in a 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Brian was created and designed by MacFarlane himself...
feels pressured as he is becoming the "new Meg" due to him not having a job. Brian decides to become a taxicab driver, but soon becomes intent on exposing the corruption of Mayor West to the public after receiving a $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
400 parking ticket for parking his taxicab on a handicapped zone without permit next to a store where Brian bought some milk for Lois. After discussing his corruption beliefs with Meg, she argues that he is a nice person and that he should drop it. Stewie
Stewie Griffin
Stewie Griffin is a fictional character from the animated television series Family Guy. Once obsessed with world domination and matricide, Stewie is the youngest child of Peter and Lois Griffin, and the brother of Chris and Meg....
, after learning of Brian's intentions to expose Mayor West, decides to go with Brian and assist him. After meeting a whistleblower in a parking lot that happens to be Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over...
, Brian discovers where Mayor West will be on the night, and follows him to a motel with Stewie.
They arrive at a motel, they spy on West through the wall, and discover he is involved in a relationship with Meg. Seeing this relationship as an ideal opportunity to take West down, Brian photographs the two together in romantic scenes and recorded their talk in a restaurant, threatening to release them to the press. After Meg finds out about this, she confronts West, who says he and Meg should separate due to the negative media images which will follow if Brian does release the images, because even though he's used to it, he doesn't want Meg's life to be ruined, stating how much he really cares about her. They separate, with Mayor West stating that he will always be there for Meg, and Brian, having secretly heard this, realizes he has made a mistake and Mayor West isn't as bad as he thought, subsequently destroys the images, and later apologizes to Meg. He intends to give her a ride home in his cab, but finds Cleveland Brown
Cleveland Brown
Cleveland Orenthal Brown is a character from the animated television series Family Guy, and its spin-off series The Cleveland Show. He is voiced by Mike Henry. In the first seven seasons of Family Guy, Brown is a frequently recurring character. As one of Peter Griffin's neighbors and friends,...
trashing the cab in anger because Brian decided to buy the milk for Lois rather than taking Cleveland to his destination before Brian got the ticket, thinking that Brian didn't pick him up because he was black.
Earlier, Peter and Brian pass Lois, and Peter rams her car and then shoots the tires. She is furious with Peter, but they manage to laugh and make up afterwards.
Peter and Lois decide to participate in a community talent show
Talent show
A talent show is an event where participants perform their talent or talents of acting, singing, dancing, acrobatics, drumming, martial arts, playing an instrument, and other activities to showcase a unique form of talent, sometimes for a reward, trophy or prize...
with a folk-singing
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
act they always used to do back in the 1980s. They are having a hard time, however, at writing new songs and start to smoke marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
, thinking it will provide inspiration. Peter and Lois begin to behave bizarrely in their high state, which greatly disturbs the family. At one point, they even eat a guitar, and lie on the sofa naked in front of Brian and Stewie. At the show, they initially appear to wow the entire crowd with their performance, but, when the scene cut to their house, it turns out that they lost. Chris
Chris Griffin
Chris Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is the son and middle child of Peter and Lois Griffin, brother of Stewie and Meg Griffin. Chris is voiced by Seth Green.-Personality:...
, who was in the audience at the show, explains that they were completely oblivious to this fact in their high state and thought they were singing well, when in reality, they blundered horribly. Stewie ends the episode by singing the 'Mr. Belvedere' opening theme angrily as Chris explains the dangers of marijuana to Lois and Peter.
Production
It was originally intended for Mayor WestAdam West (Family Guy)
Adam West, also known as Mayor West, is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. The character, voiced by the actor of the same name, is the eccentric mayor of the town of Quahog, Rhode Island, where the series is set.-Character:...
to beat Meg up when she is applying for a job within his office, but the scene was never used. The clay cars sketch was not animated by the regular show producers, rather it was drawn by Eileen Colehep, a woman who attended college with show producer Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, writer, comedian, producer, actor, singer, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.A native of Kent,...
. The voice of Bruce the performance artist was performed by Mike Henry, and was originally scheduled to last longer, but it was reduced for unknown reasons. The concept behind the storyline of Peter and Lois performing in pubs
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
when they were younger relates to MacFarlane's father, who used to stage performances in bars. When he was performing, the woman who was to be MacFarlane's mother, came in to the bar and tracked his father down, asking for guitar lessons once she had found him. The song which Peter and Lois were singing when remembering their performances they hosted in their earlier years was created by Alec Sulkin and Patrick Megan, producers of Family Guy. Alex Borstein
Alex Borstein
Alexandrea "Alex" Borstein is an American actress, singer, voice actress, writer and comedian. She is best known for her long-running role as Lois Griffin on the animated television series Family Guy, and as a cast member on the sketch comedy series MADtv.A native of Highland Park, Illinois,...
, voice actor of Lois Griffin
Lois Griffin
Lois Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is voiced by writer Alex Borstein and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Lois was created and designed by series creator Seth MacFarlane...
had originally wanted Meg to be wearing a business outfit in the episode during her employment by Mayor West, but it was not used.
The episode marks the first time in the series that Stewie has expressed an attraction for Brian. The name of Peter and Lois' band was originally intended to be "Mouthful of Peter
Fellatio
Fellatio is an act of oral stimulation of a male's penis by a sexual partner. It involves the stimulation of the penis by the use of the mouth, tongue, or throat. The person who performs fellatio can be referred to as the giving partner, and the other person is the receiving partner...
," but broadcasting standards insisted that the show producers change the name to "Handful of Peter
Handjob
Handjob is a slang or informal word referring to an act of manual stimulation of a male's penis by a sexual partner, whether female or male, usually to the point of orgasm and ejaculation. The act is similar to male masturbation, though the latter is performed by a male on himself...
." In response to this, MacFarlane comments that "a handjob is more acceptable than a blowjob." When performing for the Quahog Talent Competition, one of the lyrics to Peter and Lois' song was scheduled to be "God would do her from behind, even do it a second time," but it was never used. Patrick Clark
Patrick Clark
Patrick Clark is an Emmy and Telly Award-winning host. He has been featured on the Home & Garden Network , G4, ABC Family Channel, All News Channel and served as a correspondent for Cartoon Network.-Biography:...
organized the format of the credits, which were different from the regular set.
Peter singing "Carol of the Bells
Carol of the Bells
"Carol of the Bells" is the common English language title of a Christmas carol of Ukrainian origin, which has in recent years grown in popularity, particularly in English-speaking countries. The work was originally a choral miniature composition by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych based on...
" was shortened for the televised version of the episode, with an extended version on the DVD. Cleveland
Cleveland Brown
Cleveland Orenthal Brown is a character from the animated television series Family Guy, and its spin-off series The Cleveland Show. He is voiced by Mike Henry. In the first seven seasons of Family Guy, Brown is a frequently recurring character. As one of Peter Griffin's neighbors and friends,...
sticking his middle finger up to Brian after he fails to stop in his taxi was allowed on the televised version of the episode. This was permitted because MacFarlane rang the shows broadcasting standards and asked for their explicit permission, explaining that it was very distant, and they allowed it. After smoking marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
, Peter and Lois are shown lying on top of each other on the sofa; in the television version, they are wearing underwear, but are completely naked on the DVD version. Similarly, Lois' comment during the scene, "Brian, he's knocking on the back door, what should I do? Should I let him in?" was censored from television, as it is a reference to anal sex
Anal sex
Anal sex is the sex act in which the penis is inserted into the anus of a sexual partner. The term can also include other sexual acts involving the anus, including pegging, anilingus , fingering, and object insertion.Common misconception describes anal sex as practiced almost exclusively by gay men...
.
Cultural references
The episode takes its title from a scene when an anonymous informant (later revealed to be Kermit the FrogKermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over...
) secretly meets Brian in an underground parking lot. Brian calls the informant "Deep Throat," in a reference to the anonymous informant Deep Throat
Deep Throat
Deep Throat is the pseudonym given to the secret informant who provided information to Bob Woodward of The Washington Post in 1972 about the involvement of United States President Richard Nixon's administration in what came to be known as the Watergate scandal...
. The meeting itself is a reference to the meeting with Deep Throat or to the 1976
1976 in film
The year 1976 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*March 22 - Filming begins on George Lucas' Star Wars science fiction film...
film All the Presidents Men
All the President's Men (film)
All the President's Men is a 1976 Academy Award-winning political thriller film based on the 1974 non-fiction book of the same name by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the two journalists investigating the Watergate scandal for The Washington Post...
. The part-time job Peter had wherein he sings a song about Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
is based on the popular internet meme "Ding Fries are Done,", which is a parody of the popular Christmas song Carol of the Bells
Carol of the Bells
"Carol of the Bells" is the common English language title of a Christmas carol of Ukrainian origin, which has in recent years grown in popularity, particularly in English-speaking countries. The work was originally a choral miniature composition by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych based on...
. The Noid
Noid
The Noid is an advertising character for Domino's Pizza created in the 1980s. He was a villainous red-suited character with red rabbit ears who attempted to ruin Domino's pizza but was constantly thwarted. The Noid was created in 1986 by Group 243, the advertising agency for Domino's Pizza and was...
attempting to ruin Mayor West's pizza is a reference to the Noid from former Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza, Inc. is an international pizza delivery corporation headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America. Founded in 1960, Domino's is the second-largest pizza chain in the United States and has over 9,000 corporate and franchised stores in 60 countries and all 50 U.S....
television advertisements. The scene where Cleveland runs off as a black panther when he notices Meg and Brian looking at him as he destroys Brian's cab with a crowbar is a reference to Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's Black or White 2nd ending known as the Black or White Panther Dance. When Lois mentions to Peter that it would be fun to be in the community talent show, Stewie says "You know what else is fun? Watching Mr. Belvedere
Mr. Belvedere
Mr. Belvedere is an American sitcom that originally aired on ABC from March 15, 1985, until July 8, 1990. The series was based on the Lynn Aloysius Belvedere character created by Gwen Davenport for her 1947 novel Belvedere, which was later adapted into the 1948 film Sitting Pretty...
without people talking so loudly!". He then proceeds to sing the theme song loudly.
Reception
On August 5, 2007, this episode was featured among a four-episode set of Family Guy on FoxFox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
, hosted by the stars of the film Superbad. "Deep Throats," alongside two other episodes of that set, were titled the "Worst TV Show of the Week" by the Parents Television Council
Parents Television Council
The Parents Television Council is a U.S. based advocacy group founded by conservative activist L. Brent Bozell III in 1995 using the National Legion of Decency as a model...
, a frequent critic
Criticism of Family Guy
The American animated sitcom Family Guy has been the target of numerous complaints concerning taste and indecency. Parents Television Council has expressed moral opposition to the series, and filed complaints with the Federal Communications Commission....
of Family Guy.