Quagmire's Dad
Encyclopedia
"Quagmire's Dad" is the eighteenth episode of the eighth season
of the animated
comedy series
Family Guy
. It originally aired on Fox
in the United States on May 9, 2010. The episode features Quagmire
after his father, Dan Quagmire, returns to Quahog and states he is "a woman trapped in a man's body
". Dan has decided to have sex reassignment surgery
to become a woman, and Quagmire must adjust to his father's decision. Meanwhile, Brian
travels to a seminar and, upon his return, unwittingly has sex with Quagmire's father.
The episode was written by Tom Devanney
and directed by Pete Michels
. It received mostly praise from critics for its storyline and many cultural references, in addition to receiving some criticism for its portrayal of transgenderism
, including from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
(GLAAD) and the Parents Television Council
. According to Nielsen ratings
, it was viewed in 7.22 million homes in its original unedited airing. The episode featured a guest performance by Wally Wingert
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series. "Quagmire's Dad" will be released on DVD
along with ten other episodes from the season on December 13, 2011.
and Joe visit Quagmire
and are introduced to his father, Lieutenant Commander Dan Quagmire. Expecting to see the inspiration for Quagmire's wanton sexual behavior, they are surprised by Dan's stereotypically gay mannerisms and begin texting each other of how gay
Dan is. The following morning, Quagmire invites Peter and Lois
to the Naval Ball being held to honor his father, but soon begins arguing with Peter about his father's sexuality. At the ball that night, members of the Navy bombard Quagmire with compliments about his war-hero father, all of which can be taken as double entendre
s about Dan's alleged non-heterosexuality. Concerned that his dad may be gay, Quagmire confronts him and Dan states that he is not gay, but is instead "a woman trapped in a man's body
" and that he plans to have a sex change operation
during his stay in Quahog. At Lois' suggestion, Peter waits with Quagmire during his father's operation. The surgery is a success, with Dan emerging as Ida, an attractive blond woman. That night, Ida and Quagmire join the Griffins for dinner. As the dinner begins, however, Quagmire becomes frustrated when the conversation turns towards Ida's surgery and new life, and storms out of the room. At Quagmire's home, Quagmire tells his father that he is not sure he can deal with his father's sex reassignment. Saddened, Ida leaves Quagmire's home and decides to stay at a nearby Marriot Hotel
.
Meanwhile, Brian
has been out of town attending a seminar on creating a web series
and is unaware of what has transpired. On his way home, Brian stops at the Marriot and meets Ida. Quickly bonding, they retire to Ida's room for sex
. The next morning, Brian shares his newfound love with Peter and Lois before showing them a picture of Ida on his cellphone. Peter and Lois go into hysterics, while Brian, unaware of Ida's operation, believes they are just jealous. After Stewie
tells him that Quagmire's father has had a sex change, Brian is amazed and asks what Dan is now called. When Stewie says "Ida", Brian realizes that he has had sex with a woman who used to be a man and vomits for a full thirty seconds. Meanwhile, Ida returns to Quagmire's home and apologizes to him, and Quagmire returns the favor, reconciling their relationship. Ida tells Quagmire that she met someone, and when she says it was Brian, whom Quagmire despises
, he becomes furious. Brian is traumatized
after finding out about Ida and, when he hears Quagmire come inside the house, he tries to hide under Peter and Lois' bed, but Quagmire finds him and brutally beats him. Quagmire then warns Brian: "If I ever see you anywhere near my house, I'll blow your head off!" and then leaves, but Brian gets the final word when he says "Hey, I fuck
ed your dad." and slams the door shut.
and directed by series regular Pete Michels
. It is the second episode of the season Devanney and Michels worked on, the first being "Brian's Got a Brand New Bag", before the conclusion of season 8
. The episode saw the introduction of Quagmire's father, Lieutenant Commander Dan Quagmire, a former officer with the United States Navy
who later becomes Ida Quagmire. The character was voiced by main cast member, series creator and executive producer Seth MacFarlane. Series regulars Peter Shin
and James Purdum
served as supervising directors, with Andrew Goldberg
and Alex Carter working as staff writer
s for the episode.
"Quagmire's Dad", along with the eleven other episodes from Family Guys eighth season, will be released on a three-disc DVD
set in the United States on December 13, 2011. The sets include brief audio commentaries by various crew and cast members for several episodes, a collection of deleted scenes and animatics, a special mini-feature which discussed the process behind animating "And Then There Were Fewer
", a mini-feature entitled "The Comical Adventures of Family Guy - Brian & Stewie: The Lost Phone Call", and footage of the Family Guy panel at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International.
In addition to the regular cast, voice actor Wally Wingert
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actor Ralph Garman
, and writers Chris Sheridan, Danny Smith
, Alec Sulkin
and John Viener made minor appearances.
superhero Aquaman
, in addition to his alter ego Arthur Curry. When Quagmire introduces his father to Peter and Joe, Nancy Sinatra's
single "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'
" begins playing on Quagmire's stereo while Dan Quagmire dances down the stairs. Upon emerging from her surgery, Ida asks what Quagmire and Peter think of the operation and Peter, as he had suggested to Quagmire during the surgery, sings the hit single "Walking on Sunshine
" by Katrina and the Waves
.
on ABC
, Celebrity Apprentice
on NBC
, and the television film Jesse Stone: No Remorse
on CBS
. The episode also acquired a 3.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic, beating The Simpsons
, The Cleveland Show
and American Dad!
in both ratings and total viewership.
Reviews of the episode were mostly positive. Ramsey Isler of IGN
noted his enjoyment of Dan Quagmire's character traits: "I'll give the writing team credit for this little plot twist, as I'm sure we were all expecting the elder Quagmire to be even more of a womanizer than his son." Regarding the episode's treatment of LGBT
issues, Jason Hughes of TV Squad stated, "there's a gold mine of material to dig into for satire and comedy; comedy which will likely offend as many people as the real issues do." Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
called the scenes between Quagmire and his father "surprisingly well-done" while noting, "the scenes where the mockery seemed a little too mean-spirited were definitely out of the show's worst sections of its toolkit".
The episode was criticized for its portrayal of transgenderism
, particularly regarding the way Ida was treated by other characters. Food Ida prepared for the dinner party at the Griffin house was thrown out and Brian's learning of her sex-reassignment surgery after he had sex with her caused him to "violently" vomit for 30 unbroken seconds. Speaking with LGBT media website AfterElton.com in January 2010, series creator Seth MacFarlane
mentioned the episode in response to concerns over how his animated series have portrayed LGBT characters. "It always distresses me when I hear that the gay community is upset with us, because that's one group of people I hope would know we're on their side. I can safely say that the transsexual community will be very, very happy with the 'Quagmire' episode that we have coming up in a couple of months. It's probably the most sympathetic portrayal of a transexual character that has ever been on television, dare I say." In a subsequent review, AfterElton.com writer Brent Hartinger
graded the episode negatively. While noting that the episode deserves credit for making important points about transgender people, he found its inclusion of the vomiting scene and Lois and Peter's transphobic
remarks about Ida to be "shockingly insensitive". Hartinger continued, "Frankly, it's literally impossible for me to reconcile last night's episode with MacFarlane's words, unless I come to the conclusion that the man is pretty much a complete idiot." The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
, an LGBT media watchdog organization, released a statement about the episode, noting that "GLAAD shares the serious concerns being voiced from members of the community and GLAAD’s Entertainment Media Team is addressing these with Fox. Next steps will be decided at that point." In a September 2010 interview in Details
, MacFarlane expressed surprise at the negative reaction, stating "I don't meet a lot of stupid homosexuals." He repeated that he still felt Ida was a "very sympathetic portrayal of a transsexual character". He also defended Brian's vomiting after discovering he had sex with someone who had undergone sex re-assignment surgery noting Brian's character is heterosexual and "If I found out that I had slept with a transsexual, I might throw up in the same way that a gay guy looks at a vagina and goes, 'Oh, my God, that's disgusting.'"
The Parents Television Council
, a conservative campaigning group and frequent critic of MacFarlane's work, named "Quagmire's Dad" as its "Worst TV Show of the Week" citing Dan Quagmire's "outrageously stereotyped gay" character, violence and sexual innuendo. The PTC specifically cited the innuendo-laced dialogue throughout the episode, a "straight 45 straight seconds " of vomiting after Brian learns of Ida's previous identity, Quagmire's erection
while embracing Ida and the violence of the final scene.
Family Guy (season 8)
Family Guy eighth season first aired on the Fox network in twenty episodes from September 27, 2009 to May 23, 2010 before being released as two DVD box sets and in syndication. It ran on Sunday nights between May and July 2010 on BBC Three in the UK...
of the animated
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
comedy series
Television comedy
Television comedy had a presence from the earliest days of broadcasting. Among the earliest BBC television programmes in the 1930s was Starlight, which offered a series of guests from the music hall era — singers and comedians amongst them...
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 originally aired on Fox
Fox 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...
in the United States on May 9, 2010. The episode features Quagmire
Glenn Quagmire
Glenn Quagmire, often referred to as just Quagmire, is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. Quagmire is a neighbor and friend of the Griffin family. He is best known for his hypersexuality...
after his father, Dan Quagmire, returns to Quahog and states he is "a woman trapped in a man's body
Transsexualism
Transsexualism is an individual's identification with a gender inconsistent or not culturally associated with their biological sex. Simply put, it defines a person whose biological birth sex conflicts with their psychological gender...
". Dan has decided to have sex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery is a term for the surgical procedures by which a person's physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are altered to resemble...
to become a woman, and Quagmire must adjust to his father's decision. Meanwhile, 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...
travels to a seminar and, upon his return, unwittingly has sex with Quagmire's father.
The episode was written by Tom Devanney
Tom Devanney
Tom Devanney is an American animation television writer. Devanney is most notably known for writing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy....
and directed by Pete Michels
Pete Michels
Pete Michels is an animation director on Family Guy. He has also been the supervising director on Family Guy as well as on the short-lived TV show, Kid Notorious. He started working on The Simpsons in 1990 as a background layout artist. He worked his way up to character layout artist, timer,...
. It received mostly praise from critics for its storyline and many cultural references, in addition to receiving some criticism for its portrayal of transgenderism
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
, including from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation is a non-governmental media monitoring organization which promotes the image of LGBT people in the media...
(GLAAD) and 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...
. According to Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, it was viewed in 7.22 million homes in its original unedited airing. The episode featured a guest performance by Wally Wingert
Wally Wingert
Wallace E. "Wally" Wingert is an American actor and voice artist. He is originally from Des Moines, Iowa but he currently works and lives in Los Angeles, California. He is the current announcer for the second incarnation of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and the current voice of Jon Arbuckle in...
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series. "Quagmire's Dad" will be released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
along with ten other episodes from the season on December 13, 2011.
Plot
PeterPeter Griffin
Peter Griffin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is voiced by cartoonist Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998....
and Joe visit Quagmire
Glenn Quagmire
Glenn Quagmire, often referred to as just Quagmire, is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. Quagmire is a neighbor and friend of the Griffin family. He is best known for his hypersexuality...
and are introduced to his father, Lieutenant Commander Dan Quagmire. Expecting to see the inspiration for Quagmire's wanton sexual behavior, they are surprised by Dan's stereotypically gay mannerisms and begin texting each other of how gay
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
Dan is. The following morning, Quagmire invites Peter and Lois
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...
to the Naval Ball being held to honor his father, but soon begins arguing with Peter about his father's sexuality. At the ball that night, members of the Navy bombard Quagmire with compliments about his war-hero father, all of which can be taken as double entendre
Double entendre
A double entendre or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué or ironic....
s about Dan's alleged non-heterosexuality. Concerned that his dad may be gay, Quagmire confronts him and Dan states that he is not gay, but is instead "a woman trapped in a man's body
Transsexualism
Transsexualism is an individual's identification with a gender inconsistent or not culturally associated with their biological sex. Simply put, it defines a person whose biological birth sex conflicts with their psychological gender...
" and that he plans to have a sex change operation
Sex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery is a term for the surgical procedures by which a person's physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are altered to resemble...
during his stay in Quahog. At Lois' suggestion, Peter waits with Quagmire during his father's operation. The surgery is a success, with Dan emerging as Ida, an attractive blond woman. That night, Ida and Quagmire join the Griffins for dinner. As the dinner begins, however, Quagmire becomes frustrated when the conversation turns towards Ida's surgery and new life, and storms out of the room. At Quagmire's home, Quagmire tells his father that he is not sure he can deal with his father's sex reassignment. Saddened, Ida leaves Quagmire's home and decides to stay at a nearby Marriot Hotel
Marriott Hotels & Resorts
Marriott Hotels & Resorts is Marriott International's flagship brand of full service hotels and resorts. The company, based in Washington D.C., is repeatedly included on the Forbes Best Companies to Work for list, and was voted the 4th best company to work for in the UK by The Times in 2009.As of...
.
Meanwhile, 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...
has been out of town attending a seminar on creating a web series
Web series
A web series is a series of episodes released on the Internet or also by mobile or cellular phone, and part of the newly emerging medium called web television. A single instance of a web series program is called an episode .While the popularity of web series is continuing to rise, the concept...
and is unaware of what has transpired. On his way home, Brian stops at the Marriot and meets Ida. Quickly bonding, they retire to Ida's room for sex
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
. The next morning, Brian shares his newfound love with Peter and Lois before showing them a picture of Ida on his cellphone. Peter and Lois go into hysterics, while Brian, unaware of Ida's operation, believes they are just jealous. After 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....
tells him that Quagmire's father has had a sex change, Brian is amazed and asks what Dan is now called. When Stewie says "Ida", Brian realizes that he has had sex with a woman who used to be a man and vomits for a full thirty seconds. Meanwhile, Ida returns to Quagmire's home and apologizes to him, and Quagmire returns the favor, reconciling their relationship. Ida tells Quagmire that she met someone, and when she says it was Brian, whom Quagmire despises
Jerome is the New Black
"Jerome is the New Black" is the seventh episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on November 22, 2009. The episode follows Peter, Joe and Quagmire as they go on a search for a new friend, in the absence of Cleveland...
, he becomes furious. Brian is traumatized
Psychological trauma
Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event...
after finding out about Ida and, when he hears Quagmire come inside the house, he tries to hide under Peter and Lois' bed, but Quagmire finds him and brutally beats him. Quagmire then warns Brian: "If I ever see you anywhere near my house, I'll blow your head off!" and then leaves, but Brian gets the final word when he says "Hey, I fuck
Fuck
"Fuck" is an English word that is generally considered obscene which, in its most literal meaning, refers to the act of sexual intercourse. By extension it may be used to negatively characterize anything that can be dismissed, disdained, defiled, or destroyed."Fuck" can be used as a verb, adverb,...
ed your dad." and slams the door shut.
Production and development
The episode was written by Tom DevanneyTom Devanney
Tom Devanney is an American animation television writer. Devanney is most notably known for writing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy....
and directed by series regular Pete Michels
Pete Michels
Pete Michels is an animation director on Family Guy. He has also been the supervising director on Family Guy as well as on the short-lived TV show, Kid Notorious. He started working on The Simpsons in 1990 as a background layout artist. He worked his way up to character layout artist, timer,...
. It is the second episode of the season Devanney and Michels worked on, the first being "Brian's Got a Brand New Bag", before the conclusion of season 8
Family Guy (season 8)
Family Guy eighth season first aired on the Fox network in twenty episodes from September 27, 2009 to May 23, 2010 before being released as two DVD box sets and in syndication. It ran on Sunday nights between May and July 2010 on BBC Three in the UK...
. The episode saw the introduction of Quagmire's father, Lieutenant Commander Dan Quagmire, a former officer with the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
who later becomes Ida Quagmire. The character was voiced by main cast member, series creator and executive producer Seth MacFarlane. Series regulars Peter Shin
Peter Shin
Peter Shin is the:*supervising director of Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story*director of Big Bug Man.*director of Family Guy episodes:**"Death Has a Shadow"**"Emission Impossible"**"North by North Quahog"**"It's a Trap!"...
and James Purdum
James Purdum
James Purdum is an American animation director. Purdum is most notably known for directing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy....
served as supervising directors, with Andrew Goldberg
Andrew Goldberg (TV writer)
Andrew Goldberg is currently a writer for Family Guy, where he has written several episodes. He is also the author of Brian Griffin's Guide to Booze, Broads, and the Lost Art of Being a Man, a book published by HarperCollins focusing on Brian Griffin's beliefs.- Biography :Andrew Goldberg was born...
and Alex Carter working as staff writer
Staff writer
Staff writer is a byline that indicates that the author of the article at hand is employed by the periodical that published the article as a regular staff member, and not as a freelance writer or special contributor....
s for the episode.
"Quagmire's Dad", along with the eleven other episodes from Family Guys eighth season, will be released on a three-disc DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
set in the United States on December 13, 2011. The sets include brief audio commentaries by various crew and cast members for several episodes, a collection of deleted scenes and animatics, a special mini-feature which discussed the process behind animating "And Then There Were Fewer
And Then There Were Fewer
"And Then There Were Fewer" is the first episode of the ninth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on September 26, 2010. The episode follows the citizens of Quahog, Rhode Island, after they are invited by actor James Woods to his stately...
", a mini-feature entitled "The Comical Adventures of Family Guy - Brian & Stewie: The Lost Phone Call", and footage of the Family Guy panel at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International.
In addition to the regular cast, voice actor Wally Wingert
Wally Wingert
Wallace E. "Wally" Wingert is an American actor and voice artist. He is originally from Des Moines, Iowa but he currently works and lives in Los Angeles, California. He is the current announcer for the second incarnation of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and the current voice of Jon Arbuckle in...
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actor Ralph Garman
Ralph Garman
Ralph Garman is an American actor, comedian, and radio host best known as the host of The Joe Schmo Show, for his voice work in Family Guy, and as the entertainment reporter and impressionist for the Kevin and Bean morning show on Los Angeles radio station, KROQ-FM...
, and writers Chris Sheridan, Danny Smith
Danny Smith (writer)
Daniel "Danny" Smith is an executive producer, writer and voice actor on the American animated television series Family Guy. He has been with the show since its inception and throughout the years has contributed many episodes, such as "Holy Crap", "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Fonz", "Chitty...
, Alec Sulkin
Alec Sulkin
Alec Sulkin is an American television writer. Most notable for writing and producing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy, he has also contributed to The Cleveland Show, another series by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane....
and John Viener made minor appearances.
Cultural references
After announcing that his father is being honored by the Navy, Quagmire says his father was his greatest hero growing up. Peter then claims that his own hero while growing up was DC ComicsDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
superhero Aquaman
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
, in addition to his alter ego Arthur Curry. When Quagmire introduces his father to Peter and Joe, Nancy Sinatra's
Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"....
single "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'
These Boots Are Made for Walkin'
Jessica Simpson recorded her own version of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" for the soundtrack to the film The Dukes of Hazzard . Simpson's cover was co-produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and was released as the soundtrack's first single in 2005)...
" begins playing on Quagmire's stereo while Dan Quagmire dances down the stairs. Upon emerging from her surgery, Ida asks what Quagmire and Peter think of the operation and Peter, as he had suggested to Quagmire during the surgery, sings the hit single "Walking on Sunshine
Walking on Sunshine (song)
"Walking on Sunshine" is a song written by Kimberley Rew for Katrina and the Waves' 1983 eponymous debut full-length album. The re-recorded version was at first released on the band's 1985 self-titled album as the album's second single and reached No. 4 in Australia, No. 9 in the United States,...
" by Katrina and the Waves
Katrina and the Waves
Katrina and the Waves was an English pop rock band, best known for their 1985 hit "Walking on Sunshine" and their 1997 Eurovision Song Contest victory with the song "Love Shine a Light".-Pre-history: The Waves and Mama's Cookin' :...
.
Reception
In a slight decrease from the previous week, the episode was viewed in 7.22 million homes in its original airing, despite airing simultaneously with Desperate HousewivesDesperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, Celebrity Apprentice
The Apprentice (U.S. season 9)
The Celebrity Apprentice 3 is the ninth installment of the United States version of the reality television series, The Apprentice. On April 29, 2009, NBC officially announced the renewal of Celebrity Apprentice for Spring 2010. The show premiered on Sunday, March 14, 2010...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, and the television film Jesse Stone: No Remorse
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
Jesse Stone: No Remorse is the sixth film in the Jesse Stone film series aired on the CBS television network starring Tom Selleck. It is based on the character from the successful book series created by the late Robert B. Parker...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. The episode also acquired a 3.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic, beating The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show is an American animated television series that premiered on September 27, 2009, as a part of the "Animation Domination" lineup on Fox in the United States...
and American Dad!
American Dad!
American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television...
in both ratings and total viewership.
Reviews of the episode were mostly positive. Ramsey Isler of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
noted his enjoyment of Dan Quagmire's character traits: "I'll give the writing team credit for this little plot twist, as I'm sure we were all expecting the elder Quagmire to be even more of a womanizer than his son." Regarding the episode's treatment of LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
issues, Jason Hughes of TV Squad stated, "there's a gold mine of material to dig into for satire and comedy; comedy which will likely offend as many people as the real issues do." Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
called the scenes between Quagmire and his father "surprisingly well-done" while noting, "the scenes where the mockery seemed a little too mean-spirited were definitely out of the show's worst sections of its toolkit".
The episode was criticized for its portrayal of transgenderism
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
, particularly regarding the way Ida was treated by other characters. Food Ida prepared for the dinner party at the Griffin house was thrown out and Brian's learning of her sex-reassignment surgery after he had sex with her caused him to "violently" vomit for 30 unbroken seconds. Speaking with LGBT media website AfterElton.com in January 2010, series creator 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,...
mentioned the episode in response to concerns over how his animated series have portrayed LGBT characters. "It always distresses me when I hear that the gay community is upset with us, because that's one group of people I hope would know we're on their side. I can safely say that the transsexual community will be very, very happy with the 'Quagmire' episode that we have coming up in a couple of months. It's probably the most sympathetic portrayal of a transexual character that has ever been on television, dare I say." In a subsequent review, AfterElton.com writer Brent Hartinger
Brent Hartinger
Brent Hartinger is an American author and playwright, best known for his novels about gay teenagers.-Early life:Hartinger was born in Washington State. His family moved to Fircrest, Washington when he was an infant. He attended a Catholic grade school and middle school, and a Catholic high...
graded the episode negatively. While noting that the episode deserves credit for making important points about transgender people, he found its inclusion of the vomiting scene and Lois and Peter's transphobic
Transphobia
Transphobia is a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards transsexualism and transsexual or transgender people, based on the expression of their internal gender...
remarks about Ida to be "shockingly insensitive". Hartinger continued, "Frankly, it's literally impossible for me to reconcile last night's episode with MacFarlane's words, unless I come to the conclusion that the man is pretty much a complete idiot." The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation is a non-governmental media monitoring organization which promotes the image of LGBT people in the media...
, an LGBT media watchdog organization, released a statement about the episode, noting that "GLAAD shares the serious concerns being voiced from members of the community and GLAAD’s Entertainment Media Team is addressing these with Fox. Next steps will be decided at that point." In a September 2010 interview in Details
Details (magazine)
Details is an American monthly men's magazine published by Condé Nast Publications, founded in 1982. Though primarily a magazine devoted to fashion and lifestyle, Details also features reports on relevant social and political issues.-History:...
, MacFarlane expressed surprise at the negative reaction, stating "I don't meet a lot of stupid homosexuals." He repeated that he still felt Ida was a "very sympathetic portrayal of a transsexual character". He also defended Brian's vomiting after discovering he had sex with someone who had undergone sex re-assignment surgery noting Brian's character is heterosexual and "If I found out that I had slept with a transsexual, I might throw up in the same way that a gay guy looks at a vagina and goes, 'Oh, my God, that's disgusting.'"
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 conservative campaigning group and frequent critic of MacFarlane's work, named "Quagmire's Dad" as its "Worst TV Show of the Week" citing Dan Quagmire's "outrageously stereotyped gay" character, violence and sexual innuendo. The PTC specifically cited the innuendo-laced dialogue throughout the episode, a "straight 45 straight seconds " of vomiting after Brian learns of Ida's previous identity, Quagmire's erection
Erection
Penile erection is a physiological phenomenon where the penis becomes enlarged and firm. Penile erection is the result of a complex interaction of psychological, neural, vascular and endocrine factors, and is usually, though not exclusively, associated with sexual arousal...
while embracing Ida and the violence of the final scene.