Saving Private Brian
Encyclopedia
"Saving Private Brian" is the fourth episode of season five of Family Guy
. The episode originally broadcast on November 5, 2006. The episode follows Stewie
and Brian
after they unintentionally join the United States Army
, and end up leaving to serve in Iraq
, only to return home when the war ends. Meanwhile, Chris
joins a heavy metal band, and develops an anti-social attitude, which requires Marilyn Manson
to intervene.
The episode was written by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong
and directed by Cyndi Tang
. It received mostly positive reviews from critics for its storyline and many cultural references. According to Nielsen ratings
, it was viewed in 8.45 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Gary Cole
, Louis Gossett, Jr.
, Juanita Jennings, Phil LaMarr
, Samm Levine
, Rachael MacFarlane
, Denis Martel, Enn Reitel
, Stacey Scowley
, Fred Tatasciore
and Wally Wingert
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series.
Stewie walks into the office. Stewie winds up enlisting in the Army and he signs Brian up as well when told there "is a $100 bonus for signing up a buddy."
Brian returns and is shocked. Brian and Stewie begin basic training, but Brian becomes stressed from the discipline and decides one night to leave
. Stewie wakes up and finds Brian packing his suitcase, but he manages to talk him out of leaving, insisting that he had never finished anything significant in his life and that the Army will provide him the discipline. With this, Brian decides to stay
After they complete their training, Stewie and Brian are deployed to Iraq
. Meantime, the two are patrolling the streets of a village, commenting on the "good situation so far"; however, after the pair get caught up in a terrorist attack, they become dissuaded and decide to find a way to get out of the Army. They first attempt to be discharged
by pretending to be homosexual (only to discover that one of their superiors is gay). As a last resort, they attempt to get "Wound in Action" by shooting each other in the foot
; they do this only to find out that the Army now takes anyone no matter what, going so far as to allow two corpses to guard the ammunition. They are then told that democracy has kicked in and the war is over, thus meaning all the soldiers can return to the United States.
Meanwhile, to distract Chris from the Army, Peter
takes him to look at extracurricular activities at his school, where he is accepted into a heavy metal
band. Chris develops a rebellious and rude attitude after joining the band, and he significantly changes his appearance. Peter and Lois
, worried about his behavior, search his room to find the cause of his behavioral change; Lois becomes convinced its a result of listening to the violent lyrics from his music. In addition, they find a poster shrine to Marilyn Manson
in his closet, and become convinced that his music corrupted their son. They decide to track down Manson and find him at at the Grammys Music Awards. When they find Manson, Peter punches him in the face and Lois accuses him for destroying their son with his songs. Manson, laughing at "this old thing again", offers to help them with Chris. Manson returns to the Griffin house with Peter and Lois, where he tells Chris and his bandmates that it is important to respect and obey their parents, and in addition to mending the tension between them, Marilyn ends by giving Peter some more parental advice: Peter and Chris should start fishing.
The scene in which recruitment officers enter public schools in an attempt to recruit children is based on real life, as the army has often sent recruitors to high schools for seniors. More recently they have started with the younger grades even though there is a minimum age for enlistment. Research for the scene in which Muddy Waters
attempts to pass a kidney stone
had to be performed by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong
. The show also featured the last (living) appearance of Johnny and Vern, the vaudeville
performers; Stewie shoots them because, as MacFarlane comments, "people were getting sick of them", with David Goodman
adding that "the show was relying on them too much". The duo return in "Back to the Woods
", with Vern as a ghost and Johnny in Hell.
Upon the receiving of the news that democracy
has come to Iraq, one scene shows a man having a knife held to his throat, which caused some controversy after the episode was broadcast. Stewie also knowingly breaks the fourth wall
in the episode, by speaking in a manner as if he were talking to the audience. In one scene Stewie mentions the time "Peter went after that hockey coach" (making a veiled reference to "Hockey Dad" Thomas Junta
), in the expectation of a cutaway gag. However, nothing happens, and Stewie comments, "Oh, no clip? Thought we had a clip". This scene was described as being a one off.
In addition to the regular cast, actor Gary Cole
, actor Louis Gossett, Jr.
, actress Juanita Jennings, voice actor Phil LaMarr
, actor Samm Levine
, voice actress Rachael MacFarlane
, actor Denis Martel, voice actor Enn Reitel
, actress Stacey Scowley
, voice actor Fred Tatasciore
and voice actor Wally Wingert
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors Alex Breckenridge
, Chris Cox
, writer Tom Devanney
, actor Ralph Garman
, writer Danny Smith
, writer Alec Sulkin
and writer John Viener made minor appearances.
's hit war film Saving Private Ryan
. Several scenes from the army training contained real-life references; when the recruits are marching, they begin to sing and dance; this is a reference to Sweet Charity
. Additionally, the song playing during the recruitment video bears a close resemblance to the Def Leppard
song "Pour Some Sugar On Me
". The training is similar to that in the film Full Metal Jacket
. The Sergeant punishes Brian by informing him that he will have to listen to singles from Chris Gaines
' album: this entire scene was based on a sketch from Saturday Night Live
approximately 10 years ago. Brian shown performing numerous different tasks to complete his army training is a reference to An Officer and a Gentleman
, with the music playing in the background from Stripes
. The lyrics Lois reads from the Wu-Tang Clan
album is from the song "Bring Da Ruckus", the first track from their album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
. The scene where Marilyn Manson
tells Chris about nutrition
is a reference to an episode of Clone High
, where Manson leads a musical scene about the importance of the food pyramid
. The sign outside of the building where the Grammys are being held says "Welcome to the Grammys (Not You, Fred Durst
)", a reference to the lead singer of Limp Bizkit
. Stewie misunderstands the location of their deployment to be "Fraggle Ir-Rock", rather than Iraq, referring to the TV show Fraggle Rock
. The scene where Zinedine Zidane
headbutts an old lady while delivering her a birthday cake is based on the incident that happened in the 2006 FIFA World Cup final
, when Zidane headbutted Marco Materazzi
. When Brian is frustrated with the recruits recommending Chris to join the Army, Stewie says that 10% of his high school class is off to fight another battle. After hearing Stewie, Brian says that he was plagiarizing from The Onion
, since Brian read about the War in Iraq in The Onion. During the obstacle course
Brian rides a unicycle
, solves a Rubik's Cube
, plays Perfection
, finds Waldo, offers a couple eating a salad
at a dinner table some fresh pepper, and consoles a woman who was just dumped by her boyfriend.
. The episode also acquired a 3.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic, slightly being edged out by The Simpsons
, while still winning over series creator Seth MacFarlane's second show American Dad!
.
IGN
commented that the portrayal of "service in the military is a hilarious satire of the current state of our military in Iraq". Iverson was also impressed with the episode's random flashback gags, commenting that "normally they are only groan-worthy", receiving a final rating of 9/10. Brett Love of TV Squad noted that "The Full Metal Jacket/Stripes angle for Stewie and Brian was great, right down to the Stripes music during the obstacle course. And Louis Gossett, Jr. as Sergeant Angryman is a nice bit of casting".
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...
. The episode originally broadcast on November 5, 2006. The episode follows 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....
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...
after they unintentionally join the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, and end up leaving to serve in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, only to return home when the war ends. Meanwhile, 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:...
joins a heavy metal band, and develops an anti-social attitude, which requires Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...
to intervene.
The episode was written by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong
Cherry Chevapravatdumrong
Cherry Chevapravatdumrong is a Thai American author, and an executive story editor/co-producer on Family Guy....
and directed by Cyndi Tang
Cyndi Tang
Cyndi Tang-Loveland is an American animation director. Tang is most notably known for directing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy and King of the Hill....
. It received mostly positive reviews from critics for its storyline and many cultural references. 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 8.45 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Gary Cole
Gary Cole
Gary Michael Cole is an American actor. Cole is known for his supporting roles in numerous film and television productions since the 1990s.-Early life:...
, Louis Gossett, Jr.
Louis Gossett, Jr.
Louis Cameron Gossett, Jr. is an American actor best known for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman and Fiddler in the 1970s television miniseries Roots...
, Juanita Jennings, Phil LaMarr
Phil LaMarr
Phillip "Phil" LaMarr is an American actor, comedian and voice actor. One of the original cast members on the sketch comedy series MADtv, he is also known for his small, but memorable role as Marvin in Pulp Fiction...
, Samm Levine
Samm Levine
Samuel Franklin "Samm" Levine is an American television and film actor. He is known for his portrayal of Neal Schweiber on NBC's short-lived Freaks and Geeks and PFC Hirschberg in the hit 2009 film Inglourious Basterds...
, Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael Ann MacFarlane is an American voice actress best known for her appearances in Codename: Kids Next Door as supreme leader Numbuh 362 and the FOX animated series Family Guy and American Dad!, both created and executive-produced by her older brother Seth MacFarlane.Aside from voice acting,...
, Denis Martel, Enn Reitel
Enn Reitel
Enn Reitel is a Scottish actor and impressionist who specialises in voice work.- Early life :Reitel's family arrived in Scotland as refugees from Estonia, German Empire...
, Stacey Scowley
Stacey Scowley
Stacey Scowley is an American actress. She gained memorable attention from her appearance in a 2002 commercial for Kia Motors called "Boyfriend" which was heavily aired. She has also appeared in numerous television commercials for several companies which include Progressive Auto Insurance,...
, Fred Tatasciore
Fred Tatasciore
Frederick "Fred" Tatasciore is an American voice actor who portrays secondary characters as well as monstrous-looking types...
and 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.
Plot summary
A U.S. Army recruitment officer comes to Chris' school to hold an assembly and entices the students with a glamorized, deceptive video presentation. Chris returns home and tells the family during dinner that he wants to enlist, but Lois attempts to dissuade him, for the military is not a place for him. The next day, while driving Stewie to Gymboree Play & Music for parachute day, Brian decides to take a detour to the recruitment office to scold the recruiting officer for trying trick Chris through devious means. The two arrive at the office but the wait is long; when Brian goes to top-up the parking meterParking meter
A parking meter is a device used to collect money in exchange for the right to park a vehicle in a particular place for a limited amount of time. Parking meters can be used by municipalities as a tool for enforcing their integrated on-street parking policy, usually related to their traffic and...
Stewie walks into the office. Stewie winds up enlisting in the Army and he signs Brian up as well when told there "is a $100 bonus for signing up a buddy."
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
Brian returns and is shocked. Brian and Stewie begin basic training, but Brian becomes stressed from the discipline and decides one night to leave
Desertion
In military terminology, desertion is the abandonment of a "duty" or post without permission and is done with the intention of not returning...
. Stewie wakes up and finds Brian packing his suitcase, but he manages to talk him out of leaving, insisting that he had never finished anything significant in his life and that the Army will provide him the discipline. With this, Brian decides to stay
After they complete their training, Stewie and Brian are deployed to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. Meantime, the two are patrolling the streets of a village, commenting on the "good situation so far"; however, after the pair get caught up in a terrorist attack, they become dissuaded and decide to find a way to get out of the Army. They first attempt to be discharged
Military discharge
A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve.-United States:Discharge or separation should not be confused with retirement; career U.S...
by pretending to be homosexual (only to discover that one of their superiors is gay). As a last resort, they attempt to get "Wound in Action" by shooting each other in the foot
Self-inflicted wound
A self-inflicted wound , is the act of harming oneself where there are no underlying psychological problems related to the self-injury, but where the injurer wanted to take advantage of being injured.-Reasons to self-wound:...
; they do this only to find out that the Army now takes anyone no matter what, going so far as to allow two corpses to guard the ammunition. They are then told that democracy has kicked in and the war is over, thus meaning all the soldiers can return to the United States.
Meanwhile, to distract Chris from the Army, Peter
Peter 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....
takes him to look at extracurricular activities at his school, where he is accepted into a heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band. Chris develops a rebellious and rude attitude after joining the band, and he significantly changes his appearance. 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...
, worried about his behavior, search his room to find the cause of his behavioral change; Lois becomes convinced its a result of listening to the violent lyrics from his music. In addition, they find a poster shrine to Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...
in his closet, and become convinced that his music corrupted their son. They decide to track down Manson and find him at at the Grammys Music Awards. When they find Manson, Peter punches him in the face and Lois accuses him for destroying their son with his songs. Manson, laughing at "this old thing again", offers to help them with Chris. Manson returns to the Griffin house with Peter and Lois, where he tells Chris and his bandmates that it is important to respect and obey their parents, and in addition to mending the tension between them, Marilyn ends by giving Peter some more parental advice: Peter and Chris should start fishing.
Production
Muddy Waters
McKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...
attempts to pass a kidney stone
Kidney stone
A kidney stone, also known as a renal calculus is a solid concretion or crystal aggregation formed in the kidneys from dietary minerals in the urine...
had to be performed by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong
Cherry Chevapravatdumrong
Cherry Chevapravatdumrong is a Thai American author, and an executive story editor/co-producer on Family Guy....
. The show also featured the last (living) appearance of Johnny and Vern, the vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
performers; Stewie shoots them because, as MacFarlane comments, "people were getting sick of them", with David Goodman
David A. Goodman
David A. Goodman is an American writer and producer and a graduate of the University of Chicago, earning an BA in 1984. He was one of the executive producers of Family Guy, beginning its fourth season, joining the show as a co-executive producer in season three...
adding that "the show was relying on them too much". The duo return in "Back to the Woods
Back to the Woods (Family Guy)
"Back to the Woods" is the ninth episode of season six in the FOX animated series Family Guy that aired on February 17, 2008. James Woods and Barry Manilow play themselves in special guest appearances, and impressionist Dave Van Dam portrays David Letterman...
", with Vern as a ghost and Johnny in Hell.
Upon the receiving of the news that democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
has come to Iraq, one scene shows a man having a knife held to his throat, which caused some controversy after the episode was broadcast. Stewie also knowingly breaks the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
in the episode, by speaking in a manner as if he were talking to the audience. In one scene Stewie mentions the time "Peter went after that hockey coach" (making a veiled reference to "Hockey Dad" Thomas Junta
Thomas Junta
Thomas Junta of Reading, Massachusetts was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2002 after he attacked Michael Costin, who later died of his injuries. Costin was the informal referee of a pick-up hockey game involving the men's sons. The fight was witnessed by about a dozen children, including...
), in the expectation of a cutaway gag. However, nothing happens, and Stewie comments, "Oh, no clip? Thought we had a clip". This scene was described as being a one off.
In addition to the regular cast, actor Gary Cole
Gary Cole
Gary Michael Cole is an American actor. Cole is known for his supporting roles in numerous film and television productions since the 1990s.-Early life:...
, actor Louis Gossett, Jr.
Louis Gossett, Jr.
Louis Cameron Gossett, Jr. is an American actor best known for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman and Fiddler in the 1970s television miniseries Roots...
, actress Juanita Jennings, voice actor Phil LaMarr
Phil LaMarr
Phillip "Phil" LaMarr is an American actor, comedian and voice actor. One of the original cast members on the sketch comedy series MADtv, he is also known for his small, but memorable role as Marvin in Pulp Fiction...
, actor Samm Levine
Samm Levine
Samuel Franklin "Samm" Levine is an American television and film actor. He is known for his portrayal of Neal Schweiber on NBC's short-lived Freaks and Geeks and PFC Hirschberg in the hit 2009 film Inglourious Basterds...
, voice actress Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael Ann MacFarlane is an American voice actress best known for her appearances in Codename: Kids Next Door as supreme leader Numbuh 362 and the FOX animated series Family Guy and American Dad!, both created and executive-produced by her older brother Seth MacFarlane.Aside from voice acting,...
, actor Denis Martel, voice actor Enn Reitel
Enn Reitel
Enn Reitel is a Scottish actor and impressionist who specialises in voice work.- Early life :Reitel's family arrived in Scotland as refugees from Estonia, German Empire...
, actress Stacey Scowley
Stacey Scowley
Stacey Scowley is an American actress. She gained memorable attention from her appearance in a 2002 commercial for Kia Motors called "Boyfriend" which was heavily aired. She has also appeared in numerous television commercials for several companies which include Progressive Auto Insurance,...
, voice actor Fred Tatasciore
Fred Tatasciore
Frederick "Fred" Tatasciore is an American voice actor who portrays secondary characters as well as monstrous-looking types...
and 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 actors Alex Breckenridge
Alex Breckenridge
Alexandra "Alex" Breckenridge is an American film and television actress, photographer and voice artist. Noted for her role as Willa McPherson on the television series Dirt, she also had a supporting role on the short lived series The Ex List...
, Chris Cox
Chris Cox (actor)
Chris Cox is a filmmaker and voice actor. He is best known, as himself, for the 2001 Small Shots TV series for Spike TV.Cox replaced George Eads in the role of Captain Atom for the popular animated series Justice League Unlimited. Eads was unwilling to reprise his voice role after an appearance in...
, writer 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....
, 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...
, writer 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...
, writer 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 writer John Viener made minor appearances.
Cultural references
The title is a pun on the Steven SpielbergSteven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
's hit war film Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 American war film set during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. It was directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Robert Rodat. The film is notable for the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depicts the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944....
. Several scenes from the army training contained real-life references; when the recruits are marching, they begin to sing and dance; this is a reference to Sweet Charity
Sweet Charity
Sweet Charity is a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and book by Neil Simon. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by Bob Fosse starring his wife and muse Gwen Verdon. It is based on Federico Fellini's screenplay for Nights of Cabiria...
. Additionally, the song playing during the recruitment video bears a close resemblance to the Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
song "Pour Some Sugar On Me
Pour Some Sugar on Me
"Pour Some Sugar on Me" is a song by British hard rock band Def Leppard from their 1987 album Hysteria. It reached number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100...
". The training is similar to that in the film Full Metal Jacket
Full Metal Jacket
Full Metal Jacket is a 1987 war film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. It is an adaptation of the 1979 novel The Short-Timers by Gustav Hasford and stars Matthew Modine, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Arliss Howard and Adam Baldwin. The film follows a platoon of U.S...
. The Sergeant punishes Brian by informing him that he will have to listen to singles from Chris Gaines
Chris Gaines
Chris Gaines is a fictional alternative rock persona created as an alter ego for Garth Brooks to explore rock and roll styles far removed from his success as a country singer....
' album: this entire scene was based on a sketch from Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
approximately 10 years ago. Brian shown performing numerous different tasks to complete his army training is a reference to An Officer and a Gentleman
An Officer and a Gentleman
A Officer and a Gentleman is a 1982 American drama film that tells the story of a U.S. Navy aviation officer candidate who comes into conflict with the Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant who trains him. It was written by Douglas Day Stewart and directed by Taylor Hackford...
, with the music playing in the background from Stripes
Stripes (film)
Stripes is a 1981 American comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman, starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, P. J. Soles, and John Candy. It also featured several actors in their first significant film roles, including John Larroquette, Sean Young, John Diehl, and Judge Reinhold. It was one...
. The lyrics Lois reads from the Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
album is from the song "Bring Da Ruckus", the first track from their album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Enter the Wu-Tang is the debut album of American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released November 9, 1993, on Loud Records and distributed through RCA Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 1992 to 1993 at Firehouse Studio in New York City, and it was mastered at The Hit Factory...
. The scene where Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...
tells Chris about nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
is a reference to an episode of Clone High
Clone High
Clone High is a Canadian-American animated television series that aired for one season on MTV and Teletoon....
, where Manson leads a musical scene about the importance of the food pyramid
Food guide pyramid
A food guide pyramid is a triangular or pyramid-shaped nutrition guide divided into sections to show the recommended intake for each food group. The first food pyramid was published in Sweden in 1974. The most widely known food pyramid was introduced by the United States Department of Agriculture...
. The sign outside of the building where the Grammys are being held says "Welcome to the Grammys (Not You, Fred Durst
Fred Durst
William Frederick "Fred" Durst is an American musician, director, producer and actor, well known as the frontman of the band Limp Bizkit.-Early life:...
)", a reference to the lead singer of Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
. Stewie misunderstands the location of their deployment to be "Fraggle Ir-Rock", rather than Iraq, referring to the TV show Fraggle Rock
Fraggle Rock
Fraggle Rock is a children's live action puppet television program series created by Jim Henson. The central characters were a set of "Muppet" creatures called Fraggles. The show ran from January 10, 1983, to March 30, 1987, on CBC Television in Canada, ITV in the UK, HBO in the United States,...
. The scene where Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
headbutts an old lady while delivering her a birthday cake is based on the incident that happened in the 2006 FIFA World Cup final
2006 FIFA World Cup Final
The 2006 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 9 July 2006 at the Olympiastadion, Berlin to determine the winner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Italy beat France on penalties after the match finished 1–1 after extra time...
, when Zidane headbutted Marco Materazzi
Marco Materazzi
Marco Materazzi , is an Italian footballer who plays as a defender, and is currently a free agent.At the beginning of his career, Materazzi played with various Italian teams in Serie B and Serie C, and with Premier League side Everton. He spent two periods with Perugia and signed for...
. When Brian is frustrated with the recruits recommending Chris to join the Army, Stewie says that 10% of his high school class is off to fight another battle. After hearing Stewie, Brian says that he was plagiarizing from The Onion
The Onion
The Onion is an American news satire organization. It is an entertainment newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news, in addition to a non-satirical entertainment section known as The A.V. Club...
, since Brian read about the War in Iraq in The Onion. During the obstacle course
Obstacle course
An obstacle course is a series of challenging physical obstacles an individual or team must navigate usually while being timed. Obstacle courses can include running, climbing, jumping, crawling, swimming, and balancing elements with the aim of testing speed and endurance. Sometimes a course...
Brian rides a unicycle
Unicycle
A unicycle is a human-powered, single-track vehicle with one wheel. Unicycles resemble bicycles, but are less complex.-History:One theory of the advent of the unicycle stems from the popularity of the penny-farthing during the late 19th century...
, solves a Rubik's Cube
Rubik's Cube
Rubik's Cube is a 3-D mechanical puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik.Originally called the "Magic Cube", the puzzle was licensed by Rubik to be sold by Ideal Toy Corp. in 1980 and won the German Game of the Year special award for Best Puzzle that...
, plays Perfection
Perfection (Game)
Perfection is a game by the Milton Bradley company. The object is to put all the pieces into matching holes on the board before the time limit runs out. When time runs out, the board springs up, causing all or at least many of the pieces to fly out. In the most common version, there are 25 pieces...
, finds Waldo, offers a couple eating a salad
Salad
Salad is any of a wide variety of dishes, including vegetable salads; salads of pasta, legumes, eggs, or grains; mixed salads incorporating meat, poultry, or seafood; and fruit salads. They may include a mixture of cold and hot, often including raw vegetables or fruits.Green salads include leaf...
at a dinner table some fresh pepper, and consoles a woman who was just dumped by her boyfriend.
Reception
In a significant decrease from the previous week, the episode was viewed in 8.45 million homes in its original airing, according to Nielsen ratingsNielsen 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...
. The episode also acquired a 3.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic, slightly being edged out by 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...
, while still winning over series creator Seth MacFarlane's second show 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...
.
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...
commented that the portrayal of "service in the military is a hilarious satire of the current state of our military in Iraq". Iverson was also impressed with the episode's random flashback gags, commenting that "normally they are only groan-worthy", receiving a final rating of 9/10. Brett Love of TV Squad noted that "The Full Metal Jacket/Stripes angle for Stewie and Brian was great, right down to the Stripes music during the obstacle course. And Louis Gossett, Jr. as Sergeant Angryman is a nice bit of casting".