White Rice (American Dad!)
Encyclopedia
"White Rice" is the fifth episode of the sixth season of American Dad!
. It first aired in the United States on Fox
on November 21, 2010. This episode mostly centers around Francine
, who has consistently been involved in various arguments with Stan
about her bringing her parents into their home. Stan convinces Francine to go see a therapist to help smoothen their relationship, which turns out to be a hypnotist. The hypnotist, named Sal, eventually tells her to let go of the repressed memories she had from Stan. Later that day, Francine discovers a secret stash, which contain videos of her doing stand-up comedy
when she was younger. Francine is enraged that Stan erased her memories of being a comedian
. She later lands a role in a sitcom entitled "White Rice", and she vows to pursue her dream of being famous and rich.
This episode was written by Rick Wiener and Kenny Schwartz, and was directed by Bob Bowen. It was met with mostly positive reception from most television critics upon its airing, with much of the praise stemming from the main storyline, as well as the humor. This episode was viewed by 4.83 million homes during its initial airing, and acquired a 2.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic, according to the Nielson ratings. This episode feature a guest appearance from Jason Alexander
, as well as several recurring voice actors and actresses for the show.
whenever Stan went out for one.
Francine scolds at Stan as she remembers everything from Stan not vaccinating Hayley's twin brother (resulting in his death) to Stan sleep-punching her. When they return home, more repressed memories come back, and remembers that she had a secret hole in the floor in Stan's plate room, which used to be Francine's home office. Francine discovers a videotape in the hole and puts it in Roger's VCR to find out she was once a comedian that made fun of Asians, mainly referring to her being adopted by Chinese parents. Francine decides to pursue her dream as a comedian
, with Roger being her agent. Francine is mad that Stan does not watch her comedy routine, and convinces Stan to go. Roger gets some executives to watch her show. Francine throws up at the beginning. Stan, convinced that her life as a comedian is over, leaves. Francine and Roger come back with good news, that Francine has been picked up for a new sitcom on Fox. Francine's dream takes her to Hollywood, where her new show is recorded. Stan, sad that Francine is gone, sulks on the couch. Klaus convinces him that he needs to change if he wants to get Francine back. Stan rushes onto the set, with everything that Francine has wanted to discuss in the last twenty years. Stan comes onto the set of Francine's new show and talks with Francine, showing that Stan has gotten twenty dogs, one for each year she wanted to talk about it, painted the kitchen purple, etc. It turns out Francine only wanted to discuss those matters, before she actually decides whether to do them or not. Stan and Francine make up, accepting that they can live their lives in Los Angeles
. The crew then watch the premier of the show White Rice. But despite its comedic success, the show ends up being canceled after a single joke because Asians found her jokes to be racist. Francine and Stan move back to Langley Falls with Roger killing off his persona. Back at home, Francine finally discusses about her parents moving in, and they both agree that it is a terrible idea.
Meanwhile, Steve gets another fish which Klaus starts falling in love with. Over the duration of the episode, they get married and they have children that resemble each other. Unfortunately, this does not turn out well, because Klaus' "wife" starts eating them, not just out of hunger, even leaving one half-eaten. Eventually Klaus is ignored and the relationship falls apart, culminating in Klaus killing her and using Stan's shovel to bury the body.
, and its sister shows The Cleveland Show
and Family Guy
. It was viewed by 4.83 million homes during its original airing, according to the Nielson ratings, despite simultaneously airing alongside with Undercover Boss
on CBS
, the 2010 American Music Awards
on ABC
, and Sunday Night Football on NBC
. It received a 2.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic, the lowest rating in the block, scoring slightly lower than The Cleveland Show and The Simpsons and significantly lower than Family Guy. This episode's total viewership were significantly down from the previous episode that first aired a week earlier, although the rating slightly declined. The previous episode, "Stan's Food Restaurant
", was viewed by 5.38 million homes during its initial airing, and acquired a 2.6 rating in the 18-49 demographic.
"White Rice" was met with mostly positive reception from many television critics. Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
gave the episode a very positive review, writing, "This was one of my favorite American Dad shows in a long time. It's hard to write good stand-up that's supposed to be funny, and for a while, I thought this would be a fatal flaw of the episode, but, no, we're supposed to think Francine's stand-up is pretty bad. That's why Roger's able to so easily sell her to Hollywood." He went on to praise the episode for its humor, writing, "The bits where Francine stars in her own sitcom walk the fine line between "so bad it's funny" and "so bad it's bad," particularly once Stan shows up and starts shooting the place up, and the scenes where Francine remembers everything Stan had had her repress in her therapy sessions [...] were very funny." To conclude his review for the episode, VanDerWeff wrote, "A very, very solid episode with a lot of laughs." He went on to give the episode an A-, the highest grade of the night, beating out The Simpsons episode "The Fool Monty
", The Cleveland Show episode "Fat and Wet", and Family Guy episode "Brian Writes a Bestseller". Jason Hughes of TV Squad wrote a review with mixed reactions, writing. American Dad didn't delve as deeply into its controversial subject matter of racial stereotypes on television, as the episode was focused more on the importance of communication in a successful marriage
. Unless, of course, you have Jason Alexander [...] on hand to help your wife repress all those nagging things she's been complaining about each year like Stan does. Then you can just erase all those uncomfortable topics from her memory and go on with your merry life."
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...
. It first aired in the United States on Fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
on November 21, 2010. This episode mostly centers around Francine
Francine Smith
Francine Smith is a fictional character on the animated television series American Dad!. She is the wife of Stan Smith and the mother of Steve and Hayley. Francine is voiced by Wendy Schaal.-Fictional character biography:...
, who has consistently been involved in various arguments with Stan
Stan Smith
Stanley Roger "Stan" Smith is a former American tennis player and two time Grand Slam singles champion who also, with his partner Bob Lutz, formed one of the most successful doubles teams of all time. Together, they won many major titles all over the world...
about her bringing her parents into their home. Stan convinces Francine to go see a therapist to help smoothen their relationship, which turns out to be a hypnotist. The hypnotist, named Sal, eventually tells her to let go of the repressed memories she had from Stan. Later that day, Francine discovers a secret stash, which contain videos of her doing stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
when she was younger. Francine is enraged that Stan erased her memories of being a comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
. She later lands a role in a sitcom entitled "White Rice", and she vows to pursue her dream of being famous and rich.
This episode was written by Rick Wiener and Kenny Schwartz, and was directed by Bob Bowen. It was met with mostly positive reception from most television critics upon its airing, with much of the praise stemming from the main storyline, as well as the humor. This episode was viewed by 4.83 million homes during its initial airing, and acquired a 2.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic, according to the Nielson ratings. This episode feature a guest appearance from Jason Alexander
Jason Alexander
Jay Scott Greenspan , better known by his professional name of Jason Alexander, is an American actor, writer, comedian, television director, producer, and singer. He is best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series Seinfeld, appearing in the sitcom from 1989 to 1998...
, as well as several recurring voice actors and actresses for the show.
Plot
Greg and Terry see Stan and Francine outside having an argument as Francine wants to consider moving her aging parents to town, and Stan does not want to discuss it. Stan tells her he will go to a therapist with her, making her happy. However, it turns out the therapist is a hypnotist named Sal, who Stan brings Francine to every year to be hypnotized into doing stuff he prefers while he gets a sandwich, always walking out before Sal can finish asking Stan to get one for him. Sal tells Francine she will not remember the sessions, and she represses her memories. A year goes by and Francine has the exact same argument with Stan again, and they go to see Sal again. Stan goes to get a sandwich again before Sal can finish asking Stan to get him one making Sal angry. When Stan comes back in the room, Sal tells Francine she will remember everything Stan made her repress. Stan is horrified, and asks Sal why he did that. Sal replies that Stan came there for two decades, and never once offered to bring him a sandwichSandwich
A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...
whenever Stan went out for one.
Francine scolds at Stan as she remembers everything from Stan not vaccinating Hayley's twin brother (resulting in his death) to Stan sleep-punching her. When they return home, more repressed memories come back, and remembers that she had a secret hole in the floor in Stan's plate room, which used to be Francine's home office. Francine discovers a videotape in the hole and puts it in Roger's VCR to find out she was once a comedian that made fun of Asians, mainly referring to her being adopted by Chinese parents. Francine decides to pursue her dream as a comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, with Roger being her agent. Francine is mad that Stan does not watch her comedy routine, and convinces Stan to go. Roger gets some executives to watch her show. Francine throws up at the beginning. Stan, convinced that her life as a comedian is over, leaves. Francine and Roger come back with good news, that Francine has been picked up for a new sitcom on Fox. Francine's dream takes her to Hollywood, where her new show is recorded. Stan, sad that Francine is gone, sulks on the couch. Klaus convinces him that he needs to change if he wants to get Francine back. Stan rushes onto the set, with everything that Francine has wanted to discuss in the last twenty years. Stan comes onto the set of Francine's new show and talks with Francine, showing that Stan has gotten twenty dogs, one for each year she wanted to talk about it, painted the kitchen purple, etc. It turns out Francine only wanted to discuss those matters, before she actually decides whether to do them or not. Stan and Francine make up, accepting that they can live their lives in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The crew then watch the premier of the show White Rice. But despite its comedic success, the show ends up being canceled after a single joke because Asians found her jokes to be racist. Francine and Stan move back to Langley Falls with Roger killing off his persona. Back at home, Francine finally discusses about her parents moving in, and they both agree that it is a terrible idea.
Meanwhile, Steve gets another fish which Klaus starts falling in love with. Over the duration of the episode, they get married and they have children that resemble each other. Unfortunately, this does not turn out well, because Klaus' "wife" starts eating them, not just out of hunger, even leaving one half-eaten. Eventually Klaus is ignored and the relationship falls apart, culminating in Klaus killing her and using Stan's shovel to bury the body.
Reception
"White Rice" was broadcast on November 21, 2010 as part of the animated television block on Fox. It was preceded by The SimpsonsThe 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...
, and its sister shows 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 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 viewed by 4.83 million homes during its original airing, according to the Nielson ratings, despite simultaneously airing alongside with Undercover Boss
Undercover Boss
Undercover Boss is a television franchise series that has been released in multiple countries, originating in 2009 on the British Channel 4...
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 2010 American Music Awards
American Music Awards
-Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC...
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...
, and Sunday Night Football 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...
. It received a 2.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic, the lowest rating in the block, scoring slightly lower than The Cleveland Show and The Simpsons and significantly lower than Family Guy. This episode's total viewership were significantly down from the previous episode that first aired a week earlier, although the rating slightly declined. The previous episode, "Stan's Food Restaurant
Stan's Food Restaurant
"Stan's Food Restaurant" is the fourth episode of the sixth season of American Dad!. It aired on Fox on November 14, 2010. This episode — which focused on Stan's dream of opening his own restaurant — is the 100th broadcast episode of American Dad!, an accolade currently bestowed on 100 A.D. for...
", was viewed by 5.38 million homes during its initial airing, and acquired a 2.6 rating in the 18-49 demographic.
"White Rice" was met with mostly positive reception from many television critics. 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...
gave the episode a very positive review, writing, "This was one of my favorite American Dad shows in a long time. It's hard to write good stand-up that's supposed to be funny, and for a while, I thought this would be a fatal flaw of the episode, but, no, we're supposed to think Francine's stand-up is pretty bad. That's why Roger's able to so easily sell her to Hollywood." He went on to praise the episode for its humor, writing, "The bits where Francine stars in her own sitcom walk the fine line between "so bad it's funny" and "so bad it's bad," particularly once Stan shows up and starts shooting the place up, and the scenes where Francine remembers everything Stan had had her repress in her therapy sessions [...] were very funny." To conclude his review for the episode, VanDerWeff wrote, "A very, very solid episode with a lot of laughs." He went on to give the episode an A-, the highest grade of the night, beating out The Simpsons episode "The Fool Monty
The Fool Monty
"The Fool Monty" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons twenty-second season and aired on November 21, 2010. In the episode, Bart finds Mr. Burns living in the forest and takes him home, while Homer and Marge decide to get payback on him...
", The Cleveland Show episode "Fat and Wet", and Family Guy episode "Brian Writes a Bestseller". Jason Hughes of TV Squad wrote a review with mixed reactions, writing. American Dad didn't delve as deeply into its controversial subject matter of racial stereotypes on television, as the episode was focused more on the importance of communication in a successful marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
. Unless, of course, you have Jason Alexander [...] on hand to help your wife repress all those nagging things she's been complaining about each year like Stan does. Then you can just erase all those uncomfortable topics from her memory and go on with your merry life."