The show Family Guy, a long standing comedic and satirical show written by Seth MacFarlane, highlights real world issues over the course of many seasons with many episodes and is known for its edgy humor and is consistently the topic in debates about being politically correct.

One particular episode of Family Guy stood out to me because its message is clearer than some of the other episodes but it is still rich in satire. Season 3, Episode 3 (2001) “Mr. Griffin Goes to Washington” is all about how the toy company that Peter Griffin (the main character) is taken over by a tobacco company. After the takeover, Peter confronts his new bosses about how their new toy designs are clearly meant to market cigarettes towards children. When confronted with this, the head of the tobacco company offers Peter a job as the CEO of the company in order to keep him quiet. Since the job comes with many benefits, Peter accepts. After seeing how Peter operates, the company realizes that he is the perfect puppet for them to control and ends up sending him to Washington D.C to speak to Congress about a new bill. The bill pertains to anti-smoking laws and obviously a tobacco company would want it to not pass.

This episode is most obviously a parody of Frank Capra’s: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington starring James Stewart (1939). By parodying a famous movie that is known for addressing issues regarding power abuse, over half a century later, Family Guy is reinforcing that the message that was most likely received by the audience is exactly what they wanted. This episode built on the foundation that Mr. Smith Goes to Washington had already laid down. Another use of satire in this episode is hyperbole. One particular example is when Peter tells his boss that he can’t come to work that day because he was in a “terrible plane crash” and his whole family died and he is now a “vegetable.” This clearly is Peter exaggerating the situation to get out of work which highlights the absurdity through obvious overstatement. Irony is also flowing throughout this episode, one example being when the tobacco company gives Peter a new CEO parking spot after promoting him, but it is the same exact spot as when he was a regular worker at his toy company. This is representative of how many people in positions of power will pretend like they are giving benefits to those beneath them when in reality, nothing changes but the context of the situation.

All of these techniques are used to openly criticize how people in positions of power consistently take advantage of those who are naive about their end game while also maintaining their welcoming image that resonates with the public. People in positions of power taking advantage of people who are subordinate to them is not a new concept and is prevalent in the new world of mega companies and CEOs. By calling attention to this issue through the use of parody, hyperbole, and irony, Family Guy is ultimately trying to change corporate America and call attention to the issues of power abuse that are so intertwined with our system.