Twelve years later, Seth MacFarlane is reflecting on “Quagmire’s Dad,” the 2010 Family Guy episode in which Quagmire’s war-hero parent comes out to him as a transgender woman named Ida. When it first aired, “Quagmire’s Dad” drew the ire of Queerty, GLAAD, and other LGBT groups for its portrayal of Ida, including a scene in which Brian vomits after hearing that Ida, with whom he’d had sex, is trans. The episode also bears a joke that equates trans people to sex offenders. (For more about Hollywood’s reprehensible history of trans portrayals, check out the Netflix documentary Disclosure.)
Related: ‘Disclosure’ director Sam Feder on the complicated history of trans representation
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, MacFarlane, creator of the animated Fox sitcom, says there “isn’t a big change” he’d make in that episode, but he would change some jokes in the script.
“Look, there are always things that you would do differently when you look back at earlier points in your career,” he says. “For me, it’s more about nuance. There isn’t a big change I would make. It’s more about individual moments and individual jokes. The intent of the Family Guy episode was to show that Quagmire’s father was still a war hero, and still someone that he could look up to and respect.”
MacFarlane also reveals a Family Guy writer’s experience informed the storyline. “Actually, that episode was written by Steve Callaghan, a writer on Family Guy, who had the same experience with his own parent—his father had transitioned to a woman—and he was writing, in many ways, from his own experience.” (Note: Callaghan actually isn’t one of the writers credited for the episode.)
Related: ‘Family Guy’ vows to quit with the gay jokes
On his latest show, the Fox-turned-Hulu sci-fi comedy The Orville, MacFarlane is overseeing a respectful trans story, with one alien character sharing in a recent episode that she identifies as female.
“It seems the most organic way to let her story play out, and when I was writing the draft, I found that it was not a simple thing to do, but breezy enough process that it was a good indicator that we were on the right track,” MacFarlane tells THR. “This episode was a pleasure to write because when I got into it, all indications were that the story had been broken properly and responsibly and with care. … I’ve been really gratified by the reaction from the fans. They’ve really taken it as a conversation starter. … People have taken it as a character story that is allegorical—it takes place in this alien world—but is also the impetus of a much more human conversation.”
still_onthemark
To get back to “Family Guy”:
– Ida should definitely have disclosed her trans-ness to a potential sex partner before having sex.
– Brian should definitely have disclosed his, uh, being a DOG to a potential sex partner before having sex.
sfhairy
Preach.
Eternal.Cowboy
By the same token cisgender people should disclose that they are cis prior to sex then… right?
still_onthemark
@Eternal: No, 99%+ of the population doesn’t need to specify they’re 99%+ of the population.
Suppose a cisgender gay guy doesn’t happen to have a penis, for whatever reason – birth defect, car accident, a jealous ex, whatever. Probably a good idea to disclose that to a prospective sex partner.
Eternal.Cowboy
Ahh so by simply being a majority you get to dictate the rules that everyone has to follow and the minority gets no input. You have declare yourself “normal” and anyone not like you is “abnormal” and must identify themselves to your satisfaction. How could this ever go wrong? I mean the majority would never decide that something like marriage is only for them and the minority can’t have it. Or that the majority gets to sit at the front of the bus and the monotype has to sit at the back. Have you considered requiring trans people to wear something that lets everyone know they are trans? Yellow stars and pink triangles are taken but I’m sure you could come up with something.
In singling a minority out and demanding they be treated differently, you are In fact part of the problem.
still_onthemark
@Eternal: Get a grip. You seem to be conflating the “prospective sex partner” part with the world in general. Or do you really think there’s nothing unethical about tricking someone into sex? (How about roofies?) You can’t be serious.
Eternal.Cowboy
Wow, you are actually comparing trans people to people that drug others for the intent of non-consensual sex.
Your “tricking someone” is a common stereotype of trans people as deceivers or sexual predators. It’s used to promote fear and hatred or trans folks. It’s not grounded in reality and just another manifestation of transphobia. Straight people have historically have had the same stereotype when it comes to gay men and it has been a struggle to overcome that. Weird that you can’t abstract and see that it is a repeat of the same behavior.
Again, you are part of the problem.
still_onthemark
??? – I’m talking about the SEXUAL context only, not work, not the world in general. I’m not “comparing” trans people to anything. I wrote, “Ida should definitely have disclosed her trans-ness to a potential sex partner before having sex.”
Do you disagree with that? Why? Do you think it’s ethical for a trans person to pretend to be a cisgender person in order to get sex? Why? You can’t possibly be serious, what is wrong with you?