Available to watch on Hulu and FOX, Family Guy is the classic adult animation by Seth MacFarlane that has built a reputation for itself. Since 1999, Family Guy has blessed television with its eccentric characters, dark sense of humor, and ridiculous cutaway gags. But, is that all there is under their repertoire?
Under the precise eyes of viewers came the realization that The Simpsons wasn’t the only adult cartoon in town that seemed to predict the future – Family Guy has seen freaky coincidences too! From immaculate guesses on the actions of celebrities to ill-timed jokes, the show obsessed with pop-culture references has perhaps inspired the writers’ room to gasp at their work. A fair warning: as is always the case with Family Guy, the topics discussed ahead are confronting in nature, and possibly offensive.
Antonin Scalia's Death
In season 5’s episode ‘Meet The Quagmire’s’, Peter (Seth MacFarlane) time travels to 1984, where after bailing on a date with Lois (Alex Borstein), the future is altered and Lois ends up marrying Quagmire (Seth MacFarlane). Peter begs Death (Adam Carolla) to send him back in time again so he can marry Lois, to which Death complains about his busy day, where he says: “Dick Cheney shot Supreme Court Justice Scalia in a hunting accident and the bullet went right through him and killed Karl Rove and Tucker Carlson”.
On February 13th of 2016, news broke that Antonin Scalia – the U.S Supreme Court Justice associate – was found dead in his room at a hunting resort at Cilboro Creek Ranch. Although unconfirmed via autopsy, it has been reported that he died of natural causes, which most likely was a cardiac arrest, since his doctor confirmed he had chronic cardiac issues. While Antonin Scalia was not shot as Family Guy suggested, the episode, which aired in 2007, weirdly imagined that his death was in some way related to his hunting activities.
The Boston Marathon Bombing
In season 11’s episode, ‘Turban Cowboy’, Peter goes to the hospital after a skydiving accident, where he meets and befriends Mahmoud (Omid Abtahi). Peter becomes engrossed in learning about Muslim teachings but is unaware of Mahmoud’s terrorist motives until too late. Although this episode was already controversial due to its harmful profiling of Muslim people as terrorists, the untimely cutaway gag was what got Family Guy in strife with FOX. The cutaway depicts Peter winning the Boston Marathon by driving his car recklessly through a crowd of participants, killing them to reach the finish line.
Unfortunately, in 2013 on April 15 - a month after the episode was aired – a terrorist attack ruined the traditional Boston Marathon. Two homemade bombs detonated into the innocent crowd, less than a block away from the finishing line, killing 3 people and injuring over 250. To add insult to injury, an edited clip of the Family Guy episode circulated online, tricking viewers to believe that it depicted Peter using a mobile phone to detonate a bomb after being asked how he won the marathon. In response to the backlash, FOX pulled the episode from the air.
Kevin Spacey Harassment Allegations
In season 4’s episode, ‘Don’t Make Me Over’, the central plot follows Meg (Mila Kunis) as she gets a makeover and becomes a successful singer in the family band. When the Griffin family are at the mall, Brian (Seth MacFarlane) and Stewie (also MacFarlane) separate themselves, and fans see Stewie barter for cash in exchange for doing a dare. The next scene shows a naked Stewie running through the mall, screaming for help, telling people that he just escaped from Kevin Spacey’s basement.
Family Guy made what was ostensibly a harmless joke seem like a prediction when, in 2017, Kevin Spacey was faced with harassment allegations against him. These sexual harassment allegations were made by actor Anthony Rapp, who alleged he was 14 years old at the time when Kevin Spacey made sexual advances to him. In response to this claim, Spacey claimed drunkenness and took the opportunity to deflect the issue by coming out as gay. Aired in 2005 - twelve years prior to the accusation - Family Guy, perhaps coincidentally, foretold the future.
Robin Williams' Death
In season 10’s episode, ‘Viewer Mail #2’, Brian and Stewie read viewer mail, telling stories in three segments; ‘Chap Of The Manor’, ‘Fatman And Robin’, and finally, ‘Point Of Stew’. Encapsulated in the ‘Fatman And Robin’ segment of the episode, Peter wishes to God that everyone in Quahog were his idol, Robin Williams (Bruce McGill). His wish comes true after he is struck by lightning, where everyone and everything he touches turns into a character Robin Williams has acted as, including Patch Adams and Mrs. Doubtfire. Becoming frustrated by his power, Peter attempts suicide multiple times, only for his weapons to also transform into a Robin Williams character, leading him to cut his hands off to stop the ordeal.
In May 2014, an uncanny coincidence occurred when BBC Three aired the episode. Immediately after the episode concluded, the news broke that the renowned actor had passed away by suicide on August 11. The timing of this particular episode airing, in conjunction with the depiction of attempts of suicide, creeped viewers out.
Caitlyn Jenner's Transition
In season 7’s episode, ‘We Love You, Conrad’, Brian learns that his ex-girlfriend Jillian (Drew Barrymore) is getting married, and briefly dates Lauren Conrad (voiced by herself), who figures out Brian still has feelings for Jillian. When heading on the set of The Hills, Brian and Stewie see Brody Jenner, to which Stewie protests, saying that he can’t believe Brody came out of Bruce Jenner’s body. When Brian corrects Stewie on Bruce’s gender, Stewie disagrees, telling Brian that Bruce Jenner is an “elegant, beautiful Dutch woman”. Likewise, the episode ‘Lottery Fever’, depicts Bruce Jenner as a flamboyant cheerleader, who seductively dances for members of the USO.
In 2015, Bruce Jenner announced to the world that they were transitioning and would now be known as Caitlyn Jenner, identifying as female. Likely the most accurate prediction to come from Family Guy, ‘We Love You, Conrad’ aired in 2009, awing fans with one of television’s most accurate predictions.