Prick Up Your Ears (Family Guy)

Last updated
"Prick Up Your Ears"
Family Guy episode
Episode no.Season 5
Episode 6
Directed byJames Purdum
Written by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong
Production code5ACX01
Original air dateNovember 19, 2006 (2006-11-19)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Whistle While Your Wife Works"		Next →
"Chick Cancer"
Family Guy season 5
List of episodes

"Prick Up Your Ears" is the sixth episode of the fifth season of Family Guy , and it's the 86th episode overall of the series. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on November 19, 2006. In this episode, Lois discovers that Chris' school has removed the sex education program due to budget cuts and decides to bring the class back by becoming the teacher. She gets fired a short time later for teaching the students about safe sex rather than abstinence. Meanwhile, Stewie attempts to find and kill the Tooth Fairy after being told "horror" stories by Brian. [1]

Contents

The episode was written by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and directed by James Purdum. It received mixed reviews from critics for its storyline and many cultural references. According to Nielsen ratings, it was viewed in 9.3 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Drew Barrymore, Mindy Cohn, Gary Cole, Taylor Cole, Lauren Conrad, David Cross, Margaret Easley, Lauren Hooser, Kim Parks, Kevin Michael Richardson, André Sogliuzzo and Crawford Wilson, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series.

Plot

After Mayor West breaks the window of an adult video store with a "cat launcher" while chasing a pizza delivery guy due to West receiving the wrong pizza toppings, Chris and his friends steal some videos from the store and watch one of the pornographic films with Stewie, who is very confused at the plot of the film making little sense. Lois catches them watching the film "Genital Hospital" and becomes convinced a proper sex-ed class should be taught at his school. Since the sex-ed class at her children's school was removed, Lois decides to become the school's newest sex-ed teacher. In class, she attempts to teach students about safe sex, but her efforts are ruined by a botched attempt of Peter, who wishes to distribute his views on sex as well. Soon after the first sex-ed class, parental protests arise as Lois taught kids about safe ways to perform premarital sex, instead of abstinence. As a result, Lois is subsequently fired and banned from School grounds. She is replaced by reverend Jerry Kirkwood, who promotes both premarital and marital abstinence, explaining fictional consequences of intercourse with various questionable examples. The idea appeals to most students, including Meg, who starts a relationship with a fellow student named Doug.

Peter, truly believing the anti-sex propaganda Meg brings home, starts wearing a chastity belt and refuses to have sex with Lois. At the same time, Lois catches Meg and Doug engaging in "ear sex", which has become a fad at the school. Meg explains they did it so that it would not count as sex "in the eyes of the Lord". When Peter tries the same thing on Lois, she is outraged and rapes him. This actually gets Peter to change his mind and prompts him and Lois to collaborate into sneaking into the school after being banned. During one of Kirkwood's assemblies, Lois pushes him off of the stage and tells the kids not to listen to him as he is wrong and feeding them lies. She then tells the kids that while they should not have sex until they are ready, everyone has urges and it is okay to have premarital sex, but only as long as it is practiced safely and encourages them to use condoms. Following this revelation, Doug breaks up with Meg after discovering her naked appearance. A humiliated Meg blames Lois for destroying her relationship.

In a subplot, Stewie loses a tooth and is told about the tooth fairy. Frightened by the fairy tale, Stewie develops a plan to capture the fairy, not knowing she does not exist. He borrows Herbert's false teeth and provokes Brian's girlfriend Jillian to throw up, as she has bulimia nervosa, in order to collect her teeth as well. Brian, overseeing Stewie's increasing obsession with the fairy, reveals to Stewie that she does not exist, but another scene shows a man named T. Fairy, having an apparent tooth fetish, stealing teeth to roll around in them.

Production and censorship

Many scenes from the original episode were seen as vulgar and were removed from the television broadcast. One of the scenes removed was from the beginning of the episode when Stewie, Chris, and his friends were watching Genital Hospital, a reference to the television show General Hospital . The original animatic had included the doctor on the film undoing his zipper after discussing the patient's health problems. The edited version seen in the final version of the episode cut away before the doctor could undo his zipper, but the sound can still be heard when it cuts back to Chris and his friends watching the porno. [2] Another scene edited was a naked Peter shown crouched on top of Lois's head (attempting ear sex) (even though it was shown on Adult Swim every time the episode repeats). On the TV version, Peter is still naked, but it is implied (through sound effects) that Lois forcibly pushed him to the floor and she has a hand on her ear (impling Peter attempted ear sex). [2] In this scene, Peter refers to the Grimace as Ronald McDonald's autistic friend, which was originally penned as "retarded friend" (and is included in the uncut version). A scene in which Brian, wearing a robe, informs Lois of the weird-tasting Smuckers jelly in the fridge leads Peter to reveal that the Smuckers was on his penis was edited on TV so that way he states that the jelly was on his crotch. [2] In a scene added later to the episode, Mel Gibson apologizes to the Jewish community after being offensive while continuing to offend them. The scene was added after the episode had been made but prior to broadcasting. When Peter joins Meg in her quest to be abstinent, the TV version has a gag where Peter keeps mispronouncing the word, Meg corrects him, and Peter punishes her by sending her to her room. The Adult Swim and DVD version replaces that scene with one that was edited for being insensitive to Asian people in which Peter tells Meg that now that he is abstinent, he will be as untouched as the turn signal on an Asian woman's car, followed by a cutaway of an Asian lady causing an accident on an eight-lane highway. In the scene involving Stewie entering Herbert's house, a picture of Chris with the body of a model was in the animatic, but not shown on TV. [3] [4] The original ending of this episode (with the "choose your own ending" text message contest) was supposed to have Lois and Peter throw Brian out the window instead of giving Cleveland his one and only appearance in the episode. This deleted scene is featured in the episode animatic on the season five DVD set.

In addition to the regular cast, actors Drew Barrymore, Mindy Cohn, Gary Cole, Taylor Cole, Lauren Conrad, David Cross, Margaret Easley, Lauren Hooser, Kim Parks, Kevin Michael Richardson, André Sogliuzzo and Crawford Wilson guest star in the episode. Recurring guest voices include Lori Alan, Alex Breckenridge, Steve Callaghan, Chris Cox, Ralph Garman, Danny Smith, Alec Sulkin, John Viener, and Adam West, who has a role of an exaggerated version of himself.

Cultural references

As Lois is informed the sex education classes will be terminated, she exclaims "Oh, no!", a cut-a-way scene then begins of a sports car driving along the road with music playing in the background, this is a reference to Knight Rider . [4] When Stewie is using his toys in order to capture and kill the tooth fairy, the toys are SpongeBob from SpongeBob SquarePants , Starscream (from The Transformers ) and Man-E-Faces, all of which are fictional characters from television programs. [2] When Peter is watching television, he is watching Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County ; the women shown on the episode are actually cartoon animations of the real actors for the show. [5] When Lois catches Chris and his friends watching a pornographic film, she tells them that without sex education, they can easily become sexually confused. The scene cuts to Michael Jackson in his childhood form eating a bowl of Frosted Mini-Wheats, saying that he likes the frosted side, while the grown-up in him likes his younger self. When Lois teaches a sex education class, Peter uses a bust of William Shakespeare and a Rainbow Brite doll to demonstrate sexual intercourse. In the scene where Stewie loses a tooth, everybody comes in and tells him to calm down, then it shows a long line of characters, mimicking a scene from the movie Airplane! . While doing a news story on ear sex, Diane tells Tom that CSI is on Thursdays. When Brian talks about Jillian's bulimia, he mentions the death of singer Karen Carpenter, who died from anorexia in 1983. When Stewie thinks that Brian is the Tooth Fairy, Brian substantiates his identity by telling Stewie he has a picture of Chris Noth in his wallet, known for his role on Law & Order .

Reception

In a slight improvement over the previous week, the episode was viewed in 9.3 million homes in its original airing, according to Nielsen ratings. The episode also acquired a 3.3 rating in the 18–49 demographic, tying with The Simpsons , while still winning over American Dad! . [6]

Although the episode received little positive reception, it was given a positive review by IGN 's Dan Iverson, who noted that its plot had "great satire of the issue of sex education vs. abstinence". [7] He also stated that "the random flashback jokes are often what are most memorable about each episode". [7] He gave the episode a rating of 7.8 out of 10. [7] In his review of Family Guy, volume 5, Francis Rizzo III of DVD Talk called the episode "a smart jab at the conservative Christian approach to sex education", and stated that "the effect it has on Meg, as well as Peter, is great". [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Griffin</span> Fictional character from the Family Guy franchise

Christopher Cross Griffin is a fictional character from the animated television series, Family Guy. He is the second of three children of Peter and Lois Griffin and is also the older brother of Stewie Griffin and the younger brother of Meg Griffin. He is voiced by the American actor, producer and writer, Seth Green, and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the Griffin family, in the episode "Death Has a Shadow" on January 31, 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meg Griffin</span> Fictional character from the Family Guy franchise

Megan "Meg" Griffin is a fictional character in the animated television series Family Guy. Meg is the eldest child of Peter and Lois Griffin and older sister of Stewie and Chris, but is also the family's scapegoat who receives the least of their attention and tolerates the brunt of their abuse. She is often bullied, belittled, ridiculed, and ignored.

"The Courtship of Stewie's Father" is the 16th episode of the fourth season of Family Guy, and it's the 66th episode overall of the series; which originally aired on November 20, 2005. The episode sees Peter attempt to bond with Stewie after realizing that Stewie enjoys seeing Lois get hurt. After things go too far and Lois confronts Peter over the escalating pranks, Stewie feels betrayed, prompting a repentant Peter to take him to Walt Disney World Resort. Meanwhile, Chris is made to assist Herbert in his household chores after breaking his window, much to the delight of Herbert.

"Brian Sings and Swings" is the 19th episode of the fourth season of the american animated comedy television series Family Guy, and it's the 69th episode overall of the series. The episode was first broadcast on January 8, 2006. Brian meets Frank Sinatra Jr. and begins to perform on stage with him, and they are shortly joined by Stewie. Meanwhile, Meg pretends to be a lesbian after being offered a chance to join the Lesbian Alliance Club at her school.

"Deep Throats" is the 23rd episode of season four of the television series Family Guy, and it's the 73rd episode overall of the series. It was written by Alex Borstein and directed by Greg Colton. Appalled at parking charges introduced by Mayor West, Brian decides to expose the corruption of the Mayor, despite the prospect of potentially destroying Meg's new career as the Mayor's intern. Meanwhile, Peter and Lois decide to participate in the Quahog community talent show with a folk singing act, as they did in the 1980s, but the couple becomes largely reliant on marijuana for inspiration and eventually fail the competition for their poor performance, despite their belief that they were singing well when under the influence of the drugs.

"Hell Comes to Quahog" is the third episode of the fifth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy, an episode produced for Season 4 and it's the 83rd episode overall of the series. It originally aired on Fox on September 24, 2006. The episode follows Meg after she requests her parents to buy her a car. At the showroom, however, her father, Peter, decides to buy a tank, instead of the car Meg was interested in. Deciding to pay for a new car herself, Meg is able to get a job at Superstore USA, which eventually destroys the local economy of Quahog, and upsets the local community, leading Brian Griffin and Stewie to save the day.

"Whistle While Your Wife Works" is the fifth episode of season five of Family Guy, the last episode produced for Season 4 and it's the 85th episode overall of the series. The show originally aired on November 12, 2006. The plot follows Peter losing his fingers after an accident while holding fireworks. Behind on his work and threatened with the possibility of dismissal, he asks Lois to catch up on his work for him, to which she agrees. However, he repeatedly attempts to seduce her, eventually succeeding, distracting her from the work. Meanwhile, Brian begins dating a woman named Jillian who, much to Stewie's delight, lacks general knowledge and intelligence.

"Barely Legal" is the eighth episode of season five of Family Guy, and it's the 88th episode overall of the series. The episode originally broadcast on December 17, 2006. The plot sees Meg developing an obsession with Brian after he accompanies her as her date for the Junior Prom, eventually leading to her kidnapping Brian in order to rape him. Meanwhile, Peter and his friends join the Quahog Police Department to assist Joe with his work, but find being a police officer is not always about action.

"The Tan Aquatic with Steve Zissou" is the eleventh episode of the fifth season of Family Guy, and it's the 91st episode overall of the series, which originally aired on February 18, 2007. The episode follows Stewie, who develops a tan, but becomes obsessed with his new look and attempts to keep it, eventually stopping after being told by a doctor that he may now have cancer. Meanwhile, Peter discovers Chris being tormented by a bully, and after a series of events, becomes a bully himself.

"Bill & Peter's Bogus Journey" is the 13th episode of season five of Family Guy, and it's the 93rd episode overall of the series; originally airing on March 11, 2007. The plot follows Peter feeling depressed at the prospect of becoming old. Former U.S. president Bill Clinton appears and takes him out in Quahog, giving him a new outlook on life. Meanwhile, Stewie and Brian attempt to be toilet trained by buying an instructional video, but Brian persists on leaving his feces in the garden, forcing Lois to make him to wear a diaper.

<i>Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story</i> 2005 American film

Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story is a 2005 American adult animated direct-to-video adventure comedy film set in the Family Guy fictional universe. Released on September 27, 2005, the film's main plot point concerns Stewie Griffin, following a near-death experience, trying to find who he thinks is his real father after seeing the man on TV. He travels to San Francisco, only to find that the man is him from the future. The DVD contains commentaries and a sneak peek preview of the American Dad! Volume 1 DVD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter's Two Dads</span> 10th episode of the 5th season of Family Guy

"Peter's Two Dads" is the tenth episode in the fifth season of the American animated television series Family Guy, and it's the 90th episode overall of the series. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 11, 2007. The episode was written by Danny Smith and directed by Cyndi Tang, with Greg Lovell as co-director. The plot follows Peter travelling to Ireland, along with Brian, to find his biological father, after he accidentally kills his stepfather at Meg's birthday party. Meanwhile, after Lois hits Stewie, he becomes fascinated with it and goes to great lengths to have her hit him again.

"Movin' Out (Brian's Song)" is the second episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series Family Guy. The 100th overall, the episode originally aired on Fox in the United States on September 30, 2007. It was written by John Viener and directed by Cyndi Tang. In the episode, Peter convinces Brian to move in with his girlfriend Jillian and Stewie tags along to help pay the rent. Meanwhile, Meg and Chris get jobs at the convenience store where Chris befriends the manager, prompting Meg to do all the hard work. The episode title is a reference to the Billy Joel song "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" and the film Brian's Song. This episode marks the end of Brian and Jillian's relationship, which started in season five.

"Play It Again, Brian" is the tenth episode of the sixth season of Family Guy. The episode originally was broadcast on March 2, 2008. The episode follows Peter and Lois, who are going through a rough time in their marriage. Brian invites them to Martha's Vineyard to see him receive a prize for an essay he wrote. Peter and Lois leave their kids with Herbert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Griffin family</span> Fictional family in the Family Guy series

The Griffin family is a fictional family and main characters in the animated television series Family Guy, and who also appear in The Cleveland Show. The Griffins are a dysfunctional family consisting of the married couple Peter and Lois, their three children Meg, Chris, and Stewie, and their anthropomorphic dog Brian. They live at 31 Spooner Street in the fictional town of Quahog, Rhode Island. Their family car resembles a red seventh-generation Ford Country Sedan. They were created by Seth MacFarlane, in model of his two animated films, The Life of Larry and Larry & Steve. The family and the show itself debuted on January 31, 1999, after Super Bowl XXXIII, in the episode "Death Has a Shadow".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Love You, Conrad</span> 14th episode of the 7th season of Family Guy

"We Love You, Conrad" is the fourteenth episode in the seventh season of the American animated television series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on May 3, 2009. In the episode, Brian's ex-girlfriend Jillian is getting married. As he tries to move on, he starts dating The Hills star Lauren Conrad and the media begins raving about their relationship. Brian is starting to think they are the perfect match, but realizes he still has feelings for Jillian.

"Big Man on Hippocampus" is the tenth episode of the eighth season of the American animated sitcom Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 3, 2010. The episode features Peter after he suddenly begins suffering from amnesia, and can no longer remember anything about his life, including his own family and friends. His wife, Lois, attempts to reintroduce Peter to his surroundings, but he soon discovers partying, and having sex with other women is much more entertaining. Frustrated, Lois decides to leave her husband, causing her neighbor, Quagmire, to attempt to win her over.

"Brian Griffin's House of Payne" is the 15th episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on March 28, 2010. The episode features Brian after he discovers an old script he had written that Stewie found in the basement, and subsequently pitches the show to television executives. The show is quickly and dramatically altered by the executives and James Woods, however, much to Brian's frustration, who nevertheless attempts to adapt to the new format. Meanwhile, Chris and Meg attempt to hide the fact that Stewie is unconscious, after they accidentally bump him down a flight of stairs in the house.

"This Little Piggy" is the ninth episode of the 13th season of the animated sitcom Family Guy, and the 240th episode overall. It aired on Fox in the United States on January 25, 2015, and was written by Kristin Long and directed by Brian Iles. In the episode, Meg becomes a foot fetish model. Meanwhile, Stewie decides to experience the world beyond daycare.

References

  1. ↑ "Prick Up Your Ears: Brief plot synopsis". Bbc.co.uk. 2006. Retrieved 2007-12-14.
  2. 1 2 3 4 MacFarlane, Seth (2006). Family Guy season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Prick Up Your Ears" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  3. ↑ Smith, Danny (2006). Family Guy season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Prick Up Your Ears" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  4. 1 2 Goodman, David (2006). Family Guy season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Prick Up Your Ears" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  5. ↑ Makkos, Suzanna (2006). Family Guy season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Prick Up Your Ears" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  6. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. 2006-11-14. Archived from the original on 2009-02-21. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
  7. 1 2 3 Iverson, Dan (November 20, 2006). "Family Guy: "Prick Up Your Ears" Review". IGN . Archived from the original on 2012-02-16. Retrieved 2007-12-14.
  8. ↑ Rizzo, Francis III (September 18, 2007). "Family Guy, Volume 5". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2010-02-28.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.