When I was younger, I had very strict rules regarding the use of television. When I came home from a long day of pre-kindergarten, I was only allowed a half an hour of T.V., and that was it for the day. Most of the time I would watch a show like Cyberchase, Sesame Street, or Arthur; something my parents believed to be seemingly educational. Yet although they’d hoped that learning numbers with The Count and math with the Cybersquad would resonate with me the most, this was simply not the case.
When my dad was sick, he would lie in bed and watch Family Guy, a show about a completely un-PC animated show about the shenanigans of a family residing in Quahog, Rhode Island. At age 7, although he tried to discourage it, I would curl up with him and absorb all the wonderful vulgarity of the show, laughing along as if I understood why Quagmire was always saying “giggity.”
Now, it’s 12 years later, and I see in my personality the ways that this beloved cartoon television series has shaped my life. Not only does re-watching it again and again allow me to relive well-spent memories with my Dad, but I see my well-developed sense of humor reflected in the show. At certain moments in time, I’ll rethink my actions and actually be able to compare them to those of a character in the show. Not to mention the hysterical quotes are a part of my daily vocabulary.
