Nothing screams quintessential American tv like Household Man. With shut to a few a long time, 23 seasons, and over 400 episodes, the grownup animated sitcom is a timeless staple in each family. Created by Seth McFarlane, the present revolves round an on a regular basis household, with mother and father Peter and Lois, kids Meg, Chris, and Stewie, and their canine, Brian, dwelling within the fictional city of Quahog, Rhode Island.
Similar to its counterparts, The Simpsons, South Park, and Bob’s Burgers, Household Man additionally finds the candy spot between humor and popular culture commentary. This results in throwaway gags about celebrities, politicians, and even main world occasions that may find yourself coming true. From predicting the Ellen DeGeneres controversy to clocking British regulation, the present has made some surprising predictions up to now.
Disclaimer: All opinions on this article belong solely to the author. Spoilers forward.
Ellen’s cancellation, British censorship, and different predictions in Household Man
1) The Ellen DeGeneres controversy
Season 9, episode 9 “And I’m Joyce Kinney” (2011)
Lois runs into in style TV present host Joyce Kinney and agrees to satisfy for drinks. Dangerous thought: A drunken Lois confesses to creating an grownup movie known as “Quest for Fur,” and Joyce makes use of her platform to publicly humiliate Lois as revenge for a previous prank. On this episode, there’s a cutaway gag of former in style speak present host Ellen DeGeneres repeatedly speaking over her friends and making them uncomfortable.
This prediction about her persona got here true when allegations of office misconduct broke throughout the pandemic. Since then, Household Man continually goes for a joke at Ellen’s expense, like in season 10 episode 7 Fox-y Girl and extra just lately, in season 21, episode 3 The Spouse-Altering Expertise, the place a charity program begs for donations to save lots of Ellen’s crew.
2) The curious case of British censorship
Season 4, episode 1 “North by North Quahog” (2005)
Peter and Lois determine to rekindle the spark of their marriage, visiting Mel Gibson’s suite on the Barrington Resort. Nevertheless, chaos ensues when issues do not go as deliberate, and Peter goes dwelling early. However earlier than that, they watch a British grownup movie on TV. The scene is comedic as a result of the movie’s contents are so chaste that it could’t be categorized as specific. There is no such thing as a motion, and all the things is roofed up.
Over a decade after this episode, in 2017, the UK handed a regulation placing pornographic content material behind an age verification wall. Whereas this was finished to guard kids from accessing specific content material, it kicked up a storm as individuals feared additional media censorship from a extra authoritarian authorities. Household Man intuited the cruel hand of regulation within the UK manner earlier than it occurred.
3) Caitlyn Jenner’s gender orientation
Season 7, episode 14 “We Love You, Conrad” (2009)
Household Man revisited Caitlyn Jenner (previously Bruce Jenner) and the celeb’s gender orientation loads of occasions. In season 7, Stewie and Brian disagree over Bruce’s gender. Stewie makes a random remark, remarking:
“He is not a person… Bruce Jenner is a girl. A sublime, stunning Dutch girl.”
In season 10, episode 1, Lottery Fever, they revisit the remark when Bruce Jenner is introduced onto stage to carry out a female burlesque quantity. Just a few years later, in 2015, Bruce Jenner transitioned to Caitlyn Jenner, making Stewie’s phrases come true.
4) The Boston Marathon bombings
Season 11, episode 15 “Turban Cowboy” (2013)
Peter befriends a Muslim man named Mahmoud, and earlier than he is aware of it, he is part of a terrorist group planning to bomb the Quahog bridge. This can be a grim premise with terrifying implications already, however a random cutaway second exhibits Peter working over the group on the Boston Marathon to win the race. Whereas there are bombs on this episode, it has nothing to do with the Marathon.
Nevertheless, inside a month of the episode airing, the tragic bombings on the 2013 Boston Marathon killed three individuals and injured a number of others. In mild of the incident, it was a chilling prediction that hit too near dwelling. Fox eliminated it from its Hulu reruns on the time.
5) Kevin Spacey’s true colours
Season 4, episode 4 “Do not Make Me Over” (2005)
There is a new mall on the town, affecting enterprise on the Drunken Clam. In the meantime, Meg goes by a makeover after being rejected by Craig Hoffman, and her newfound confidence takes her all the way in which to Saturday Night time Stay. In a random cutaway gag, Stewie is seen streaking by the mall, bare and screaming:
“Assist! I’ve escaped from Kevin Spacey’s basement!”
Household Man followers discover out that Stewie will get cash from Brian for doing this, and it passes as a humorous second. Nevertheless, Kevin Spacey was one of many greatest names to come back out of the #MeToo motion, with actors like Anthony Rapp, Harry Dreyfus, and Tony Montana stepping ahead to accuse him in 2017.
6) A glimpse of a future pandemic
Season 15, episode 6, Scorching Photographs (2016)
Peter and Lois begin an anti-vaccination drive after Stewie is injured making an attempt to cease a bat from coming into the home. A number of mother and father be part of the motion, and shortly, a measles outbreak at Stewie’s daycare places Quahog in quarantine. Solely Brian is anxious that the anti-vaccination sentiment may be inflicting this mess.
Whereas many exhibits featured a pandemic or a illness outbreak, Household Man managed to seize the socio-political state of affairs {that a} illness brings with it. A really related sentiment occurred throughout the coronavirus pandemic, 4 years after the episode aired, with anti-vaccination being some of the debated subjects.
7) The Bitcoin phenomenon
Season 14, episode 11 “The Peanut Butter Child” (2016)
That is a type of meta Household Man moments that predicted a future occasion whereas additionally turning into a sufficiently big phenomenon to encourage it. Peter and Lois consolidate their funds, worrying about Stewie’s school funds. This results in a hilarious escapade the place Stewie auditions for a peanut butter industrial. Peter off-handedly mentions investing in Bitcoin as a option to finish their cash woes.
A variety of Bitcoin and Household Man followers have been fast to notice that the time window after Peter utters the phrase “Bitcoin,” its worth skyrocketed, turning into a extra mainstream type of funding. Whereas he suggests it as a “lottery” kind thought to get wealthy shortly, its monetary viability could not be denied after the episode dropped. Whether or not Peter impressed the bitcoin surge is inconclusive.
Watch Household Man on Hulu.
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Edited by Pooja Kumar
