Family Guy might have killed off character Brian Griffin, but fans aren't taking it lying down with a change.org petition to bring back brian.
Humans are notoriously protective of their pets, even animated, anthropomorphized ones. When Fox’s popular animated show Family Guy revealed on Sunday that [spoiler alert] character Brian Griffin died, the stages of grief began immediately for fans. First came denial. “This must be a joke,” lamented thousands of adult cartoon show fans, as they checked and double checked their calendars to ensure that no, it was not somehow April 1. Now comes anger. As of Tuesday morning, over 32,000 fans have taken to petition site change.org with one simple request for Fox and Family Guy’s creators: Bring back Brian.
Brian is eulogized for his many lovable traits that fans have grown to love over the years: His ability to talk, his love of alcohol, culture, and human women, and his penchant for walking on two legs, which is particularly significant as most dogs lack the locking rear knee joint that allows humans to be bipedal. Fans who signed the petition understand Brian’s contributions to society, noting that “Brian Griffin was an important part of our viewing experince [sic]. He added a witty and sophisticated element to the show. Family Guy and Fox Broadcasting will lose viewers if Brian Griffin is not brought back to the show.”
As for the petition itself, the language is shockingly plain and direct, much like the dialogue on Family Guy itself:
To:Bring Brian Griffin back to Family GuySincerely,
[Your name]
The petition also created a Facebook page for their effort, presumably to organize the kind of grassroots support necessary for any major cultural movement, like the Arab Spring. As of Tuesday morning, the page had over 360,000 likes and continues to climb.
Fans of Family Guy will recall that the show has a long history of “killing off” characters: In a 2007 story arc, Stewie “kills” his mother Lois, only to find out that she’d survived the attack all along. A week later, Peter “kills” Stewie in an attempt to end his dictatorship, with viewers later learning that the whole thing was part of a computer simulation. The permanence of Brian’s death is unclear, as are any effects the “Bring Back Brian” petition might have on the outcome.
Said the creators of the petition, “The writers of family guy didn’t just kill off one of their creations, they killed off the dog who has lived in our homes for the last 15 years. They killed the dog we all have come to love. They killed America’s dog!”
Indeed.
Leave a Reply