Family Guy and Philosophy: A Cure for the Petarded

Be the first to write a review

Overview

Family Guy and Philosophy brings together low-brow, potty-mouthed, cartoon humor and high-brow philosophical reflection to deliver an outrageously hilarious and clever exploration of one of TV’s most unrelenting families. Ok, it’s not that high-brow.

  • A sharp, witty and absurd exploration of one of television’s most unrelenting families, the stars of one of the ...
See more details below
Paperback
$18.03
BN.com price
(Save 30%)$25.95 List Price
Pick Up In Store

Pick Up In Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Other sellers (Paperback)
  • All (22) from $2.15   
  • New (11) from $11.77   
  • Used (11) from $2.15   
Sending request ...

More About This Book

Overview

Family Guy and Philosophy brings together low-brow, potty-mouthed, cartoon humor and high-brow philosophical reflection to deliver an outrageously hilarious and clever exploration of one of TV’s most unrelenting families. Ok, it’s not that high-brow.

  • A sharp, witty and absurd exploration of one of television’s most unrelenting families, the stars of one of the biggest-selling TV series ever on DVD, now in its fourth season
  • Tackles the perennial positions of Family Guy at the same time as contemplating poignant philosophical issues
  • Takes an introspective look at what this show can teach us about ethics, ego, religion, death, and of course, time-travel
  • Considers whether Family Guy is really a vehicle for conservative politics, and whether we should be offended by the show, as well as diving into the philosophy of the cast
Read More Show Less

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

“Maddening in its irreverent audacity, this book reminds me of an old girlfriend: iconoclastic and argumentative, occasionally insane but always entertaining, with a soul of which Stewie could be proud. I couldn’t pull myself away!”
Dave Baggett, editor of Harry Potter and Philosophy and Hitchcock and Philosophy

“This book doesn’t make any sense to me whatsoever, which obviously means it’s brilliant.”
Joey Green, author of The Bathroom Professor: Philosophy on the Go

"Author cooks up a big bowl of philosophy stew while exposing the Family Guy for what it is; a beacon of post-modernism."
TLChicken.com

“It is a rare opportunity to philosophically deconstruct life's absurdities … . We can laugh in the face of life's troublesome ideas and attempt to understand them.” Associated Content

Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781405163163
  • Publisher: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated
  • Publication date: 11/27/2007
  • Series: Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series , #9
  • Edition number: 1
  • Pages: 232
  • Sales rank: 389,679
  • Product dimensions: 6.10 (w) x 9.10 (h) x 0.54 (d)

Meet the Author

J. Jeremy Wisnewski is Assistant Professor at Hartwick College. He is the author of Wittgenstein and Ethical Inquiry: A Defense of Ethics as Clarification (2007) and The Politics of Agency: Toward a Pragmatic Approach to Philosophical Anthropology (2008). He is also the editor of The Office and Philosophy (Blackwell, 2008).

Read More Show Less

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments: These people are freakin’ sweet [Acknowledgments].

You Better Not Read This, Pal: An Introduction to Family Guy and Philosophy: J. Jeremy Wisnewski.

Part I. Those Good Ole’ Fashion Values on which we used to rely.

1. Killing the Griffins: A Murderous Exposition of Postmodernism: J. Jeremy Wisnewski (Hartwick College).

2. Family Guy and God: Should Believers Take Offense?: Ray J. VanArragon (Bethel University).

3. Quagmire, Virtue, and Perversity: Shaun Miller (Weber State University).

4. Francis Griffin and the Church of the Holy Fonz: Religious Exclusivism and "Real" Religion: David Kyle Johnson (King's College).

Part II. Lucky there’s a family guy! (And what a family!).

5. Let Us Now Praise Clueless Men: Peter Griffin and Philosophy: Jerry Samet (Brandeis University).

6. Lois: Portrait of a Mother (Or, Nevermind Death, Motherhood is a Bitch): Stephanie Empey (University of California, Riverside).

7. Mmmyez: Stewie and the Seven Deadly Sins: Sharon M. Kaye (John Carroll University).

8. The Other Children: The Significance of Meg and Chris: P. Sue Dohnimm.

9. He Thinks He’s People: How Brian Made Personhood for the Dogs: Daniel Malloy (Appalachian State University).

Part III. He-he-he-he-he. You expected more lyrics, but you’re getting logic, comedy, and the logic of comedy.

10. The Logic of Expectation: Family Guy and the Non Sequitur: Jonah P.B. Goldwater (Baruch College).

11. What Are You Laughing At (And Why)? Exploring the Humor of Family Guy: Andrew Terjesen (Washington and Lee University).

12. Thinkin’ is Freakin’ Sweet: Family Guy and Fallacies: Robert Arp (Florida State University).

13. The Simpsons Already Did It! This Show Is A Freakin’ Rip-Off!: Shai Biderman (Boston University) and William J. Devlin (Boston University).

Part IV. Family Problems.

14. Is Brian More of a “Person” than Peter? Of Wills, Wantons, and Wives: Mark D. White (College of Staten Island).

15. The Ego is a Housewife Named Lois: Robert Sharp (University of Alabama).

16. The Lives and Times of Stewie Griffin: Tuomas Manninen (Arizona State University West).

17. Kierkegaard and the Norm (MacDonald) of Death: Adam Buben (University of South Florida).

Appendix: Everything you ever needed to know about Meg Griffin, as compiled by the contributors.

Notes on Contributors: What the deuce!?! They’re real! (Most of them, anyway) [Contributor Bios].

Index: He-he-he-he-he-he … You read books [Index]

Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review
( 0 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(0)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously
Sort by: Showing all of 3 Customer Reviews

  • Posted September 28, 2009

    My Philosophy Classes Make Sense Now!!

    Of course I was reeled in by the my favorite disfunctional family, but I was hooked by the keen insight into the human psyche shown by Jeremy Wisnewski. By using the Family Guy as a case study, I was able to take the theories that I have learned, and apply them to something familiar. The relatability of the subject matter brought the concepts to light in a way that I had not seen them before (despite my many attempts at understanding).

    I recommend this book wholeheartedly to students, scholars, and even regular readers who are dying to know why Stewie is such a sociopath. It certainly puts things into perspective.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted September 14, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted June 7, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 3 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)