Joe Swanson voice actor Patrick Warburton refuses to apologize for Family Guy's humor
Some of the show's criticism has even come from the voice actor's own mother, a Christian and Parents Television Council member.
Patrick Warburton, says he’s done apologizing for the humor in Family Guy.
It’s no secret that Family Guy is one of the most controversial shows out there.
Despite being canceled twice and a snowball of letters from angry parents, the TV show has become one of the longest-running and most successful animated comedies ever.
However, that doesn’t mean the show’s voice actors don’t get accosted occasionally.
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But Warburton, who voices paraplegic police officer Joe Swanson, insists that he is done trying to apologize for the show’s salacious jokes.
“I used to apologize for being on Family Guy, and I apologize no more because this world is a horrible native satire,” Warburton said in an interview with Fox News.
“Everybody takes themselves too seriously, and… I think in many ways become an overwhelming mess.
"But we need humor in our lives, and we need love and humor, acceptance. It’s all rather simple.”
However, Warburton’s mother, a Christian and a Parents Television Council member, has been critical of the sitcom in the past.
According to the Daily Mail, Barbara Warburton said she would do whatever it takes to ensure crass television doesn't ‘corrupt children’.
She said of Family Guy in 2011: “The wrong messages are out there and that’s my main concern.
"Shows like these are leading toward the destruction of morality…nothing seems sacred any more.”
And just to make matters interesting, creator Seth McFarlane has a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) complaint filed by Warburton's mother in his office, as per The Destin Log.
According to Daily Mail, Mrs Warburton told The Destin Log that she had encouraged her son to quit the foul-mouthed comedy.
She said: “I have always adored people in this industry who turn down roles because of their convictions, but Patrick isn’t one of those people.”
And while he’s not quitting the show anytime soon, it looks like his mother’s influence has had an impact.
In an interview with Josh Zepps, the voice actor revealed that one joke aimed at Christianity made him boycott an entire episode, as per The Huffington Post.
"It was something that was so offensive that I said, ‘If that’s in the show, I can’t do this episode. … Put it in another f**king episode that I’m not in,’” he said.
"We all wonder if we have a line that can be crossed, and I just discovered there is actually a line with me.”
Topics: News, Film and TV
Charisa Bossinakis