Family Guy has received many positive reviews from critics. Catherine Seipp of the National Review Online described it as a “nasty but extremely funny” cartoon. Caryn James of The New York Times, called it a show with an “outrageously satirical family” and “includes plenty of comic possibilities and parodies. “The Sydney Morning Herald named Family Guy the “Show of the Week” on April 21, 2009, hailing it a “pop culture-heavy masterpiece”. Frazier Moore from The Serattle Times called it an “endless craving for humour about bodily emissions”. He also thought it was “breathtakingly smart” and said a “blend of the ingenious with the raw helps account for its much broader appeal”. He finished up summarizing it as “rude, crude and deliciously wrong”.
The series has also attracted many celebrities, including Emily Blunt, who has stated that Family Guy is her favourite series, and has expressed strong interest in becoming a guest star on the show. Commenting on his appearance in the episode “Big Man on Hippocampus”, (season 8, 2010), actor Dwayne Johnson stated that he was a “big fan” of Family Guy, having quickly befriended MacFarlane after he had in a minor role in Johnson’s 2010 film Tooth Fairy.
Family Guy has received a negative treatment from critics and watchdog groups due to its profanity, animated nudity, and violence. The FCC has received multiple petitions requesting that the show be blocked from broadcasting on indecency grounds.
Parental advocacy and religious organizations have voiced disapproval over the show’s mockery of religious subjects. Similarly, Family Guy has drawn criticism from charities and public figures for its perceived offensiveness when handling sensitive issues, such as HIV/AIDS and Down syndrome.[ The show has also been derided by critics and other cartoonists for the overuse of cut-away gags, pop culture references and similarities to other shows. Several episodes of The Simpsons and South Park have poked fun at Family Guy, highlighting the reliance on interchangeable gags as well as similarities with the former show. However, both MacFarlane and Simpsons creator Matt Groening have said that there is no serious feud between them and the rivalry of their shows is good-natured. Professional cartoonists have criticized the show as well, such as Ren & Stimpy creator John Kricfalusi and South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
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