Seth MacFarlane reacts to falsely edited Family Guy episode depicting Boston Marathon deaths, original pulled by Fox
Fox has removed a recent episode of the animated hit Family Guy from Fox.com and Hulu.com that depicted deaths at the Boston Marathon. The network has no intention at the time to air it again.
*To avoid any confusion, this particular episode, “Turban Cowboy,” was written and aired before the horrible acts in Boston transpired.
During the episode in question, lead character Peter Griffin is quizzed by sportscaster Bob Costas about his performance at the race. A flashback depicts Griffin driving over runners with his car. Griffin says, “I’ll tell ya, Bob, I just got in my car and drove it. And when there was a guy in my way, I killed him.”
Later in the episode the endlessly bumbling patriarch befriends a terrorist who’s plotting to blow up a bridge. When Peter dials a cell that the terrorist had given him, explosions and screams are heard.
An edited version of the show was circulated on some websites that fused the two scenes which lead to an incorrect appearance that the depicted explosions happened at the marathon.
Show creator Seth MacFarlane was outraged by this edited version and let his feelings known via Twitter:
The edited Family Guy clip currently circulating is abhorrent. The event was a crime and a tragedy, and my thoughts are with the victims.
— Seth MacFarlane (@SethMacFarlane) April 16, 2013