(part of my ongoing Unexpected Literary References series) In the Family Guy episode titled "Love Blactually" (Season 7, Episode 1, Aired Sep 28, 2008) Stewie picks up a copy of Horton Hears Domestic Violence in the Next Apartment and Doesn't Call 911, an obvious riff of Dr. Suess's Horton Hears a Who. Well, the title is a riff, anyway; Horton Hears a Who, content-wise, contains slightly less wife-beating. This isn't the first time a Seth McFarlane cartoon has referenced Dr. Suess.
(part of my ongoing Unexpected Literary References series) An old episode, and honestly one of my least favorites. Not sure why, but this one just never did it for me. These two references come from the season two episode titled "A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Bucks" in which Chris becomes a hot-shot New York artist. First, an evil stuffed clown at a carnival: Stewie: “Ooooo how deliciously evil looking! It's like something out of Stephen King” The evil clown doll may be a reference to King's character “Pennywise the Clown” from his novel“IT!” (catch credit goes to TVRage.com) The above aside then leads directly into the second Stephen King gag, a more direct reference in which King (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) sells his publisher (or agent) on a terrible idea for a book. The publisher, of course, buys it. Stephen King: Okay, for my 307th book .. this couple is attacked by a... uh... A lamp monster! ..…
(part of my ongoing Unexpected Literary References series) Though the episode is quite old, I caught this reference to Stephen King and Dean Koontz in the episode called "Brian in Love" from season 2 of Family Guy. On the surface, the gag speaks simply to the poor man's Stephen King perception of Dean Koontz. But, when you consider the real life car accident that Stephen King suffered in 1999 the gag gets way gaggier.