Understanding shows like The Simpsons and The Family Guy demand a strong cultural literacy that often goes unrecognized by students (and scholars) because they don’t appreciate just how immersed they are in the cultural mediascape(s) in which these references readily circulate.
Using The Family Guy as an example, one can easily imagine the difficulty explaining Adam West’s role as Quahog’s Mayor, the Kool-Aid Guy’s busting down the family’s living room wall, or Brian’s attempt at cheering up Peter by doing the “It’s Peanut Butter Jelly Time” dance (referencing the animated web meme from a few years ago) to one not familiar with the original texts.
Why do you think the writer's of family guy use so many literally, biblical, and cultural allusions in the show?