Patrick Warburton has voiced Joe on Family Guy for decades, and now he’s revealed that his family does not like the show, and his mom even tried to get it canceled.
At PaleyFest recently for the show’s 25th anniversary celebration, Warburton said, “They hate the show even more today than they did 25 years ago,” as reported by People.
Warburton said his father was in a monastery for three months and nearly became a monk and his mother walked around town passing out pamphlets on “the sins of masturbation.” Basically, they aren’t the kind of people that might be in Family Guy’s target demographic.
“So they hate the show,” Warburton said, likely alluding to the animated show’s penchant for dirty jokes and off-color humor.
Warburton’s mother was in the American Television Council, which, for a period of time, tried to have Family Guy canceled, he said. His mother even tried to get Warburton to sign a petition against Family Guy. This all took place despite Warburton using his Family Guy money to support his parents financially.
Warburton acknowledged that Family Guy’s humor and tone is not for everyone, but he believes the fact that the show is satire is missed by some people. “A lot of people actually who really don’t get satire and just find themselves offended with everything,” he said.
Family Guy series creator Seth MacFarlane was in attendance at PaleyFest as well, and he gave an update on the long-awaited Family Guy movie. For more, check out what MacFarlane had to say about the animated show’s enduring legacy.
In addition to his role as Joe on Family Guy, Warburton is known for playing David Puddy on Seinfeld and voicing Kronk in The Emperor’s New Groove.
