Venezuela To Fine Networks That Air "Family Guy"

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan authorities plan to impose fines on cable television companies that refuse to stop airing the animated television series "Family Guy."

Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami says the program should be pulled from the airwaves because it promotes the use of marijuana.

El Aissami was outraged by a recent episode in which the show's characters started a campaign to legalize marijuana.

He said Thursday that cable networks that broadcast "Family Guy" would be fined by Venezuela's telecommunications regulator if they refuse to dump the program.

The government of President Hugo Chavez is preparing to impose new regulations on cable television. Among other rules, cable providers could be forced to carry Chavez's frequent speeches.

Comments

[CommonTator]

It's entirely possible that I'm wrong about this, but I don't believe it was the intent of the show's writers to suggest that chaos would ensue were marijuana to be legalized.

I think there was simply more comedic potential in showing news anchors stoned on the air and the like than in showing scenes of life in Quahog continuing as normal.

Why am I bothering to say that?

Well...I'm bored.

[mjb5406]

Next up: Brian and Stewie in "Road to Caracas".

[UncleJimbo]

The Justice Minister of Venezuela is named Tareck Al Aissami? Is this another Family Guy Promo?

[up420oz]

OMG!!!!
Hes been hit by a car!!!!

[mjb5406]

ROFL... loved the Disney-esque universe!

Actually, what's so sad about this is that it proves that Chavez and his puppets have no sense of humor. The episode, entitled "420", was a satire and showed more about how chaos would ensue if marijuana was legalized.

[4 Real]

Funny how the most outrageous shows are on the Fox network. Oh the irony.

[sja11]

family guy is outrageous to you?

the only good show they ever had (Arrested Development) they fought like hell to not promote so it would get canceled.

[BKearney]

what about the simpsons?

[littlepuffycloud]

What about 'Firefly?'

[4 Real]

What the deuce?

[JoeGdr]

Dang, you beat me to it.

Screw it, I'll do it anyway:

What the deuce?!

[marmanson96]

I GUESS I'LL BE BANNED FROM VENEZUELA TOO. LOL.

[Jaybot]

I don't know why some are getting so selfrighteous, it wasn't that long ago that 'Family Guy' wouldn't have made it to US television. Does anyone think that the Bag o' Weed episode would have played in Reagan's America? I'm still surprised the Freakin' FCC song made it to broadcast. It's not like censorship doesn't exist here, now, either. What about that mishap with Janet Jackson's breast? That certainly didn't have any repercussions now, did it?

[Jeffreygeez]

Right , and many years ago in the 50s Elvis Presley appeared on the Ed Sullivan show with the bottom half of his body blacked out, as his twisting hips were too provocativ­e.! Was that not government censorship?? Funny today, but not then. At the time it was understood and was taken very seriously

So we have come a long way or a long way much too far, as now anything goes?

Once again we have a lot to say about other peoples and other countries moral values without thinking about our own past. Hypocrital as usual

[MaxPowerXP]

So basically, by your logic, we would have no moral grounds to protest slavery in other countries. THAT makes sense.

[Egalite522]

This is the last straw. The Chavez regime must be overthrown. I will never viit there again. http://www.stupidrightwingers.com Any liberal who supports Chavez will now be a Stalinist!!! :)

[YeahDonkey]

Had no idea there were so many "Family Guy" fans in the CIA.

[o4tuna]

I think you have confused the CIA with the FBI. It's the FBI that doesn't have a sense of humor.

[BlueMed]

You're so full of... Anybody who supported the Bush regime in the last 8 years should be banned. After all, marijuana is still not legal in America, is it? Far from it. But it's perfectly ok for US networks to pay handsome money to raving lunatics like Beck and Limbaugh to spew misinformation and incite hatred and terrorism.
So right-wingers should really shut up about the "lack of freedom" in other countries. It seems there's still too much freedom in America for the wrong people -- see the current persecution campaign against Acorn, while all the bribery and corruption that went on previously, courtesy of Cheney & Co., is still not investigated; see all the Democrats who are constantly crucified for their sexual indiscretions, while people like Sanford turn them into religious calls and still won't resign.

[JohnSawyer]

Egalite522 is being facetious. Look at the website he links to in his comment.

[ObliqueReference]

Not legal but one can air such episodes. that's more than can be said about venezuela

[o4tuna]

Bajebahs dude, lighten up. Go to walmart and buy a sense of humor.

[potrerohillman]

oh no!

how will the venezuelans learn to speak english with a rhode island accent?

all hail the land of the quahog.

[potrerohillman]

ah, the virtues of left wing dictatorships smell like the virtues of the right wing dictatorships, which as we all know smell like ......, well like three day old fish left in the sun. the left leaning artsy fartsy types (myself included) have to figure out how long to stay enamored of the smooth talking progressive who turns out to be an egomaniac. gosh, why do i feel like someone who listened to all the pretty words from the idealized lover the drunken night before and ended up in bed with an ugly self-centered troll in the morning?

[MC71]

The U.S. right wing has always been OK with right-wing dictatorships, it's just the left-wing dictators that bothered them. I've never seen the difference. All dictatorships are bad, whether supporting communism, socialism or capitalism. Socialism in some forms supported by a democracy works in many places. Facism never works.

[glockman]

So, will all those incredibly stupid Hollywood Chavez supporters have anything to say about this? Probably not, they're too enamored of the dictator to think rationally.

[billhodges]

They worship his power and money nothing more than that. Many of the stars are so self centered they never see the big picture, just what might be good for themselves. IMHO

[Soulsurfer]

Yeah, but Venezuela got the idea from Kentucky..­..........­......

[yankees]

Coming to the USA in a theatre near you. First we'll get the Right Wing Movement, onto the Christian Religious Organizations then move onto Fox, perhaps the Wall Street Journal, then the Independents and finally we'll get to the Moderate Democrats.

[Aroddo]

Perhaps the main issue with Family Guy is the notion that this series teaches the Venezuelans the american way of life - the bad side of the american way of life: Gluttony, selfishness, irresponsibility, greed, self rigtheousness ...

The last 10 seconds of an episode containing the "i'm just kidding" part is perhaps not clear enough for their tastes.

As long as they don't cancel The Simpsons they are alright by my book.

[MaxPowerXP]

The reason the Fox network is NOT alright in my book is because they DIDN'T cancel The Simpsons ten years ago when it turned into a complete and utter hackfest