My Psychoanalytical Interpretation of Peter & Stewie Griffin From Family Guy
With that in mind I will attempt to analyze Peter and Stewie. I earned a B.A. in Psychology and I enjoy analyzing people and even TV shows (i.e. LOST). I will attempt to put that background to good use here and give my professional opinion of the notorious two. Bear in mind that this is an unbiased take on the two characters. I love the show but will not let that cloud my interpretations. So here goes.
Peter Griffin, the dad, is a simpleton. He is vulgar, violent, rude, disrespectful, and oblivious to the ways of the world; and those are his good qualities. He treats women with less respect than cavemen did (no offense to any living cavemen). Not only is his wife, Lois, not placed on a pedestal (like any wife should be treated), but she is treated as if she is just a page out of Playboy. Peter uses her to fulfill and meet his most animalistic urges and basic needs.
If not for Lois, Peter would shrivel up and fade to black and complete nothingness. The man needs her to cook for him, clean for him, do his household necessities (laundry, dishes…), keep him from getting in trouble (if not arrested), raise his children, and basically do everything short of breathe for him.
Peter is also a man without conscience. There is no inner voice that restrains him from making a fool of himself. Take, for example, an instance where Peter punched a woman in the face while at a ballgame. His defense was that she looked like a man. This may be the case but, clearly, there were more reasonable ways to resolve the conflict that had arisen between the two. Peter, however, reacted first with violence.
If that isn’t bad enough, he almost seemed happy about it, even after realizing that the person was indeed a woman. This sort of behavior cannot be allowed to go unchecked and unfiltered. One has to wonder what else this man is capable of doing. To what level could he sink? It is frightening. What makes it even scarier is that he, Peter Griffin, has three children. Where is the Department of Youth Services when you need them?
Speaking of the children, Stewie Griffin is no sweet little angel either. In just a few short months of life, Stewie is growing into his father’s disgusting and intolerable shoes; metaphorically speaking. Stewie is violent, mean, disrespectful, and hateful towards his family. Stewie seems to have a personal vendetta against his mother, Lois, for some unknown reason. He has taken this vendetta to extremes so harsh, that Lois’ life has been threatened, or worse, on numerous occasions.
On several instances, Stewie has produced weapons (guns, missiles, knives, and more), drawn them upon his mother, and even engaged in live fire against her. How he has not yet killed her is something that is beyond the realm of belief and humanity. Usually children will experience some sort of resentment against a parent; either through the Oedipal Conflict or the Elektra Complex. It can be common and expected for a young boy to resent his father for ‘being’ with his mother.
What Stewie does, is the personification of something entirely different and new to the boundaries of modern Psychology. Never before has a subject shown such hostility towards their sole (competent) caregiver, not to mention the impressive nature in which he has learned the ability to handle such advanced weapons, with ease, effectiveness, and agility, at such a young age.
Stewie clearly possesses an above-average mind, with motor skills, dexterity, and speech comprehension levels of someone many years his senior. He just needs a positive source in which to expand this energy. With proper training, education, and the resolution of numerous psychological abnormalities, Stewie could be nothing less than a prodigy. His potential is limitless. He shows signs of being not only gifted and above normal in intelligence, but has the potential to be mentioned alongside the greatest geniuses and like-minded people of our time. If only this raw, unadulterated range of greatness can be honed and fine-tuned towards a positive gain. If not, the resulting consequences could be disastrous.
It is my professional opinion that the following measures must be taken immediately. In the case of Peter Griffin, he needs instantaneous admittance to one of the world’s leading psychological treatment facilities. He is a danger to himself, his immediate family, and all those whom he comes in contact with on a daily basis. A minimum of 12 months at said facility should provide a promising start. Further analysis, focus, and attention must be paid.
In the case of Stewie Griffin, he needs to be immediately placed into a home for gifted children. He cannot be allowed to spend one more minute at his home until he has resolved his issues of violence towards his mother. To leave him with his family would be aiding in the eventual and serious crime against Lois. To do so would find all with prior knowledge (myself included) guilty of crimes against humanity. Once ‘detained’, Stewie will have the opportunity to harness his hate and transform it into something productive. At that time, he can return to his family.
These opinions may be extreme but you have to consider with whom we are dealing here. Both Peter and Stewie Griffin exemplify such a strong lenience towards egocentric thoughts, speech and actions, that something must be done right now.
