Running Mates

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This article is about the Family Guy episode. For the political concept, see running mate.

“Running Mates”
Family Guy episode

Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 9
Guest stars	Lee Majors, Dwight Schultz
Written by	Garrett Donovan and Neil Goldman
Directed by	John Holmquist
Production no.	1ACX09
Original airdate	April 11, 2000
Episode chronology
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List of Family Guy episodes

"Running Mates" is an episode from the FOX animated television series Family Guy. It was produced for season 1 but aired in season 2.

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Delighted at the prospect of Lois being out of the house more often, Stewie encourages her plans to run for school board president. Chris' principal at Buddy Cianci Junior High calls and reports that Chris was caught peeking into the girls' locker room. Peter remembers when he saw woman instantly develop breasts in the 8th grade and after seeing them do this, he grew his own breasts. While at the school to discuss Chris' situation, Peter spots Mr. Fargas, who had been his favorite teacher. Fargas is much more subdued than Peter remembers due to the medications the school board orders him to take. After a few flashbacks of Fargas helping Peter, he realizes that the school sucks. Peter then throws the medication away, hoping that Mr. Fargas will once again be a wacky, inspiring teacher.

To help Chris keep out of trouble while dealing with his natural curiosity about women, Peter gives him a pile of his old skin mags. A news flash reports that Mr. Fargas, off his meds and unbalanced, conducted a student egg drop event using the eggs of the "endangered California condor." Fargas is immediately fired for his lack of judgement. The same news report mentions that school board candidate Betsy Lebeau has withdrawn, leaving Lois unopposed. Peter demands that Lois get Fargas' job back, which Lois refuses to do. Peter, convinced that Mr. Fargas' firing was unfair, decides to enter the race for school board president as well.

Meanwhile, Chris begins showing his newfound trove of pornography to school buddies, and Stewie begins to realize that he misses Lois acting as foil to his schemes. Cleveland expresses concern for Peter's campaign, since he has no support entering a debate. Predictably, Peter retorts to Lois' well-thought-out platform with personal insults and nonsense ("She freed Willie Horton and nailed Donna Rice!"). He gains support from the crowd until Lois points out his ignorance and lack of experience. Peter responds by claiming Lois eats babies.

Watching election night results on television, Lois and Brian see a horrifying ad from Peter. He displays a picture of her in skimpy lingerie and calls her a slut. The ad works, and Peter is elected in a landslide victory. Lois furiously demands that he had better do something worthwhile with his presidency besides reinstating a crazy teacher. Incredibly, Peter does institute some landmark programs within a few short weeks. During a live interview with Asian reporter Tricia Takanawa, however, Peter discovers that all the male students are reading his old "men's magazines" in the library. Peter's popularity crashes in the ensuing scandal, and in desperation, Quagmire hires political consultant James Carville, who advises Peter to blame Lois for the pornography. In a public statement, Peter attempts to pass the buck to Lois, but is unable to follow through and admits responsibility. He states his regret over humiliating his wife for the election and resigns from his post, boarding a helicopter in a parody of Richard Nixon's post-resignation departure from the White House.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Note

The Channel 5 newscast announcing Peter's victory begins with the title "Erection Day" in the upper left of the screen.

[edit] Cultural references

Peter blames one of his sexist remarks on The Six Million Dollar Man star Lee Majors, who happens to be standing in the hall of Buddy Cianci Jr. Junior High School. Majors plays himself. Later, a cutaway shows Peter starring in a low-budget version of The Six Million Dollar Man.
Mr. Fargas is a take-off on Mr. Vargas from the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
Peter gives Chris some magazines which he can 'peek' at instead of girls in real life. The magazines are called 'Playpen' which is a reference to both Playboy and Penthouse magazines.
Stewie sings a version of "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" from the musical My Fair Lady.
When trying to convince Meg that "winning without honor isn’t really winning at all," Lois tries to get the help of Fabrice "Milli" Morvan of 1990s musical duo Milli Vanilli, who happens to be in the Griffins’ kitchen. This is a reference to the infamous scandal revealing that the duo did not actually sing on their album.
Channel 5’s Monday Night Debate parodies ABC’s Monday Night Football.
During the song, Stewie flips through a photo album of his attempts at killing Lois. The last photo is a parody of the infamous shower scene in 1960 movie Psycho directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Peter's opening statement at the debate consists of excerpts from the theme songs of Diff'rent Strokes, One Day at a Time, and The Facts of Life. He concludes with "Sit, Ubu, sit. Good dog!" which is from the production credit for UBU Productions, Inc., the production company of executive producer Gary David Goldberg, who created Family Ties and Spin City, among others.
During the debate, Peter claims that he once "joined some underprivileged youths in saving a community center from being converted into a shopping mall". Lois reminds him that he is referring not to himself but Adolfo "Shabba-Doo" Quinones in the 1984 breakdancing film Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo.
Peter claims that Lois "freed Willie Horton" and "nailed Donna Rice." These are references to two scandals in the 1988 presidential election. Willie Horton is a convicted murderer, sentenced in Massachusetts, who escaped prison during a furlough visit home and assaulted a man and raped his fiancé. He was the subject of attack ads aimed at Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis, who was governor of Massachusetts at the time. Donna Rice was a model who had an affair with Colorado Senator Gary Hart, a revelation that ended his bid for the Democratic nomation.
Peter calls Asian reporter Tricia Takanawa "Connie", mistaking her for television journalist Connie Chung.
The "XL-K" hall pass enforcement robot is a take-off on the "ED-209" police robot from the film RoboCop.
In order to help Peter during the scandal, Quagmire hires Democratic political consultant James Carville, made famous during Bill Clinton’s 1992 United States presidential election. Peter can’t bear to look at his face, exclaiming "did somebody open the Ark of the Covenant?" a reference to the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark.
The scene in which Peter leaves the high school is a take-off of President Richard Nixon’s departure from the White House after his 1974 resignation.
The song "Vagina Junction" and the engineer are spinoffs of the song "Conjunction Junction" from School House Rock

[edit] References

S. Callaghan, "Running Mates." Family Guy: The Official Episode Guide Seasons 1-3. New York: HarperCollins, 2005. 78 - 80.
A. Delarte, "Nitpicking Family Guy: Season 2" in Bob's Poetry Magazine, 2.May 2005: 16 - 17 http://bobspoetry.com/Bobs02My.pdf