| "Prick Up Your Ears" | |||
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| Family Guy episode | |||
Lois starts teaching sex-ed. |
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| Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 6 |
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| Directed by | James Purdum | ||
| Written by | Cherry Chevapravatdumrong | ||
| Production code | 5ACX01 | ||
| Original air date | November 19, 2006 | ||
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| Episode chronology | |||
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| Family Guy (season 5) List of Family Guy episodes |
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"Prick Up Your Ears" is the sixth episode of season five of Family Guy. The episode was originally broadcast on November 19, 2006. In this episode Lois discovers that Chris’ school has removed the sex education program and decides to bring the class back by becoming the teacher. Unfortunately, she gets fired a short time later for teaching about safe sex rather than abstinence. Meanwhile, Stewie attempts to find and kill the tooth fairy after being told horror stories by Brian and Chris.[1]
The episode was written by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and directed by James Purdum. It received mixed reviews from critics for its storyline and many cultural references. According to Nielsen ratings, it was viewed in 9.3 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Drew Barrymore, Mindy Cohn, Gary Cole, Taylor Cole, Lauren Conrad, David Cross, Margaret Easley, Lauren Hooser, Kim Parks, Kevin Michael Richardson, André Sogliuzzo and Crawford Wilson, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series.
Contents |
As Lois finds Chris and his friends watching a pornographic film, she becomes convinced a proper sex-ed class should be taught at his school. Since the sex-ed class at her children's school was cancelled, Lois decides to become the school's newest sex-ed teacher. In class, she attempts to teach students about safe sex, but her efforts are ruined by a botched attempt of Peter, who wishes to distribute his views on sex as well. Soon after the first sex-ed class, parental protests arise as Lois taught children about safe ways to perform premarital sex, rather than abstinence. Lois is subsequently fired. She is replaced by a reverend who promotes both premarital and marital abstinence, explaining fictional consequences of intercourse with various questionable examples. The idea appeals to most students, including Meg, who starts a relationship with fellow student Doug. Peter, truly believing the anti-sex propaganda Meg brings home, starts wearing a chastity belt and refuses to have sex with Lois. In her place, Lois grows tired of the whole ordeal, forcefully convinces Peter to change his mind and collaborates with him into sneaking into the school, after being banned, and teaching children premarital sex is okay as long as practiced safe. Following this revelation, Meg's boyfriend breaks up with her after discovering Meg's naked appearance.
In a subplot, Stewie loses a tooth and is told about the tooth fairy. Frightened by the fairy tale, Stewie develops a plan to capture the fairy, unknowing she does not exist. He borrows Herbert's false teeth and provokes Brian's girlfriend Jillian to throw up, as she has bulimia nervosa, in order to collect her teeth as well. Brian, overseeing Stewie's increasing obsession with the fairy, reveals to Stewie that she does not exist, but another scene shows a man named T. Fairy, having an apparent tooth fetish, stealing teeth to roll around in them.
Many scenes from the original episode were seen as vulgar and were removed from the television broadcast. One of the scenes removed was from the beginning of the episode when Stewie, Chris, and his friends were watching Genital Hospital, a reference to the television show General Hospital. The original scene had included the doctor on the film undoing his zipper after discussing the patient’s health problems.[2] Another scene removed was one in which Lois forces Peter to have regular sex, as opposed to ear sex.[2] In this scene Peter refers to the Grimace as Ronald McDonald's autistic friend. This was later changed to retarded friend. A scene in which Brian informs Lois of the weird tasting Smuckers jelly in the fridge leads Peter to reveal that it had been on his genitals was also removed from the television broadcast.[2] In a scene added later to the episode, Mel Gibson apologizes to the Jewish community after being offensive while continuing to offend them. The scene was added after the episode had been made but prior to broadcasting. In the scene involving Stewie entering Herbert’s house, a picture of Chris Griffin with the body of a model is in the original episode but removed for the television broadcast.[3][4]
In addition to the regular cast, actress Drew Barrymore, actress Mindy Cohn, actor Gary Cole, actress Taylor Cole, actress Lauren Conrad, comedian David Cross, actress Margaret Easley, voice actress Lauren Hooser, voice actress Kim Parks, voice actor Kevin Michael Richardson, voice actor André Sogliuzzo and actor Crawford Wilson guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors Lori Alan, actress Alex Breckenridge, writer Steve Callaghan, voice actor Chris Cox, actor Ralph Garman, writer Danny Smith, writer Alec Sulkin and writer John Viener made minor appearances.
As Lois is informed the sex education classes will be terminated, she exclaims "Oh, no!", a cut-a-way scene then begins of a sports car driving along the road with music playing in the background, this is a reference to Knight Rider.[4] When Stewie is using his toys in order to capture and kill the tooth fairy, the toys are SpongeBob from SpongeBob SquarePants, Starscream (from The Transformers) and Man-E-Faces, all of which are fictional characters for television programs.[2] When Peter is watching television, he is watching Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County; the women shown on the episode are actually cartoon animations of the real actors for the show.[5] When Lois catches Chris and his friends watching a porn, he tells them that without sex education, they can easily become sexually confused. The scene cuts to Michael Jackson in his childhood form eating a bowl of Frosted Mini-Wheats, saying that he likes the frosted side, while the grownup in him likes his younger self. When Lois teaches a sex ed class, Peter uses a bust of William Shakespeare and a Rainbow Brite doll to demonstrate sexual intercourse.In the scence where Stewie loses a tooth, everybody comes in and tells him to calm down, then it shows a long line of characters, in reference to Airplane!.[6]
In a slight improvement over the previous week, the episode was viewed in 9.3 million homes in its original airing, according to Nielsen ratings. The episode also acquired a 3.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic, tying with The Simpsons, while still winning over American Dad!.[7]
Although the episode received little positive reception, it was given a positive review by IGN's Dan Iverson who noted that its plot had “great satire of the issue of sex education vs. abstinence.”[8] He also stated that “the random flashback jokes are often what are most memorable about each episode.”[8] He gave the episode a rating of 7.8 out of 10.[8] In his review of Family Guy, volume 5, Francis Rizzo III of DVD Talk called the episode "a smart jab at the conservative Christian approach to sex education," and stated that "the effect it has on Meg, as well as Peter, is great".[9]
| Preceded by Whistle While Your Wife Works |
Family Guy (season 5) | Succeeded by Chick Cancer |