I have always been a fan of “Family Guy.” With its obvious punchlines, its references to recent occurrences, and its immature humor, the show has always been a great way to end a hard day. But anyone who caught an episode aired at the end of March, caught quite an eyeful – and an earful.

Stewie, the precocious, youngest child of the show, was starring in his preschool’s rendition of “Terri Schiavo: The Musical.” To call it hard to digest is an understatement.

“Family Guy” is a cartoon that has built its reputation, not to mention its staying power, on its indiscriminate humor policy.

“Family Guy” is inappropriately titled – as it is anything but ‘Rated G’ material.

The writers and producers of the show do not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, color, creed, disability or sexual orientation as they attempt to connect the world by humiliating everyone in it.

It’s unsurprising to find that the show’s raunchy humor doesn’t seem to bother anyone until it hits a little too close to home.

The Schiavo bit was a small segment of the episode aired Sunday, March 21. But somehow, even I could not get past it. It made me question myself – and my sense of humor. At what point do we draw the line between distasteful and out-of-control? This episode would definitely fall into the latter category.

Which hot-button topics, which celebrities, which problems are off limits?

The show has made fun of everything from sexual harassment, AIDS, marital problems and domestic abuse to alcoholism, violence and eating disorders.

Whatever your problem, you can bet the sitcom has made light of it. But at what point do we stop laughing and start acting?

The episode depicting Schiavo’s death while in a vegetative state is the tip of the iceberg. It was merely the culmination of an issue that has been ignored for so long.

We as a society have become desensitized to these things. They do not affect us with the same intensity as they used to.

We have watched these episodes of “Family Guy” and other shows like it for so long to the point that we are now unmoved by the scenes we see.

We will admit that the episode was distasteful, but we won’t put our remote controls down.

At some point we have to accept responsibility for the social shift we’re experiencing.

Episodes like these do not air for no reason. The producers and writers are simply feeding the desires of their audience.

As long as we keep tuning in, we are simply a part of the problem. When the demand ceases, so will the supply.

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