How is Family Guy a threat to the Bolivarian Revolution?

Venezuela banned an airing of Family Guy last week after Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami took offense to one episode in which the family dog, Brian, leads a movement to legalize marijuana. (Whole episode here.) Stations that still air canine-cannabis propaganda will be fined, according to El Aissami. Hugo Chávez’s government doesn’t have much of ...

580382_090928_familyguy12.jpg
580382_090928_familyguy12.jpg

Venezuela banned an airing of Family Guy last week after Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami took offense to one episode in which the family dog, Brian, leads a movement to legalize marijuana. (Whole episode here.)

Stations that still air canine-cannabis propaganda will be fined, according to El Aissami. Hugo Chávez’s government doesn’t have much of a taste for U.S. cartoons. Last year The Simpsons was also deemed unsuitable.

“The government considers it to be a series that isn’t appropriate for that time [11 am] because it isn’t appropriate for children,” said Elba Guillen a spokeswoman for the privately-owned Venezuelan station Televen.

The station avoided getting fined for airing The Simpsons by replacing it with a much more family-friendly show.

Mark Davis/Getty Images

Bobby Pierce is an editorial researcher at Foreign Policy.

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