Brian Griffin

File:Brian-griffin.png

Brian Griffin

Brian Griffin is a cartoon character on the TV show Family Guy voiced by the show's creator, Seth MacFarlane.

'Brian' is the Griffin family dog. He exhibits some typical dog behaviors like eating garbage, licking himself, and leaving dead birds on the porch. Yet unlike other dogs, he can speak intelligently, walk on two feet, and has a sharp wit. He also has a cultured background and can sing as all four members of a barbershop quartet -- simultaneously. Peter Griffin is his best friend, though Brian sometimes wonders why. Brian has some issues which have led him to see a psychiatrist, and he is also a borderline alcoholic. He has publicly denied that he is a racist despite his tendency to bark viciously when he is in the presence of a black person. Brian blames his father Coco for this trait because his father is from a different generation.

Note: Brian's name is technically Brian Griffin only because he is a member of the Griffin Family. His real name is just Brian.

In the Family Guy universe, dogs seem to fall into two classes: the first include talking, human-like creatures, like Brian and his cousin Jasper, and the second are non-intelligent, more realistic dogs, such as Brian's girlfriend in the episode "Screwed the Pooch". The former class also interacts with humans as if they themselves were humans; in the episode "Brian Wallows & Peter's Swallows", Brian has a semi-romantic relationship with a human woman named Pearl Burton. Brian also had romantic feelings for Peter's wife Lois, seen in the episode "Brian In Love", but Lois just wanted to be friends when Brian told her about his feelings for her. He also made a pass at Meg once while drunk. He also had a brief fling with a hooker during his cocaine addict days.

Brian was born on a farm in Austin, Texas, in a litter of about eight puppies. He soon was taken away from his mother ("Biscuit"), and spent some time as a homeless stray — washing car windshields for change. Eventually he met Peter Griffin, who offered him a home. When Brian returned to Austin with Stewie Griffin years later to find his mother, he found Biscuit stuffed and serving as a table for the farmers. He absconded with her body to give it a proper burial.

Brian attended Brown University, loves opera, and speaks French and a little Spanish. He briefly worked as a police dog, searching for drugs at the airport, but became addicted to coke. Brian later worked as a waiter while trying to be a screenwriter in Hollywood; he ended up directing several award-winning porn movies. He seems to have liberal political leanings, due to his criticism of then-Presidential candidate George W. Bush in his musical number "You've Got a Lot to See"; Brian was shown reading Michael Moore's book Dude, Where's My Country? in one episode, and also displayed a "KUCINICH '04" bumper sticker on his car, which is believed to be a Toyota Prius. Also, in the episode "Don't Make Me Over", Brian says that he votes Democrat.

Brian (or Mr. Griffin) was briefly Chris' English teacher. He loved the job, but was later replaced and had to teach remedial English. While giving up on his class, comprised of urban youth and pregnant teenagers (in a parody of Stand and Deliver ), Brian accidentally encouraged them to become ditch-diggers, hotel maids and prostitutes, which led to a parody of Dead Poets Society.

Brian often serves as the voice of reason for the Griffin family or a neutral party during family feuds.

Brian: Portrait of a Dog

Brian's character is perhaps the deepest of the cast members of Family Guy. He is essentially a cultured, underchallenged intellectual, possessing knowledge in many sciences. However, he lacks the social skills necessary to interact with most people whom he considers "beneath him". He often uses alcohol as an escape from his problems. This creates an interesting personal conflict within Brian -- he is both learned and wild. Indeed, this problem surfaces in many areas of his life. In the episode "Screwed the Pooch", he becomes helpless to control his sex drive. In "The Thin White Line" he battles a cocaine addiction. All of these serve to illustrate the inner conflict that drives Brian's issues: the struggle between man's mind and his nature (perhaps exemplified even more since he is a dog, not human).

This is by no means, however, his only problem. Brian also suffers the humiliation of being treated as a second-class citizen because of his species. This issue is tackled head-on in the episode "Brian: Portrait of a Dog". After refusing to degrade himself to begging for a treat at a dog show, he temporarily leaves the family due to the strife it brought within the household (Peter was counting on winning the show to use the prize money to buy an air conditioner). However, he finds that life outside the Griffin home is not easy for a dog. He is turned down at a restaurant, and is subsequently thrown in jail for drinking at a drinking fountain. While this is almost certainly an allusion to the "white only" drinking fountains commonplace before the civil rights movement, it is also social commentary on the prevalence of deep-seated prejudices still present in today's culture.

Peter expresses surprise in one episode at Brian's sentience; in another episode, he fails to understand Brian's plain speech but comprehends when Brian begins barking.

Quotes

• Stewie: Look where my hand is! I say, look where my hand is. It's in a very dirty place. Doesn't that disgust you?
  Brian: Kid, you're talking to a guy who uses his tongue for toilet paper.
• Brian: Hey, barkeep, whose leg do you have to hump to get a dry martini around here?
• Chris: I don't have to listen to you. You're a dog. You don't have a soul!
  Brian: Ouch. That was cold.
• Stewie: Brian, wait!
  {Brian lowers taxi window as Stewie approaches. Stewie spits in Brian's face.}
  Brian: Airport, please.
• Brian: (imitating Stewie) "I'm a pompous little anti-Christ who will probably abandon my plans for world domination when I fall in love with a rough trick named Jim."