Seth MacFarlane has created a tapestry of animated TV shows that many of us have grown up with. Series like Family Guy and American Dad! have ingrained themselves into pop culture in undeniable ways. And given their long-running nature — Family Guy alone has aired more than 400 episodes — it’s inevitable that not every episode would strike gold.
Over the years, MacFarlane has faced all manner of criticism for his shows. Yet, ironically, the critique most associated with him came from his own character, Peter Griffin, who famously said he doesn’t like The Godfather because “it insists upon itself.”
The now-iconic line appears in a season 4 episode titled The Griffin Family History. In this bottle episode, the Griffins lock themselves in a panic room to hide from burglars. To pass the time, Peter recounts the family’s history to a largely disinterested audience — his own family. The episode proceeds to parody common tropes in classic films, and critics at the time called it as cliched as the films it mocked. But the jab at The Godfather, saved for the very end, somehow took on a life of its own, lodging itself firmly in the public consciousness since its 2006 airing.
For years, the line floated around the internet. Some fans recognized that MacFarlane had Peter, the “village idiot,” deliver the critique as a deliberate joke. They understood that describing a film as “insisting upon itself” is an intentionally opaque critique that doesn’t hold much water. Others, however, took the line at face value, using it as a reaction meme or even applying it as valid criticism to other films like one of Martin Scorsese’s best movies, The Departed. The varying interpretations kept the line alive — and eventually led MacFarlane himself to step in and explain its true origins.
As it turns out, the critique didn’t originate with The Godfather but rather Julie Andrews’ iconic The Sound of Music. MacFarlane revealed that the phrase was something his history professor once said about the beloved classic. In cinema, certain films are universally deemed untouchable classics by enthusiasts and scholars alike.
But, as MacFarlane alluded to, not every classic resonates with everyone. Whether it’s Lawrence of Arabia or Raging Bull, there’s always the possibility that a celebrated masterpiece simply doesn’t align with an individual’s tastes. And sometimes, admitting to disliking a “classic” invites that dreaded follow-up question: “Why?”
Here’s the thing: some films do try too hard to fit into a specific artistic mold. We’ve all seen those Oscar-bait movies that aim to spotlight human tragedy, featuring a lead actor who screams too much and some overblown behind-the-scenes stories about method acting come-and-go every year. Technically, one could argue these films “insist upon themselves.” But applying that critique to a film as enduring as The Godfather feels misguided — something even MacFarlane himself seemed to imply when he weighed in.
It’s perfectly fine to dislike a classic; that’s part of what makes cinema culture dynamic and ever-evolving. But if you’re going to call a movie overrated, it’s far more engaging to log onto Letterboxd and explain why it specifically didn’t work for you — whether it’s the acting that didn’t land, or whether you simply found parts of the film boring. Whatever your reasoning, a personal and thoughtful critique will always be more compelling than relying on a vague, smart-sounding phrase. That’s how meaningful discussions are sparked. And for the record? No — The Godfather does not insist upon itself.
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