In the world of adult cartoons, few shows have had the same impact as Family Guy. This less-than-typical family is outrageous and funny to the extreme. The show has been going strong since 1999, and clocks in on over 300 episodes, with no signs of slowing down. Of course, fans everywhere couldn’t be happier about this, and there’s a big chance Family Guy will keep us laughing for many years to come. There are a lot of factors that contribute to the series’ popularity, but one of the biggest ones is, undoubtedly, the eccentric character of Stewie Griffin.
Lois and Peter’s baby is not like anything we’ve seen before - his dark sense of humor paired with his over-the-top intelligence and vocabulary make for some golden comedy that’s hard to come by in any other context. His storylines keep everyone glued to the TV screen and are always bound to provide us with quality time. There’s a lot we’ve already learned about Stewie throughout the years, but there are also some curious things that not everyone is aware of.
He’s Into Humiliation
Everybody knows that Stewie is… a little precocious. It’s hard to find a one-year-old who speaks or carries himself the way the youngest Griffin does, let alone one who is into the great majority of things Stewie seems to be so keen on. One of the things that may surprise fans is how much he is into humiliation - and we’re not talking about humiliating Peter or Lois!
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Contrary to what happens with other children, Stewie has already shown several signs of enjoying being spanked and degraded. There was one particular episode where we realize just how much he likes it after his mom punishes him. A bit strange to say the least, but hey, it’s Stewie after all!
His Accent Isn’t Real
One of the most characteristic traits of Stewie is his British accent. This is actually something that makes the character even more interesting (along with his absurd intelligence and outright evil proclivities), further setting him apart from the rest of his family. However, it was recently revealed that the accent we all grew to immediately associate with Stewie isn’t real after all.
In a much-awaited (and very necessary) move, Stewie saw a psychologist. This was a breakthrough moment for the character where quite a bit of information was revealed, including this interesting attention-grabbing move. Apparently, the choice to fake his accent stems from Stewie’s deep need to stand out from everyone else, in yet another way.
He Went To First Base…With Lois
Stewie is arguably one of the most intelligent characters on TV, and this is obvious to anyone who’s ever watched the show. His ability to build amazing machines has been shown many times on Family Guy, especially his time machine. This handy little tool has been a major factor in many story arcs, including one that ends with a less-than-wholesome twist.
In one of his time-traveling adventures, Stewie ends up falling head over heels for a cute girl he sees. Unable to control himself, he kisses her right then and there, straight on the lips…only to find out moments later that she was none other than his mom, Lois, when she was a toddler.
He Has A Fluid Sexuality
Over the years, there’s been tons of speculation surrounding Stewie’s sexuality. Many fans believed him to be gay, and one of the expectations surrounding his appointment with the child psychologist was that he was going to finally come out. However, this did not happen, but it’s easy to get a sense of Stewie’s sexual preferences throughout the show.
He’s been interested in girls and boys alike, even going as far as imagining his stuffed animal Rupert as a buff man on more than one occasion. It’s now pretty much canon that everyone’s favorite evil baby is very fluid when it comes to sexuality, not defining himself as either gay or straight.
There Used To Be A Joker Nod
In the world of TV, it’s fairly common that a show has more than one pilot recorded. Eventually, only the best one gets to air (and hopefully get picked up for more episodes). This was exactly the case with Family Guy - creator Seth McFarlane made one of the pilot versions all by himself in an extremely short timeframe, with a low budget.
In this version, while the characters look pretty much the same, there are a few key differences that tell a lot about the characters’ personalities and their roles on the show. Stewie’s clothes, for instance, were a nod to one of the greatest villains of all time, the Joker himself. Dressed up in green and purple, the baby’s evil tendencies and malevolent nature would be even more evident that they are right now.
Intelligence Runs In The Family
While absolutely no other family member even comes close to sharing Stewie’s intelligence, his smart nature isn’t just a happy coincidence. It has more to do with genes than you might think. Looking at Peter, it’s hard to believe Stewie has anyone to thank for his outstanding brain, but it turns out that he does!
Apparently, on Lois’ side, Stewie is related to one of the most brilliant human beings who ever lived - Leonardo Da Vinci himself. Stewie finds out about his lineage during yet another time-traveling adventure. Considering Da Vinci’s inclination towards building incredible machines that were way ahead of his time, this connection isn’t that far fetched.
He’s Not 100% Original
There’s hardly any other character on TV that resembles Stewie, even in the crazy world of adult cartoons. This is precisely one of the main reasons people feel so attached to the show. Of course, it takes an incredible amount of creativity to put together a show like Family Guy, with such an interesting and funny array of characters.
However, there is a possibility that Stewie isn’t as original as we think he is. Looking back at the 1995 comic strip Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth, flashbacks of the main character’s life when he was an infant are suspiciously similar to Stewie himself (all the way from psychological traits to physical appearance). Jimmy might have been nothing more than a source of inspiration to Seth McFarlane, but the truth is, the resemblance is more than obvious.
Not Everything Is Lois Hate
One of the main drivers of the show –and a constant source of storylines– is Stewie’s hatred for the woman who bore him. He goes to sleep thinking about killing Lois, dreams about killing Lois and wakes up thinking about killing Lois. For some reason, it’s written well enough that fans find it equally amusing and disturbing, and the show wouldn’t be the same without it.
However, there have been moments where Stewie has shown genuine love and affection for his mother. While these moments were incredibly rare and most people probably don’t even remember them in the first place, they were definitely there. So, yes, while Stewie thinks about killing his mother an unhealthy amount of times, there’s also some room for love there, which makes the character arguably more interesting.
The Head Case
When we think Stewie, we think football head. It’s impossible not to, because in terms of physical traits, this has to be the one that undeniably screams Stewie. Picturing the Griffin baby with any other kind of head shape just doesn’t’ feel right at this point, and fans would probably riot if it just so happened to change.
It probably comes as a surprise, then, to learn that there was a time when Stewie had a normally-shaped head for a baby. In a flashback episode, we see Stewie with his original head, jumping on his parents’ bed (and a very distracted Brian who was supposed to be watching him). The whole thing ends up with Stewie hitting his head on the ceiling and getting the football for a head we all know and love - and probably some brain damage that explains quite a bit.
He Has Redeeming Qualities
People are attracted to the character of Stewie mostly because of his evil traits and overall hateful personality. All these things work because they come in a tiny baby package, which makes the show ten times funnier than it would be otherwise.
However, like any other character that is considered interesting, Stewie also has some complexity.As his occasional moments of love for Lois show, he also has redeeming qualities and is capable of something besides hate and wickedness. A great example of this will always be his bond with Brian, which shows us a side of Stewie we were not expecting to see.
