Family Guy Boston Marathon Episode: Fox Pulls Show After Edited Clip Circulates

Culture

Following the Boston Marathon bombing a number of conspiracy theories were circulated. One of them included the popular TV show "Family Guy". The theory claims that the episode in question correctly predicted the bombing a month before it happened. Fox has since pulled the episode from Hulu and its websites and has no plans on rebroadcasting it. Did this "Family Guy" episode actually predict the Boston bombing? No. 

The episode entitled “Turban Cowboys”—which aired on March 17—depicts the protagonist Peter Griffin mowing down runners at the Boston Marathon with his car. Peter later becomes friends with a terrorist who is planning to blow up a bridge—none of which is known to Peter at the time. Peter’s friend in the episode gave him a cell phone number to call, and when Peter dials the number a series of explosions goes off followed by screaming. That part of the episode is decidedly missing from the clip currently being circulated on the web. 

Someone spliced the marathon scene and the bombing scene together to make it appear as if the Boston Marathon was bombed. This edited version has been used by some to say that the show accurately predicted the bombing. The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the theory was first peddled by famed conspiracy-theorizing talk show host Alex Jones on his website InfoWars.com. The clip has since been removed from You Tube. The spliced version enraged McFarlane who expressed his anger on Twitter Tuesday. 

A spokesperson for Fox claims that the decision to take down the episode had nothing to do with the clip controversy saying, “Fox and other broadcasters regularly [take actions like this] when fictional stories inadvertently conflict with tragic real-life events.”

Conspiracy theory number 5300 destroyed. You may now return to your regularly scheduled programming.