"Family Guy" never shies away from poking fun at notable personalities. While jokes about politicians and pop stars are easily recognizable, Season 21's "Old West" episode featured a reference that left some viewers scratching their heads.
In this episode, Peter Griffin mentions how they messed up like David Geffen. The scene quickly cuts to a picture of Geffen, prompting Joe to wonder about the connection. Peter reveals that Geffen paid the showrunners a whopping $10 million to avoid being ridiculed. This joke resurfaces at the episode's end, with Peter teasing viewers to tune in next week to "David Geffen's Family Guy."
But who exactly is David Geffen, and why is he on "Family Guy"? In essence, he is an immensely wealthy individual with a long-standing career in the entertainment industry. He founded Asylum Records in 1971, which went on to sign legendary artists like The Eagles and Bob Dylan. Additionally, he established Geffen Records and DreamWorks, amassing a net worth of a staggering $10 billion. The "Family Guy" joke cleverly highlights Geffen's wealth, emphasizing that he could easily avoid any criticism by using his vast resources. Fans who recognized Geffen appreciated the meta-joke for its brilliance.
Fans Applaud the David Geffen Jokes
Understanding the "Family Guy" joke doesn't require an in-depth knowledge of David Geffen's life story. The humor stems from the portrayal of an extraordinarily wealthy individual who can manipulate situations due to their riches. While some social media users expressed confusion about Geffen's reference, those familiar with him thoroughly enjoyed the humor.
After the episode aired, numerous fans took to Twitter to express their delight in understanding the reference. One Twitter user, @MrAlvinSane, commented, "David Geffen burn was TOO SAVAGE. Dude is rich and powerful enough to buy his way out of a lot of things, including an FG roasting apparently." The episode concludes with the Griffin family in the aptly named "David Geffen Living Room," a moment that amused @ShoryukenF, who tweeted, "The David Geffen Living Room?! lol."
"Family Guy" has a history of delivering sharp burns towards celebrities over the years, even mocking its own cast and other shows like "Robot Chicken." However, David Geffen emerged relatively unscathed with his reference on the show, introducing more people to this multibillionaire's identity.