Even 2D animation TV franchises have to keep up with technology, as this past Sunday’s Family Guy proved when it inserted big mentions of Amazon drones and even the future of TV.
The episode, in which Lois Griffin is forced to work with Cleveland at the post office, takes a moment to envision a world in which U.S. mail carriers compete with Amazon Prime Air drones.
Image: Fox
Of course, Amazon’s drones won’t be equipped with the ability to insult human letter carriers like the one on the show, but the appearance of the device is just another sign that drones delivering packages is something the mainstream is already being prepped for.
The other tech note in the show was a major shout out to one of the biggest (and most beloved, present company included) YouTube stars, Jenna Marbles. While formulating a plot to impress his wealthy friend, Stewie rattles off a few people living the good life.
“I’ll just become a YouTube star, like Jenna Marbles,” Stewie says. “Who’s that?” Brian the dog replies. “I don’t know, but she’s rich.”
And then, to emphasize the point of YouTube stars transcending TV, Stewie points to the ever-present Fox logo on the bottom of the screen saying, “This? This is over.”
Pop culture commentary is nothing new to Family Guy. But when show creator Seth MacFarlane starts name-checking real prototype drones and predicting the demise of his own television network in the face of Internet TV, it’s clear that we can stop pretending that tech is just for so-called “geeks.” Tech has reached peak mainstream.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
