'Family Guy' stirs controversy with 'Laura Bush killed a guy' catch phrase

[CatWoman]

Monday, December 8th 2008, 12:48 PM


The animated Fox show "Family Guy" is known for pushing the political envelope, but what was up with last night’s catch phrase, "Laura Bush killed a guy"?

Loyal fans love the show for its politically incorrect humor – it thrives on the "They did NOT just say that" variety of comedy.

But Sunday night’s episode left some viewers scratching their heads.

Lead cartoon characters Peter and Lois Griffin repeated the phrase "Laura Bush killed a guy" several times throughout the show with Peter was dressed as Mrs. Bush and Lois as a bleeding man crisscrossed with tire tracks for a costume party.

So where did they come up with that one?

Well, according to public police records, First Lady Laura Bush – then Laura Welch – was involved in a fatal car crash in Texas in 1963.

The report says 17-year-old Laura Welch ran a stop sign and was involved in a crash that killed a friend of hers in another car, the Associated Press reported.

"It was a very tragic accident that deeply affected the families and was very painful for all involved, including the community at large," said Mrs. Bush's spokesman, Andrew Malcolm told the Associated Press in 2000.

''To this day, Mrs. Bush remains unable to talk about it,'' he said.

The crash was reported on during President George W. Bush’s first run for the White House in 2000. According to the report, Mrs. Bush struck a sedan driven by 17-year-old Michael Douglas.

Rumors have swirled since the crash was first reported that Mrs. Bush may have been criminally negligent (i.e. that she may have been drinking) at the time of the crash, but no chargers were filed and no evidence of wrong-doing was recorded.

"Family Guy," created by Seth McFarlane, first went on the air in 1999. The show's leading dysfunctional family - the Griffins - live in a small Rhode Island town and among the celebrity voices behind the animated faces are Seth Green ("Austin Powers") and Mila Kunis ("That '70s Show"). The show has won three Emmy awards.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2008/12/08/2008-12-08_family_guy_stirs_controversy_with_laura_.html

[bbernardini]

1. Wow. That's some cutting-edge reporting right there.

There hasn't been a new episode since November 16. They're reporting on a rerun.

[rinsd]

6. Seriously and now that 1 right wing media outlet has picked up, others have as well.

Just another example of their herd mentality.

[Radical Activist]

34. And it wasn't the first episode they've done it in.

It's almost a running gag.

[TexasObserver]

2. clear night, nothing for miles to obscure her vision, she rammed her boyfriend's car

Accident or rage?

It has been said that she was mad about her boyfriend seeing some other girl, and proceeded to chase him down and ram his car.

She was 17, and one cannot believe she could live with a man like W without being sincerely evil.

[Greyskye]

8. I thought she T-boned the other car at an intersection when she ran a stop sign

Doesn't quite fit with the "chase him down and ram his car" scenario.

:shrug:

[TexasObserver]

22. it does if he's coming from someone else's house

Have you ever been to Midland? It's flat. And open. And you can see for miles.

[Berry Cool]

11. A lot of rumors have been spread, but by politically motivated people who hate her anyway.

There's no evidence to indicate that she was attempting any "revenge killing."

I mean, give me a break. We don't know that he was her "boyfriend" at all. She was also driving with a passenger. To believe she caused the accident on purpose is to believe that a) she knew before she saw him who was in the other car, b) she was willing to kill or injure herself to kill him, and c) she was willing to kill or injure her passenger, too.

That's a hell of a lot of evil to assume of a 17-year-old girl, don't you think?

I believe it's possible to live with an evil man without being sincerely evil. Ask any battered woman.

Laura Bush may be no angel, but these theories that she deliberately killed the guy are a lot of malarkey. Chances are she was just driving too damn fast and spending more time chatting with her friend than paying attention to the road, like a typical teenager. And it resulted in disaster that she could never undo, and she's felt the weight of the guilt ever since.

Who knows? Perhaps putting up with her husband is her form of penance, in her mind, for a debt she can't repay.

Ah, but no...it's so much more satisfying for those who hate her husband to picture her as a vicious teen avenging demon. :sarcasm:

I detest Bush as much as anyone else, but I'm not going to join the vilification party for this one. The joke was in poor taste--and I like Family Guy.

[TexasObserver]

21. Thanks for your opinion.

I'll treasure it always.

[madokie]

15. The same medication that allows her to live with herself all these years

also is why she can stand someone like w, is my guess

[Radical Activist]

35. I bet that movie "Death Proof" was based on Laura Bush.

That's my guess.

[Skip Intro]

3. Wasn't that a repeat?

I missed it last night, but that sounds really familiar. I'm sure it was already aired earlier. Why the controversy now?

Btw, the American Dad episode that followed did a great piece on the Iran-Contra scandal - calling it "technically high treason."

Sad such education has to come from animated cartoon series.

[nosillies]

5. Did he ever find the money?

I had to quit watching when he decided to dig under the house and only found Christmas decorations.

[Skip Intro]

9. ack - I didn't watch the whole thing either.

oh youtube...

[petronius]

27. Yeah, he found it. However, events conspired to take it away again... (nt)

[dysfunctional press]

19. i think they used it in another episode...

i don't remember the costume party stuff- but i do remember hearing peter say "laura bush killed a guy" in a previous episode.

[RoyGBiv]

23. Yes ...

Originally aired September 28, 2008

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

30. Yes, it was a repeat.

[PeaceNikki]

4. I snorted and LOL'd.

They said it 3 times in a row.

Peter was dressed up as Laura Bush and Lois was her victim. :rofl:

[baldguy]

7. Of course, Laura Bush *DID* kill a guy

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

10. That's right.

Laura Bush killed a guy.

[Swamp Rat]

12. HAHA!

[CatWoman]

17. SWAMPY!!!!

:hi:

:loveya:

[Swamp Rat]

20. CatWoman!

:hug: :loveya:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

13. video here

http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi2718892057

About 1:15 in.

[flvegan]

14. ...and boom goes the dynamite.

[Dangerously Amused]

16. And George Bush's girlfriend Robin Lowman "*killed a baby."

(*Had an abortion.)

And Georgie himself went on to kill tens of thousands... men, women, children, elderly and even - gasp!- unborn children! But that's okay, because his victims had the poor foresight to be born in a country with lots of oil terrorists.

[Canuckistanian]

18. What's to scratch your head about? She DID kill a guy.

Is this rocket science here?

Laura Welch was DEFINITELY driving a car that killed someone.

Is this a hard concept to grasp?

[Dukkha]

24. so I can now adopt the phrase

"Laura's car killed more people than my gun"

[Catherine Vincent]

25. It was an unfortunate accident.

And Ms. Laura Welch was lucky that she was white during those times because if she wasn't, she'd probably still be in prison.

[lonestarnot]

26. Controversy.... hmmmmf all those bushitlers are killers of some sort, where's the controversy?

[NightWatcher]

28. Laura Bush's car has killed more people than my gun

I want that on a bumpersticker. Ok well maybe not anymore since the Bushes are going away NEXT MONTH.

[MilesColtrane]

29. Giggety

[Tutonic]

31. Newspaper accounts from when the crash occurred suggest that

Laura was punch drunk and possibly drugged up. Yeah its probably painful for her to discuss but waht about the dead man's family? The Religious Nuts have no problem screaming about Teddy Kennedy and Mary Jo Kopechne--maybe theyoughta stop living in those glass houses.

[Rebubula]

38. Which Newspapers?

I have never seen any report that implies her being drunk\stoned. Can you link to a source, please.

Not calling you out...just curious.

Thanks

[Prophet 451]

32. What's controversial? She did.

Laura Bush was involved in an auto accident as a teenager that left someone dead. That's not controversy, that's easily verifiable fact. And if the Rethugs don't like it, they should stop bring up Chappaquidick every five minutes.

[ContinentalOp]

33. Wow, I'm so glad this is finally coming out a month before he's out of office!

:eyes:

Can you imagine if Michelle Obama had done this?

[Truth Teller]

36. Running a STOP sign and killing a person isn't a crime?

Really now.

[JCMach1]

37. The rumor in Midland was that alcohol and chronic

do not mix on busy Texas roads.