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I know that I'm probably not the ONLY person who watch's "American Dad" from time to time. It's a curious show, I can't say I love it or hate it, it's a kind of love/hate relationship for me lol. It's an alright show, either way recently I saw an episode named "Stanny Boy and Frantastic".

The basic summary of this show is:

Stan and Francine realize that their in a bit of a rut. To break free, they try to find a couple to befriend and hang out with. They end up getting tickets to some weird variation of Cirque du Soleil (aptly named Moon Frye). There are 4 tickets and most of their neighbors hate them, they attempt to find friends in a couple of ways but end up selling the extra 2 tickets to another couple, Tom and Cammy.

They hit it off beautifully, after the show they attend dinner. Tom and Cammy talk about how happy they are they found Stan and Fran. They mention the last couple they met was old, and unable to participate in various activities. Cammy mentions she's about to hit her 30th birthday, and says she's "freaking out". Tom chimes in and says "You know what would make us feel old? Kids". To this Cammy covers her ears and says "Jynx I can't hear you!". To which Tom explains that they use double birth control Spermicide and condoms, and mentions they don't want kids for a "LONG" time.

As the episode continues it's made obvious that Tom and Cammy are nothing short of alcoholic. Seriously! During the Cirque du Soleil show they sneak in Margaritas, afterward they go to a restaurant where they consume undetermined bottles of wine. The next morning they call Stan and Fran and mention their plans for the day, rock climbing. To which Stan and Fran still hungover try to wiggle out, Cammy then offers to come in while they get ready and make Mimosa's. After rock climbing, they hit a bar. The next day (or so we assume) they do some "Free running" and afterward go out to eat, where they drink more alcohol. They are never shown eating food, but offer to race Stan and Fran to the "bar".

Well Stan and Francine are wore out by it all, and unable to keep up with a couple of Child-free trail blazers. They decide they need to "give the gift of life" to slow Tom and Cammy down. They sneak into Tom and Cammy's home, put holes in the condoms and replace the spermicide with marshmallow fluff. Francine mentions abortion, and Stan says "Oh they won't abort it" and Francine wonders how Stan can be so sure, so Stan looks at the camera and says "Because their just that awesome"

The next time we see the four together Tom mentions they have news. Francine screams "congradulations" prematurely, which makes Tom wonder why. She covers and he says "It's early but we're pregnant". To this Cammy says "You must've put the condom on wrong or something" Tom retaliates with "Well you clearly didn't use your spermicide!" and she said "It must've turned back, Oh, there were so many ants!" and she storms out.

Tom follows and the two argue outside, and break up. Fran and Stan feel awful. They agree it has to be fixed, a second later Stan is seeing coming out of their hallway with a wire coat hanger, while Francine was getting out the Vaccume cleaner (hose detached). Stan says "Seems we had the same idea" Francine then enlightens him saying she plans to clean the house. They then come into another 2 pairs of tickets to "Cirque du hey HEY hey". In hopes of getting the two back together for selfish reason they end up inviting the two to the show.

When Tom and Cammy see one another they are obviously still at ends. They are about to leave when Fran jumps up and says "Having a kid doesn't ruin your life, it makes it better!" Cammy, suspicious wonders how she knows and Francine admits finally (after denying having kids) that she has 2. Cammy is outraged that they lied but Stan jumps in and says that "Kids are great, even if it means having to slow down" but Fran slips and says "You'll be thankful we broke into your house and sabotaged your birth control!". To which Tom and Cammy, united in their disgust for Stan and Fran's twisted ways, get back together and leave in anger. Fran and Stan decide to go back to being boring and uninteresting.

It is never mention whether they decided to keep the kid, but the way they acted it was clear they probably didn't. Though there are many child-free (implied or otherwise) people/couples in American Dad this was the first time that the subject was the main focus of the episode.

While watching I was in a way happy to see a child-free couple by choice appear. On the same note, I was curious if the general opinion of Child-free people was that we were all alcoholic extremist who live life in the fast line with no ability to slow down (or "grow up"). I didn't know whether to applaud the efforts of the creators or be offended. I still don't know and I've seen the episode several times.

It may be the creators were attempting to show that being child-free can be a choice between two perfectly healthy and sound adults. That you don't need a kid to be happy and sometimes it can have the very opposite effect. I really don't know, but I like to believe in their own way they were trying to do us in the child-free community a service. Attempting to dispel the notion that we're lonely and unhappy without kids there to color our lives. That we're somehow house bound souls who don't know how to enjoy life because kids aren't there to annoy us every second of the day.

They also touched on a particularly interesting subject we've all witnessed first hand. How parents make children the center of their world and when the child is old enough to move on, they feel almost lost. Like they have to rebuild the part of their life they had stored away for so long it'd rotted at the core. They have to build a new social life, new habits, and adjust to the fact that their kids are grown and their life no longer has to revolve around them. This is seen when Fran and Stan realize their telling each other the same story over and over again (the rut i mentioned before).

So maybe they were comparing the two lives in a way to show that child-free people aren't the lonely souls society has painted us to be. Maybe they really were trying to give us something good in the almost sordid gloom of stereotypes.

What do you think?

If you want to watch the episode, you can find it on Hulu(dot)com. Where it is legitimate, and isn't considered piracy.

Alright, first of all. I knew I wasn't crazy for hiding my condoms and using single serve spermicide! lol. That sounds like a very odd scenario. In one sense, I'm glad that a child-free couple were featured. That does not change, however, the fact that they were portrayed as alcoholic party animals whose decision was undermined in a most heartless way by people who were supposed to be their friends.

Once a friend of my mom's said to me in reference to my not wanting kids: "You will grow up, get over the partying, and realize it's not all about you!" Funny because I've had one alcoholic beverage in the past two years, and don't use drugs, or go to bars or clubs...

I'm sure SOMEONE uses spermicide, but I've never used it - I've always pretty much considered it to be too much of a hassle, and too much of a chance - as a birth control method, it's one of the least reliable. I'll admit that I'll drink from time to time - unfortunately, it's one of my "indicators" that I need to start taking my pain pills again. I very rarely drink for fun, and I very rarely get drunk. These people were definitely portrayed as alcoholics - and quite reckless. Since most of the CF people I know WORK FOR A LIVING, I wouldn't think that they would have multiple days off in a row to do the reckless sorts of things that the couple in the episode was doing. Perhaps they were on vacation. IDK.

Maybe it's a global conspiracy that all governments have to show through all types of media, that the child free life is BAD, and all those BAD women who choose NOT to have kids, are off their head, crazy alcoholics,.....Haa, HEE, HEE, Haa, ( evil laugh, fades to black for the commercial. )

I saw it when it aired. I took it as Francine and Stan were envious of the CFC couple and lied to be "cool" like they were. When they realized they couldn't keep up, they decided to "ruin" Tom and Cammy's lives like their lives were ruined...but, reading your post, I definitely see it your way...the CFC couple did seem very immature and very boozy.

Swearbear, yeah at first I though Fran and Stan were just envious of the CF lifestyle myself. As I kept watching the episode (mostly out of boredom) I realized a lot of other things as well.

Like the booze, the immaturity, the extreme sports, and the constant nagging feeling as if they were filling a "void" left where children should be.

The reason I mentioned this is I watched it (yet again) and saw it all in a different light. It's easy to mistake all the boozing and extreme sports a way to fill some kinda of void in their life. It's like how people sometimes head for some kind of sweet (usually chocolate) when their feeling bad, to replace what ever is missing in their life (Hypothetically speaking).

I've noticed this a lot in the media...even birth control ads always emphasize "if you change your mind, our product will still let you have perfect babies..once you're ready...babies can wait, but, we're safe if you change your mind.." like I'm abnormal for taking my pill until the big change happens. We were watching King of Queens tonight, and, when asked why she didn't have children, Carrie said "I'm just focusing on my career" to which was said "you're telling me fetching coffee is more important than loving a life growing inside of you?" eesh, gimme a break! Anyways, *steps off soapbox* my original point was, yes, we CF'ers are portrayed a lot in the media as indecisive, immature alcoholics looking to fill a perceived emptiness.

I always notice that in birth control ads! I'm sure people do choose to have more kids all of the time, but does it need to be the only option presented???

I think we need a better birth control ad, something like "have you decided to be child-free? Can't afford the operation? THEN TAKE THIS! For the child-free by choice!" I'd buy it =D
but there again I don't take birth control to not get pregnant, lovely side effect, I take it to regulate my monthly lol. Still that'd be an awesome ad.

It seems that they are trying to get the point across that people in general can't control their own actions - therefore it takes parenthood to "sober" you to the realities of life. I strongly detest this idea. We as people are intelligent beings (not animals) who are capable of self-control and making decisions that contribute to our own happiness. This is particularly true with the childfree. Instead of following the "biological instinct" to have a child (as most women brag that 'every woman has'), we know that we want interests in our lives that do not involve having kids, which is an intelligent decision.

I don't drink, and I ride a very conservative road in life, so I particularly hate this sterotype.