Outraged 'Family Guy' Fans Start Petition Over Character Death

Credit: FOX

South Park could kill a little boy like Kenny McCormick repeatedly over the course of sixteen years without America batting an eyelash, but we Yanks can't abide the killing of a dog, apparently.

The death of Brian Griffin on Sunday night's episode of Family Guy was met with near-universal outrage among fans of the series. For many, it was bad enough the character was killed, but it was even worse to see him replaced in the same episode by a new talking dog named Vinny (voiced by Tony Sirico). And now, the outrage surrounding Brian's death has found its next logical point of action: one viewer from Alabama has launched a Change.org petition demanding the writers revive the character: “Brian Griffin was an important part of our viewing experience. He added a witty and sophisticated element to the show. Family Guy and Fox Broadcasting will lose viewers if Brian Griffin is not brought back to the show.”

The petition has 49,483 signatures so far. (You can add yours here)

Granted, it's almost impossible to imagine Brian will stay dead, with or without this petition. For one, Vinny is only signed on for six episodes, while a Brian-centric episode is planned for fall 2014 with guest stars Maya Rudolph and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Glenn Howerton.

Regardless, the existence of the petition presents the question of whether this ratings stunt will boost sagging viewership, or if it will be the straw that broke the camel's back for many longtime viewers. What do you think?

Via: Entertainment Weekly