Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane has revealed the origins of one of the show’s most famous gags, which has since become a viral meme.
The long-running animated sitcom, which began in 1999 and will start its 23rd season in February, has a history of controversial jokes and rarely holds back when choosing to mock certain celebrities.
However, a harmless joke from the season four episode “The Griffin Family History,” has captured the public’s imagination and become a meme, with the phrase “It insists upon itself” entering the popular online lexicon.
In the scene, the Griffin family are trapped in a room that is filling up with water. Fearing the end is nigh, Peter decides to share a secret with his loved ones, admitting that he “doesn’t care” for the classic movie, The Godfather.
His aghast family then ask Peter why he disliked the film, often perceived as one of the best movies ever made. After a back and forth, Peter says “It insists upon itself”.
He then goes on to explain: “It takes forever getting in, and then you spend like six and a half hours, and then… You know, I can’t even get through it. I can’t even finish the movie. I’ve never seen the ending.”
MacFarlane, 51, has now shared the inspiration for the scene. Sharing the clip on X/Twitter, he wrote: “Since this has been trending, here’s a fun fact: ‘It insists upon itself’ was a criticism my college film history professor used to explain why he didn’t think The Sound of Music was a great film. First-rate teacher, but I never quite followed that one.”
Since this has been trending, here’s a fun fact: “It insists upon itself” was a criticism my college film history professor used to explain why he didn’t think “The Sound of Music” was a great film. First-rate teacher, but I never quite followed that one. pic.twitter.com/v7Yo4eHa93
— Seth MacFarlane (@SethMacFarlane) January 21, 2025
MacFarlane’s own confession has since gone viral. One person joked: “We really got the ‘it insists upon itself’ joke lore before GTA 6.”
A second said: “Imagine having your bad on-the-spot argument immortalised like this.”
Another person added: “That’s history right there, you understand?”
However, one person had to ask: “How can you be a film professor and not like the Sound of Music?”
The spread of the “It insists upon itself” meme began in 2020 and is often used by people to express their own aversion to something that others have embraced.
