Glenn Quagmire is a character on the
animated series Family GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television sitcom, created by Seth MacFarlane, for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family which consists of Peter, Lois, Meg, Chris, Stewie, and their pet dog Brian...
, best known for his
hypersexualitySexual addiction refers to a phenomenon in which individuals report being unable to manage their sexual behavior. It has also been called "sexual dependency," and "sexual compulsivity." The existence of the condition is not universally accepted by sexologists and its etiology, nature, and...
.
Creator and
voice actorVoice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called voice actors,...
Seth MacFarlaneSeth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, composer, writer, producer, actor, singer, comedian, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the characters...
describes Quagmire as "An appalling human being who is still caught in the
rat-packThe Rat Pack was a group of popular entertainers originally centered on Humphrey Bogart. In the mid-1960s it was the name used by the press and the general public to refer to a group that called itself "the summit" or "the clan," featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter...
era" based on
anachronisticAn anachronism—from the Greek ανά and χρόνος —is an error in chronology, especially a chronological misplacing of persons, events, objects, or customs in regard to each other...
1950s party animal
clichéA cliché , is a saying, expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, rendering it a stereotype, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel...
s. His neighbor and friend
Peter GriffinPeter Löwenbräu Griffin is a fictional character, and the protagonist of the FOX animated comedy series Family Guy. Peter is the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is married to Lois, and is the father of Meg, Chris, and Stewie...
describes him as a "heartless sex hound." His often inappropriate brand of humour has been referred to as "PG-37".
Many of the storylines, and most of the jokes, about Quagmire feature his wanton and
deviantDeviance describes actions or behaviors that violate cultural norms including formally-enacted rules as well as informal violations of social norms...
sexual behavior.
Glenn Quagmire is a character on the
animated series Family GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television sitcom, created by Seth MacFarlane, for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family which consists of Peter, Lois, Meg, Chris, Stewie, and their pet dog Brian...
, best known for his
hypersexualitySexual addiction refers to a phenomenon in which individuals report being unable to manage their sexual behavior. It has also been called "sexual dependency," and "sexual compulsivity." The existence of the condition is not universally accepted by sexologists and its etiology, nature, and...
.
Creator and
voice actorVoice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called voice actors,...
Seth MacFarlaneSeth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, composer, writer, producer, actor, singer, comedian, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the characters...
describes Quagmire as "An appalling human being who is still caught in the
rat-packThe Rat Pack was a group of popular entertainers originally centered on Humphrey Bogart. In the mid-1960s it was the name used by the press and the general public to refer to a group that called itself "the summit" or "the clan," featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter...
era" based on
anachronisticAn anachronism—from the Greek ανά and χρόνος —is an error in chronology, especially a chronological misplacing of persons, events, objects, or customs in regard to each other...
1950s party animal
clichéA cliché , is a saying, expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, rendering it a stereotype, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel...
s. His neighbor and friend
Peter GriffinPeter Löwenbräu Griffin is a fictional character, and the protagonist of the FOX animated comedy series Family Guy. Peter is the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is married to Lois, and is the father of Meg, Chris, and Stewie...
describes him as a "heartless sex hound." His often inappropriate brand of humour has been referred to as "PG-37".
Sexual behavior
Many of the storylines, and most of the jokes, about Quagmire feature his wanton and
deviantDeviance describes actions or behaviors that violate cultural norms including formally-enacted rules as well as informal violations of social norms...
sexual behavior. He is known for extreme
predatory behaviorThe term sexual predator is used pejoratively to describe a person seen as obtaining or trying to obtain sexual contact with another person in a metaphorically "predatory" manner. Analogous to how a predator hunts down its prey, so the sexual predator is thought to "hunt" for his or her sex partners...
, such as
druggingDate rape drug refers to any drug that can be used to assist in the commission of a sexual assault, such as date rape. Drugs used to facilitate rape may have sedative, hypnotic, dissociative, and/or amnesiac effects, and may be added to a food or drink without the victim's knowledge...
the drinks of his dates. Quagmire is a registered
sex offenderA sex offender is a person who committed a sex crime, although what constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and by legal jurisdiction. In most jurisdictions, offenses include child sexual abuse, downloading child pornography, rape, and statutory rape...
, has a
foot fetishFoot fetishism, foot partialism, foot worship, or podophilia is a pronounced sexual interest in feet. It is the most common form of sexual preference for otherwise non-sexual objects or body parts.-Characteristics:...
, and is not above
necrophiliaNecrophilia, also called thanatophilia and necrolagnia, is the sexual attraction to corpses. It is classified as a paraphilia by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association. The word is artificially derived from Ancient Greek: νεκρός and φιλία...
. While out at sea with Peter and his friends, he confesses to a seemingly endless chain of bizarre sexual acts, such as picking up
illegal alienIn law, an alien is a person in a country who is not a citizen of that country.-Categorization:Types of "alien" persons are:* An alien who is legally permitted to remain in a country which is foreign to him or her. On specified terms, this kind of alien may be called a legal alien of that country...
s at
Home DepotThe Home Depot is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products and services.The Home Depot operates 2,193 big-box format stores across the United States , Canada , Mexico and China...
and Jo-Ann Fabrics stores to suffocate him while he
masturbatedMasturbation refers to sexual stimulation, especially of one's own genitals , often to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by other types of bodily contact , by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods...
, and "giving a
reach aroundSexual slang is a set of linguistic terms and phrases used to refer to sexual organs, processes, and activities; they are generally considered colloquial rather than formal or medical, and some may be seen as impolite or improper...
to a
spider monkeySpider monkeys of the genus Ateles are New World monkeys in the subfamily Atelinae, family Atelidae. Like other atelines, they are found in tropical forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to Brazil...
while reciting the
Pledge of AllegianceThe Pledge of Allegiance to the United States is an oath of loyalty to the republic of the United States of America, originally composed by Francis Bellamy in 1892. The Pledge has been modified four times since then, with the most recent change adding the words "under God" in 1954...
."
Aside from these excesses, Quagmire finds
sexual arousalSexual arousal, or sexual excitement, is the arousal of sexual desires in anticipation for sexual activity. Things that precipitate human sexual arousal are colloquially known as turn-ons...
in seemingly banal situations, and
sexual innuendoAn innuendo is, according to the Advanced Oxford Learner's Dictionary, "an indirect remark about somebody or something, usually suggesting something bad or rude; the use of remarks like this: innuendoes about her private life or The song is full of sexual innuendo." The word is often used to...
in much of the show's dialogue. During such periods of sexual arousal, Quagmire invokes several catchphrases, including "giggity giggity goo" (sometimes shortened to simply "giggity").
Origins and appearance
Quagmire has short black hair, parted in the middle. His facial characteristics (modeled after
Bob HopeBob Hope, KBE, KCSG was an American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO tours entertaining American military personnel...
) include a large jaw with a
cleft chinA cleft chin, chin cleft, dimple chin or a chin dimple is a dimple on the chin. It is a Y-shaped fissure on the chin with an underlying bony peculiarity...
, and a long pointed nose. He is usually seen wearing a red
Hawaiian shirtThe Aloha shirt is a style of dress shirt originating in Hawaii. It is currently the premier textile export of the Hawaii manufacturing industry. The shirts are printed, mostly short-sleeved, and collared. They usually have buttons, sometimes as a complete button-down shirt, and sometimes just...
with yellow flowers.
MacFarlane came up with Quagmire's voice after listening to fast-talking
radio jockeyA RADIO JOCKEY or RJ is a person who hosts a radio talk show, where he/she selects the music to be played by interacting with the audience via telephone...
s from the 1950s era, describing the character as a "50s radio guy on
cokeCocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system and an appetite suppressant...
." The "giggity" phrase was inspired by
Steve MarmelSteve Marmel is a writer and producer who has worked on many animated TV series, among which are The Fairly Odd Parents, I Am Weasel, Danny Phantom, Family Guy and Yin Yang Yo!. During his work on The Fairly Odd Parents he frequently co-wrote episodes with Butch Hartman...
's
Jerry LewisJerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, film producer, writer, film director, singer and humanitarian. He is best-known for his slapstick humor in stage, screen, television, radio, recording and is also known for his charity fund-raising telethons and position as national chairman for the...
impression. Quagmire's home follows the same retro theme, decked out in a style reminiscent of the swinging party set of the 1950s and '60s; nearly every part of the house has a discreetly hidden bed.
The name
Quagmire was chosen by a college acquaintance of Seth MacFarlane's; the word
QuagmireA quagmire is a type of wetland. Rhetorically, "quagmire" may refer to a predicament or situation from which it is difficult to extricate oneself.Quagmire may also refer to:- Fictional Characters :...
refers to both a soft soil that yields easily (such as
quicksandQuicksand is a colloid hydrogel consisting of fine granular matter , clay, and salt water. In the name, as in that of quicksilver , "quick" does not mean "fast," but "living" ....
), or a situation that is difficult to get out of. The title of the
infidelityInfidelity is a violation of the mutually agreed-upon rules or boundaries of an intimate relationship, which constitutes a significant breach of faith or a betrayal of core shared values with which the integrity of the relationship is defined...
-themed episode "The Cleveland–Loretta Quagmire" plays on the second meaning.
Job
While seldom depicted at work, Quagmire is an airline
pilotAn aviator is a person who flies aircraft for pleasure or as a profession. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887 as a variation of the French 'aviation', from the latin 'avis', coined 1863 by G. de la Landelle in "Aviation ou Navigation Aérienne"...
for TransNational Airlines who uses his position to get
LoisLois Griffin is a fictional character from the animated series Family Guy. She is the wife of Peter Griffin and the mother of Meg, Chris, and Stewie...
a job as a
flight attendantFlight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety but also the comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights as well as on select business jet aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant ultimately derives from that of similar...
. He was a veteran of the
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
, and first met Peter when Peter was rescued from drowning by Quagmire and crew of his
aircraft carrierAn aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power great distances without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
.