When You Wish upon a Weinstein
Encyclopedia
"When You Wish Upon a Weinstein" is an episode of the animated
television sitcom
Family Guy
that would have first aired in 2000, but due to concerns about its content it was not aired until November 9, 2003, when it was broadcast on Cartoon Network
’s Adult Swim
. It was later aired on Fox
on December 10, 2004. It is included as the last episode in the season three DVD box set for Region 1 (as a "bonus un-aired episode"), it is customarily placed at No. 22 in most episode lists (although in the Region 2 and 4 DVD releases it is included as the last episode of Season 2, and it is broadcast in Australia as the Season 4 premiere on both free-to-air and cable television networks).
gives Lois
’ "rainy-day fund" to a scam artist
selling volcano
insurance
. That night, Stewie
breaks Meg
’s glasses because he hates being watched while he sleeps. Lois tells Peter that he needs to recover the money to buy their daughter a new pair of glasses. After hearing Quagmire
and Cleveland
talk about how men with Jewish-sounding names have helped them achieve financial success, Peter decides that he needs a Jew to handle his money (though the fact that the men are Jewish is coincidental and Cleveland tells Peter he doesn't approve of his logic) in an elaborate musical number based on “When You Wish upon a Star
.” When a Jewish man named Max Weinstein (Peter Riegert
) has car trouble outside the Griffin house, Peter takes it as a sign. After a foot chase, Peter pressures Max into helping him get the emergency money back.
After inviting Max to dinner and accompanying him to a reform
synagogue
, Peter comes to the conclusion that Chris
would get smarter if he converted to Judaism
. He secretly drives Chris to Las Vegas
for a quickie Bar Mitzvah, Lois finds out about this from Brian
and, borrowing Quagmire's car, arrives just in time to stop the ceremony. The congregants, angry that Lois is apparently insulting their religion, chase the Griffins until they escape onto a bus
. In a reference to the interrupted wedding scene in the film The Graduate
, the Griffins lock the synagogue's door using a large star of David (a crucifix was used in the film). After Lois points out that one's success is not based upon religion, Peter realizes the error of his ways. Unfortunately, the bus is full of nun
s who, displeased that he strayed from Catholicism
, attack him with rulers while Lois and Peter fend them off.
On the DVD commentary for the episode, Seth MacFarlane mentions that he showed the script of the episode to two rabbis, both of whom approved the episode “because Peter learns the right lesson at the end.” MacFarlane also points out that the writer, Ricky Blitt, is Jewish himself, as is Ben Stein
, who plays the Rabbi.
Lisa Keys of The Forward
wrote that the episode is "not necessarily demeaning to Jews" but "too vapid to be funny."
On October 3, 2007, the Bourne Company
publishing house, sole owner of the song "When You Wish upon a Star
", filed a lawsuit against several Fox divisions, Cartoon Network
, Fuzzy Door Productions
, Family Guy producer Seth MacFarlane
and composer Walter Murphy
, claiming copyright infringement
over "I Need a Jew", seeking unspecified damages
and to halt the program's distribution. The suit claims harm to the value of the song due to the offensive nature of the lyrics.
On March 17, 2009, U.S. District
Judge Deborah Batts
ruled that the creators of Family Guy did not infringe on Bourne's copyright. The episode has since returned to syndicated airings on Adult Swim
, TBS
, and other networks.
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
television sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
that would have first aired in 2000, but due to concerns about its content it was not aired until November 9, 2003, when it was broadcast on Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
’s Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
. It was later aired on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
on December 10, 2004. It is included as the last episode in the season three DVD box set for Region 1 (as a "bonus un-aired episode"), it is customarily placed at No. 22 in most episode lists (although in the Region 2 and 4 DVD releases it is included as the last episode of Season 2, and it is broadcast in Australia as the Season 4 premiere on both free-to-air and cable television networks).
Plot summary
PeterPeter Griffin
Peter Griffin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is voiced by cartoonist Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998....
gives Lois
Lois Griffin
Lois Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is voiced by writer Alex Borstein and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Lois was created and designed by series creator Seth MacFarlane...
’ "rainy-day fund" to a scam artist
Confidence trick
A confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their confidence. A confidence artist is an individual working alone or in concert with others who exploits characteristics of the human psyche such as dishonesty and honesty, vanity, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility,...
selling volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
. That night, Stewie
Stewie Griffin
Stewie Griffin is a fictional character from the animated television series Family Guy. Once obsessed with world domination and matricide, Stewie is the youngest child of Peter and Lois Griffin, and the brother of Chris and Meg....
breaks Meg
Meg Griffin
Meg Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is the eldest child of Lois and Peter and elder sister of Chris and Stewie. Meg is considered as the black sheep of the series due to the lack of attention she receives....
’s glasses because he hates being watched while he sleeps. Lois tells Peter that he needs to recover the money to buy their daughter a new pair of glasses. After hearing Quagmire
Glenn Quagmire
Glenn Quagmire, often referred to as just Quagmire, is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. Quagmire is a neighbor and friend of the Griffin family. He is best known for his hypersexuality...
and Cleveland
Cleveland Brown
Cleveland Orenthal Brown is a character from the animated television series Family Guy, and its spin-off series The Cleveland Show. He is voiced by Mike Henry. In the first seven seasons of Family Guy, Brown is a frequently recurring character. As one of Peter Griffin's neighbors and friends,...
talk about how men with Jewish-sounding names have helped them achieve financial success, Peter decides that he needs a Jew to handle his money (though the fact that the men are Jewish is coincidental and Cleveland tells Peter he doesn't approve of his logic) in an elaborate musical number based on “When You Wish upon a Star
When You Wish upon a Star
"When You Wish upon a Star" is a song written by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington for Walt Disney's 1940 adaptation of Pinocchio. The original version of the song was sung by Cliff Edwards in the character of Jiminy Cricket, and is heard over the opening credits and again in the final scene of the...
.” When a Jewish man named Max Weinstein (Peter Riegert
Peter Riegert
Peter Riegert is an American actor, screenwriter, and film director, best known for his role as Boon from Animal House and crooked New Jersey State Assemblyman Ronald Zellman on the HBO original series The Sopranos.-Early life:...
) has car trouble outside the Griffin house, Peter takes it as a sign. After a foot chase, Peter pressures Max into helping him get the emergency money back.
After inviting Max to dinner and accompanying him to a reform
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
, Peter comes to the conclusion that Chris
Chris Griffin
Chris Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is the son and middle child of Peter and Lois Griffin, brother of Stewie and Meg Griffin. Chris is voiced by Seth Green.-Personality:...
would get smarter if he converted to Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
. He secretly drives Chris to Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
for a quickie Bar Mitzvah, Lois finds out about this from Brian
Brian Griffin
Brian Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is voiced by Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family, in a 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Brian was created and designed by MacFarlane himself...
and, borrowing Quagmire's car, arrives just in time to stop the ceremony. The congregants, angry that Lois is apparently insulting their religion, chase the Griffins until they escape onto a bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
. In a reference to the interrupted wedding scene in the film The Graduate
The Graduate
The Graduate is a 1967 American comedy-drama motion picture directed by Mike Nichols. It is based on the 1963 novel The Graduate by Charles Webb, who wrote it shortly after graduating from Williams College. The screenplay was by Buck Henry, who makes a cameo appearance as a hotel clerk, and Calder...
, the Griffins lock the synagogue's door using a large star of David (a crucifix was used in the film). After Lois points out that one's success is not based upon religion, Peter realizes the error of his ways. Unfortunately, the bus is full of nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s who, displeased that he strayed from Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
, attack him with rulers while Lois and Peter fend them off.
Reception
Some Fox network executives were concerned that the episode could be construed as anti-Semitic, and decided not to air the episode after it had completed post-production. It aired on Cartoon Network three years after being produced, and then it aired on Fox.On the DVD commentary for the episode, Seth MacFarlane mentions that he showed the script of the episode to two rabbis, both of whom approved the episode “because Peter learns the right lesson at the end.” MacFarlane also points out that the writer, Ricky Blitt, is Jewish himself, as is Ben Stein
Ben Stein
Benjamin Jeremy "Ben" Stein is an American actor, writer, lawyer, and commentator on political and economic issues. He attained early success as a speechwriter for American presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford...
, who plays the Rabbi.
Lisa Keys of The Forward
The Forward
The Forward , commonly known as The Jewish Daily Forward, is a Jewish-American newspaper published in New York City. The publication began in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily issued by dissidents from the Socialist Labor Party of Daniel DeLeon...
wrote that the episode is "not necessarily demeaning to Jews" but "too vapid to be funny."
On October 3, 2007, the Bourne Company
Bourne Co. Music Publishers
Bourne Co. Music Publishers is an American publisher of sheet music.The company was founded in the 1920s and is one of the largest privately held international music publishers in the world. Its office is in New York City...
publishing house, sole owner of the song "When You Wish upon a Star
When You Wish upon a Star
"When You Wish upon a Star" is a song written by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington for Walt Disney's 1940 adaptation of Pinocchio. The original version of the song was sung by Cliff Edwards in the character of Jiminy Cricket, and is heard over the opening credits and again in the final scene of the...
", filed a lawsuit against several Fox divisions, Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
, Fuzzy Door Productions
Fuzzy Door Productions
Fuzzy Door Productions or The Spotted Door is the production company of television producer Seth MacFarlane. Its productions include the animated series Family Guy, American Dad! and the Family Guy spin-off The Cleveland Show, as well as the live-action sitcom The Winner...
, Family Guy producer Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, writer, comedian, producer, actor, singer, 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 shows' various characters.A native of Kent,...
and composer Walter Murphy
Walter Murphy
Walter Anthony Murphy, Jr. is an American instrumentalist, songwriter, and arranger. He rose to fame with the hit instrumental "A Fifth of Beethoven", a disco adaptation of passages from the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, in 1976, when disco was at the height of its...
, claiming copyright infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
over "I Need a Jew", seeking unspecified damages
Damages
In law, damages is an award, typically of money, to be paid to a person as compensation for loss or injury; grammatically, it is a singular noun, not plural.- Compensatory damages :...
and to halt the program's distribution. The suit claims harm to the value of the song due to the offensive nature of the lyrics.
On March 17, 2009, U.S. District
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is a federal district court. Appeals from the Southern District of New York are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case...
Judge Deborah Batts
Deborah Batts
Deborah A. Batts is a United States federal judge, currently serving on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. In June 1994, Deborah Batts was sworn in as a Federal District Judge for Manhattan, becoming the nation's first openly LGBT, African-American federal judge...
ruled that the creators of Family Guy did not infringe on Bourne's copyright. The episode has since returned to syndicated airings on Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
, TBS
TBS (TV channel)
TBS , stylized in the logo as tbs, is an American cable television channel owned by Time Warner that shows a variety of programming, with a focus on comedy. TBS was originally known as WTCG, a UHF terrestrial television station that broadcast from Atlanta, Georgia, during the late 1970s...
, and other networks.