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 and is best known for his hypersexuality.^[3] Creator and voice actor Seth MacFarlane describes Quagmire as "an appalling human being who is still caught in the rat-pack era" based on anachronistic 1950s party-animal clichés.^[4] His neighbor and friend Peter Griffin describes him as a "heartless sex hound" and refers to him as "a rapist" in The Cleveland Show.^[5] Quagmire is a commercial airline pilot and a U.S. Navy veteran.

Origins and appearance[link]

The name Quagmire was chosen by a college acquaintance of MacFarlane's;^[4] the word quagmire refers to both a soft soil that yields easily (such as quicksand), and a situation that is difficult to get out of. The title of the infidelity-themed episode "The Cleveland–Loretta Quagmire" plays on the second meaning. MacFarlane came up with Quagmire's voice after listening to fast-talking radio jockeys from the 1950s era, describing the character as a "50s radio guy on coke."^[4] The "giggity" phrase was inspired by Steve Marmel's Jerry Lewis impression.^[6] 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. It has been revealed in some episodes that Quagmire has a foot fetish.^[7] Quagmire drives a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible, which Peter Griffin later destroys in "Airport '07" after he accidentally reverses his pickup truck into it.

In a DVD bonus feature, MacFarlane singled out a line in "Love Thy Trophy", in which Quagmire answers a one-night stand's question about his job with the words, "I have a question for you, too. Why are you still here?" as the moment where the character's over-sexed personality was crystallized.

In "The Cleveland–Loretta Quagmire", Quagmire has sex with Cleveland Brown's wife, Loretta, which ends their marriage; and in "Jerome Is the New Black", he says he despises the Griffin family dog, Brian, igniting a mutual animosity.

In "Jerome Is the New Black" and "Tiegs for Two", it is revealed that the reason for Quagmire's sex addiction towards women is due to a certain mishap of a relationship with actress Cheryl Tiegs during the 1980s, and that he has been taking it out on other women to 'fill in the hole' which Tiegs has left for him, considering the fact that Tiegs was one of the few women that Quagmire genuinely cared for besides his sister Brenda. Brian would later date Tiegs to spite Quagmire after his antics caused one of Brian's new girlfriends to leave him, prompting Quagmire to date Brian's former girlfriend Jillian Russell, which then leads to a fight between both men and causing both Tiegs and Jillian to dump them in anger, much to both Brian and Quagmire's discontent.

Sexual appetites[link]

Quagmire is characterized as indulging in several sexual fetishes, from frotteurism and erotic asphyxiation to zoophilia and incest and necrophilia. He is also an implied rapist; several episodes feature gags in which he has sex with women who are unconscious. His sexual exploits are a running gag throughout the show. His famous phrase is "Giggity Giggity Goo".

Children[link]

In the episode "Quagmire's Baby", he finds out he is the father of his daughter, Anna Lee, after she has been left on his doorstep. But she ruins his night with a woman, when he falls asleep after being kept awake for many nights, who leaves, saying it was for the best. Feeling greatly annoyed, he begs Peter to adopt her (but eventually leaves after being told continually to get an abortion). Quagmire, Joe and Peter go to an adoption centre, where Quagmire has a tearful goodbye. That night, they go to a stripper bar to 'Celebrate his first night without a baby around', but the strippers remind him of Anna Lee (one has a rash, one sits on a man's lap and one only has a single tooth, all like the baby). So the next day, he goes to the place where she has been adopted, planning on stealing her back, but after seeing her happily with her new parents, he realises that they are a family and that that was the right place for her. Unable to ruin that, he says he has to move on.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Glenn Quagmire at Fox.com
• Glenn Quagmire at the Internet Movie Database

Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane
Born	Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (1973-10-26) October 26, 1973 (age 38) Kent, Connecticut, U.S.
Nationality	American
Citizenship	United States
Alma mater	Rhode Island School of Design (Bachelor of Fine Arts)
Occupation	Actor, voice actor, animator, writer, comedian, singer, producer, director
Years active	1995–present
Known for	Family Guy American Dad! The Cleveland Show The Winner Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy Comedy Central Roasts Ted
Political party	Democrat
Parents	Ronald Wilton MacFarlane, Ann Perry (née Sager) (deceased)
Family	Rachael MacFarlane (sister)

Seth Woobury MacFarlane (born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, voice actor, animator, screenwriter, comedian, producer, director and singer. He created the animated sitcom Family Guy and co-created American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.^[1]

A native of Kent, Connecticut,^[2] MacFarlane is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, where he studied animation, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He was an animator and writer for Hanna-Barbera for several television shows, including Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, Dexter's Laboratory and I Am Weasel, before creating his own series for 20th Century Fox entitled Family Guy in 1999. MacFarlane went on to co-create American Dad! in 2005, and The Cleveland Show in 2009 for Fox. He also went on to serve as executive producer on the Fox sitcom The Winner.

As an actor, he has made guest appearances on shows such as Gilmore Girls, The War at Home and FlashForward. MacFarlane's interest in science fiction and fantasy has led to cameo and guest appearances on Star Trek: Enterprise and voicing the character of Johann Kraus in Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy II: The Golden Army. In 2008, he created his own YouTube series entitled Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy. As a singer, MacFarlane has performed at several venues, including Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall.

MacFarlane has won several awards for his work on Family Guy, including two Primetime Emmy Awards and an Annie Award. In 2009, he won the Webby Award for Film & Video Person of the Year. For several years, it has been the subject of criticism from television watchdog groups, such as the Parents Television Council, who regularly condemn it for its alleged indecency. Even fellow cartoonists such as The Ren & Stimpy Show's John Kricfalusi and South Park duo Trey Parker and Matt Stone have criticized MacFarlane's creation on numerous occasions. He occasionally speaks at universities and colleges throughout the United States, and is a supporter of gay rights.

On the February 10, 2011 episode of the TBS variety nighttime talk-show series Conan, MacFarlane announced he is directing his first feature-length comedy film, Ted. The film stars Mark Wahlberg as an adult who, as a child, wished his teddy bear would come to life. MacFarlane will be the voice and motion capture for the bear. It is currently in production and is scheduled for release July 13, 2012.^[3][4] In September, 2011, MacFarlane released a debut album of American standards, Music Is Better Than Words. In 2011 MacFarlane began a revival of Hanna-Barbera's The Flintstones for the Fox network. The first episode was due to air in the US in 2013,^[5][6] but production has been indefinitely delayed due to MacFarlane's schedule.^[7]

Early life and education[link]

MacFarlane's parents, Ann Perry (née Sager) and Ronald Milton MacFarlane, were born in Newburyport, Massachusetts.^[8] He is of Scottish, Irish, English and Welsh ancestry, partly by way of Canada, and his ancestors include William Brewster, who travelled to America on the Mayflower.^[9][10] MacFarlane's parents met in 1970, when they both lived and worked in Boston, Massachusetts, and married later that year.^[8] In 1972, the couple moved to Kent, Connecticut, where Ann Perry began working in the Admissions Office at South Kent School and later in the College Guidance and Admissions Offices at the Kent School, a selective college preparatory school where Ronald was also a teacher.^[8][11] During his childhood, MacFarlane developed an interest in illustration and began drawing cartoon characters Fred Flintstone and Woody Woodpecker, as early as two years old.^[12] By the age of five, MacFarlane knew that he would want to pursue a career in animation, and began by creating flip books, after his parents found a book on the subject.^[13] Four years later, at nine, MacFarlane began publishing a weekly comic strip entitled "Walter Crouton" for The Kent Good Times Dispatch, the local newspaper in Kent, Connecticut, which paid him five dollars per week.^[14][15] In one anecdote from the time, MacFarlane said in a 2011 interview he was "always like just weirdly fascinated by the Communion ceremony [so] I did a strip that had a guy kneeling at the altar taking Communion and saying 'Can I have fries with that?' And to my 11-year-old brain that was comedy ...." The paper printed it and he got "an angry letter from our local priest .... It created sort of a little mini-controversy in our little town." ^[16]

MacFarlane received his high school diploma in 1991 from the Kent School.^[8][11] While there, he continued experimenting with animation, and was given an 8 mm camera by his parents.^[17] MacFarlane went on to study film, video and animation at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.^[14] As a student, he had originally intended to work for Disney, but changed his mind upon graduating.^[18] At RISD, MacFarlane created a series of independent films, eventually meeting future Family Guy cast member Mike Henry, whose brother Patrick was MacFarlane's classmate. His senior year at RISD, MacFarlane created a thesis film entitled The Life of Larry, which would eventually become the inspiration for Family Guy.^[14] MacFarlane's professor submitted his film to the animation studio Hanna-Barbera, where he was later hired.^[19]

Early career[link]

After college MacFarlane was hired at Hanna-Barbera (then Hanna-Barbera Cartoons) based on the writing content of The Life of Larry, rather than on cartooning ability. He was one of few people hired to the company solely based on writing talent.^[2] He worked as an animator and writer for Cartoon Network's Cartoon Cartoons series.^[20] He described the atmosphere at Hanna-Barbera as resembling an "old fashioned Hollywood structure, where you move from one show to another or you jump from a writing job on one show to a storyboard job on another." MacFarlane worked on four television series during his tenure at the studio: Dexter's Laboratory, Cow and Chicken, I Am Weasel, and Johnny Bravo.^[21][22] Working as both a writer and storyboard artist, MacFarlane spent the most time on Johnny Bravo. He found it easier to develop his own style at Johnny Bravo through the show's process of scriptwriting, which Dexter, Cow and Chicken and I Am Weasel did not use.^[2] As a part of the Johnny Bravo crew, MacFarlane met actors and voiceover artists such as Adam West and Jack Sheldon of Schoolhouse Rock! fame. Meeting these individuals later became significant to the production and success of his Family Guy series.

He also did freelance work for Walt Disney Television Animation, writing for Jungle Cubs and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Through strict observation of writing elements such as story progression, character stakes, and plot points, MacFarlane found the work for Disney was, from a writing standpoint, very valuable in preparation for his career (particularly on Ace Ventura).^[2] MacFarlane also created and wrote a short titled Zoomates for Frederator Studios' Oh Yeah! Cartoons on Nickelodeon.^[23] In 1996, MacFarlane created a sequel to The Life of Larry entitled Larry and Steve, which features a middle-aged character named Larry and an intellectual dog, Steve. The short was broadcast as one of Cartoon Network's World Premiere Toons. Executives at Fox saw both Larry shorts and negotiations soon began for a prime-time animated series.^[24]

Although MacFarlane enjoyed working at Hanna-Barbera, he felt his real calling was for prime-time animation, which would allow a much edgier style of humor.^[2] He first pitched Family Guy to Fox during his tenure at Hanna-Barbera. A development executive for Hanna-Barbera, who was trying to get back into the prime-time business at the time, introduced MacFarlane to Leslie Collins and Mike Darnell, heads of the alternative comedy department at Fox. After the success of King of the Hill in 1997, MacFarlane called Collins once more to ask about a possible second pitch for the series. The company offered the young writer a strange deal: Fox gave him a budget of $50,000 to produce a pilot that could lead to a series (most episodes of animated prime-time productions cost at least $1 million).^[2][25] Recalling the experience in an interview with The New York Times, MacFarlane stated, "I spent about six months with no sleep and no life, just drawing like crazy in my kitchen and doing this pilot".^[26]

After six months, MacFarlane returned to Fox with a "very, very simply, crudely animated film – with just enough to get the tone of the show across" to present to the executives, who loved the pilot and ordered the series immediately.^[2] In July 1998, the Fox Broadcast Company announced the purchase of Family Guy for a January 1999 debut.^[27] Family Guy was originally intended to be a series of shorts on MADtv, much in the same way The Simpsons had begun on The Tracey Ullman Show a decade earlier. Negotiations for the show's MADtv connection fell through early on as a result of budgetary concerns.^[2] At age 24, MacFarlane was television's youngest executive producer.^[12]

Further career[link]

[edit] Family Guy

Family Guy first aired January 31, 1999.^[28] MacFarlane's work in animating Family Guy has been influenced by Jackie Gleason and Hanna-Barbera along with examples from The Simpsons and All in the Family.^[29] In addition to writing three episodes, "Death Has a Shadow", "Family Guy Viewer Mail 1" and "North by North Quahog", MacFarlane voices Family Guy's main characters – Peter Griffin, Stewie Griffin, Brian Griffin and Glenn Quagmire as well as Tom Tucker, his son Jake and additional characters. Bolstered by high DVD sales and established fan loyalty, Family Guy developed into a $1 billion franchise.^[25] On May 4, 2008, after approximately two and a half years of negotiations, MacFarlane reached a $100 million agreement with Fox to keep Family Guy and American Dad until 2012. The agreement makes him the world's highest paid television writer.^[30]

MacFarlane's success with Family Guy has opened doors to other ventures relating to the show. On April 26, 2005, he and composer Walter Murphy created Family Guy: Live in Vegas. The soundtrack features a Broadway show tune theme, and MacFarlane voiced Stewie in the track "Stewie's Sexy Party".^[31] A fan of Broadway musicals,^[24] MacFarlane comments on using musicals as a component to Family Guy:

In addition, a Family Guy video game was released in 2006.^[33] Two years later, in August 2007, he closed a digital content production deal with AdSense.^[34] MacFarlane takes cast members on the road to voice characters in front of live audiences. Family Guy Live provides fans with the opportunity to hear future scripts. In mid-2007 Chicago fans had the opportunity to hear the then upcoming sixth season premiere "Blue Harvest". Shows have been played in Montreal, New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles.^[35]

On July 22, 2007, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, MacFarlane announced that he may start working on a feature film, although "nothing's official".^[36] In September 2007, Ricky Blitt gave TV.com an interview confirming that he had already started working on the script.^[37] Then in TV Week on July 18, 2008, MacFarlane confirmed plans to produce a theatrically released Family Guy feature film sometime "within the next year".^[38] He came up with an idea for the story, "something that you could not do on the show, which [to him] is the only reason to do a movie". He later went to say he imagines the film to be "an old-style musical with dialogue" similar to The Sound of Music, saying that he would "really be trying to capture, musically, that feel".^[39]

Despite its popularity, Family Guy has not been immune to criticism.^[40] The Parents Television Council frequently criticizes the show for its content, once organized a letter-writing campaign aimed at removing it from FOX's lineup,^[41] and has filed complaints with the Federal Communications Commission alleging that some episodes of the show contained indecent content.^[42] MacFarlane has responded to the PTC's criticism by saying, among other things, "That's like getting hate mail from Hitler. They're literally terrible human beings."^[43] Family Guy has been cancelled twice, although strong fan support and DVD sales have caused Fox to reconsider.^[44] MacFarlane mentioned how these cancellations affected the lineup of writers each time Fox approved the show. "One of the positive aspects of 'Family Guy' constantly being pulled off [the air] is that we were always having to restaff writers".^[32]

During the sixth season, episodes of Family Guy and American Dad! were delayed from regular broadcast due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike (which MacFarlane participated in to support the writers while FOX aired three Family Guy episodes without MacFarlane's permission). On February 12, 2008, the strike ended,^[45] and the series resumed airing regularly, beginning with "Back to the Woods".

[edit] American Dad!

Seth co-created American Dad! with Matt Weitzman and Mike Barker. American Dad! was first shown after Super Bowl XXXIX as a sneak preview on February 6, 2005. The show began airing regularly on Fox on May 1, 2005.^[46][47] MacFarlane describes the show being similar to All in the Family.^[32]

American Dad! received its inspiration from President George W. Bush's policies.^[48] The show focuses on Stan Smith, a straight-laced CIA officer and fanatical conservative. Stan's wife (Francine) and children, (Hayley and Steve), share a typical middle class home with Roger, an extraterrestrial rescued by Stan from Area 51, and Klaus, a goldfish who hosts the transplanted brain of an East German, 1986 Olympic skier.^[49][50] Seth MacFarlane provides the voices of Stan and Roger, basing Roger's voice on Paul Lynde as he played Uncle Arthur in Bewitched.^[12] His sister Rachael MacFarlane provides the voice of Hayley.^[51]

[edit] The Winner

MacFarlane was the executive producer of a live-action sitcom starring Rob Corddry called The Winner. The show premiered on Fox on March 4, 2007.^[52] The plot has a man named Glen discussing the time he matured at 32 and has him pursuing his only love after she moves in next door. Glen meets her son and both become good friends.^[53]

After six episodes, the show was officially cancelled on May 16, 2007.^[54] However, at Family Guy Live in Montreal on July 21, 2007, Seth MacFarlane stated, "It is looking like there could be a future life for The Winner".^[55] After MacFarlane's statement neither Fox nor MacFarlane has released any details of plans for the show to return. The show was mentioned in the Family Guy episode "Family Gay" where all of the horses at a racing track are named after failed Fox shows, The Winner being one of them.

[edit] The Cleveland Show

MacFarlane developed a Family Guy spin-off called The Cleveland Show, which focuses on the character of Cleveland Brown and his family. The idea for the show originated from a suggestion by Family Guy writer and voice of Cleveland, Mike Henry. Fox ordered 22 episodes and the series first aired on September 27, 2009. The show, which was picked up to air a first season consisting of 22 episodes,^[56] was picked up by Fox for a second season, consisting of 13 episodes, bringing the total number to 35 episodes. The announcement was made on May 3, 2009 before the first season even premiered.^[57] Due to strong ratings, Fox picked up the back nine episodes of season 2, making a 22-episode season and bringing the total episode count of the show to 44.^[58]

[edit] Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy

On September 10, 2008, MacFarlane released a series of webisodes known as Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy. These animated shorts were distributed by Burger King and released weekly.^[59]

[edit] The Flintstones

In May 2011, it was reported that MacFarlane had signed a deal to revamp The Flintstones for airing in 2013.^[60].Macfarlane also said that he will lend his voice to Barney.^[61]

[edit] Cosmos: A Personal Voyage

In August 2011, Fox announced that they had ordered a 13-part updated series of Cosmos: A Personal Voyage which MacFarlane will co-produce with Ann Druyan and Steven Soter. The new series will be hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson and is expected to begin airing on the channel in 2013, with repeats airing on the National Geographic Channel on the same night.^[62]

Untitled Animated Series[link]

Seth Macfarlane confirmed that he is working on what will be his fifth animated series with Alex Borstein and Gary Janetti.Currently not much is known about the series other than it will be about a family and will have a female lead role.^[63].

Music career[link]

MacFarlane is a skilled pianist and singer who, in his early years, trained with Lee and Sally Sweetland, Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra's vocal coaches. He signed a record deal with Universal Republic Records and released a big band/standards album in 2011. MacFarlane's debut studio album, Music Is Better Than Words, was announced in 2010^[64] and released on September 27, 2011, drawing on his training in and attraction to "the great American songbook and particularly the early- to late-'50s era of orchestration". The singer, asked about his experience with the music, said he did "old Nelson Riddle, Billy May charts [with] one of my composers, Ron Jones, [who] has a group called the Influence Jazz Orchestra that he performs with throughout L.A."^[16] His album has been nominated in the "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category" at the 54th Grammy Awards.

Guest appearances[link]

MacFarlane has appeared in sitcoms, comedy and news programs, independent films, and other animated shows. In 2002, MacFarlane appeared in the Gilmore Girls episode "Lorelai's Graduation Day".^[19] Four years later on November 5, 2006, MacFarlane guest starred on Fox's The War at Home as "Hillary's Date", an unnamed 33-year-old man who secretly dates teenaged Hillary in the episode "I Wash My Hands of You".^[18][65] MacFarlane also appeared as the engineer Ensign Rivers on Star Trek: Enterprise in the third season episode "The Forgotten" and the fourth season episode "Affliction".^[66] During 2006, MacFarlane had a role in the independent film Life is Short. He portrayed Dr. Ned, a psychologist who advises a short man (played by Freaks and Geeks star Samm Levine) to have relationships with taller women.^[67] He is also a frequent guest on the radio talkshow Loveline, hosted by Dr. Drew Pinsky.

Seth MacFarlane being interviewed at the Fox Fall Eco-Casino Party in Hollywood on September 8, 2008.

MacFarlane appeared on the November 11, 2006 episode of Fox's comedy show MADtv and performed a live action re-enactment of a scene from the Family Guy episode "Fast Times at Buddy Cianci Jr. High". In the scene, Peter and Lois suspect Chris of murdering his teacher's husband. As a reaction, a terrified Meg jumps out the window. A version with MacFarlane as Peter, Nicole Parker as Kathy Griffin as Lois, Ike Barinholtz as Dane Cook as Chris, Nicole Randall Johnson as Queen Latifah as Meg, and Keegan-Michael Key as Snoop Dogg as Stewie was recorded over the original cartoon.^[68] MacFarlane served as a host to the Canadian Awards for the Electronic & Animated Arts's Second Annual Elan Awards on February 15, 2008.^[69]

MacFarlane has also appeared on news shows and late night television shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live!^[70] and Late Show with David Letterman.^[71] On January 19, 2007, MacFarlane appeared on Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC to discuss Stephen Colbert's appearance on The O'Reilly Factor and Bill O'Reilly's return appearance on The Colbert Report. MacFarlane introduced the segment by saying in Stewie's voice "Oh, wait Bill. Hold still, allow me to soil myself on you. Victory is mine!"^[72] Three months later on March 24, 2007, MacFarlane was interviewed on Fox's Talkshow with Spike Feresten,^[73] and closed the show by singing the Frank Sinatra song "You Make Me Feel So Young".^[74] He also provided Stewie's voice when he appeared as a brain tumor-induced hallucination to Seeley Booth in an episode of Bones, writing his own dialogue for the episode.^[75] On May 8, 2009, MacFarlane was a guest on Real Time with Bill Maher.^[76]

Other than Family Guy and American Dad!, MacFarlane voices characters in other cartoon shows and movies. He voiced Wayne "The Brain" McClain in an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force.^[77] He has also voiced various characters on Adult Swim's Robot Chicken, including a parody of Lion-O and Emperor Palpatine as well as Peter Griffin in the Season 2 premiere – he even parodied himself in the Season 4 premiere, in which he renewed the show simply by mentioning it in a Family Guy-like cutaway after its fictitious cancellation at the end of Season 3. He also played the villain "The Manotaur" in Bob Boyle's animated kids series Yin Yang Yo!.^[78] In addition, MacFarlane voiced Johann Kraus in the 2008 film Hellboy II: The Golden Army.^[79] He also had a guest appearance in the animated film Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder where he sings "That Was Then (And This is Too)", the opening theme.^[80] He had also starred in a commercial for Hulu in which he plays an alien presenting Hulu as an "evil plot to destroy the world", progressively as his famous Family Guy and American Dad! characters. He also lent his voice to the series finale movie of the Comedy Central series, Drawn together.

On August 1, 2009, MacFarlane performed at The BBC Proms with John Wilson and his orchestra, singing a selection of songs from MGM musicals^[81] alongside Kim Criswell, Sarah Fox, Sir Thomas Allen, and Curtis Stigers.^[82][83] Three songs from High Society, Singin' in the Rain, and That's Entertainment were featured. Seth also repeated the MGM musicals show on tour in the UK with the John Wilson Orchestra during November and December 2010.^[84] He made another appearance with the John Wilson orchestra in a BBC Two special, Swingin' Christmas, on December 25, 2010.^[85]

Seth also played in a character named Ziggy in the 2010 film, Tooth Fairy. In August 2010, MacFarlane appeared as a guest voiceover in a sci-fi themed episode of Disney's Phineas and Ferb entitled "Nerds of a Feather".^[86] MacFarlane was the roastmaster of the Comedy Central Roast of David Hasselhoff in 2010 and then of the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump in 2011, as well as the Roast of Charlie Sheen, also from 2011. He is the first (and currently the only) person to serve as roastmaster for more than one occasion of the Comedy Central Roasts.

Speaking engagements[link]

MacFarlane speaking at a ceremony for Bill Maher to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in September 2010

MacFarlane is a frequent speaking guest on college campuses.^[87] On April 16, 2006, he was invited by Stanford University's ASSU Speakers' Bureau to address an audience of over 1,000 at Memorial Auditorium.^[88] MacFarlane was invited by Harvard University's class of 2006 to deliver the "class day" address on June 7, 2006. He spoke as himself, and also as Peter Griffin, Stewie Griffin and Glenn Quagmire.^[89] He has also delivered speeches at George Washington University,^[87] Washington University in St. Louis,^[21] the University of Texas,^[90] the University of Missouri,^[91] University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University^[92] and Loyola Marymount University.^[93]

Activism[link]

Political views[link]

MacFarlane is a supporter of the United States Democratic Party.^[43] He has donated over $200,000 to various Democratic congressional committees and to the 2008 presidential campaign of Barack Obama.^[94] He has stated that he supports the legalization of cannabis.^[95]

Gay rights support[link]

MacFarlane came to support gay rights and gay marriage after a family member wondered aloud whether his gay cousin's homosexuality could be "cured".^[43] The incident angered MacFarlane, who said in a 2008 interview in The Advocate, that such a statement "was fucking horrifying to hear from somebody that you love".^[43] He credits his parents for raising him to be a logical person, in reference to his support for gay rights.^[43]

MacFarlane is passionate about his support for gay rights.^[43] He said it is "infuriating and idiotic" that two gay partners "have to go through this fucking dog and pony act when they stop at a hotel and the guy behind the counter says, 'You want one room or two?'". He went on to say, "I'm incredibly passionate about my support for the gay community and what they're dealing with at this current point in time".^[43] MacFarlane continued, "Why is it that Johnny Spaghetti Stain in fucking Georgia can knock a woman up, legally be married to her, and then beat the shit out of her, but these two intelligent, sophisticated writers who have been together for 20 years can't get married?"^[43]

MacFarlane, in recognition for "his active, passionate commitment to Humanist values, and his fearless support of equal marriage rights and other social justice issues", was named the Harvard Humanist of the Year in 2011.^[96]

Despite his position on gay rights, MacFarlane was criticized for his portrayal of transsexualism in the Family Guy episode "Quagmire's Dad". Gay novelist Brent Hartinger found the episode's inclusion of transphobic remarks from Peter and Lois Griffin — as well as a scene of Brian vomiting profusely upon discovering his new girlfriend to be transgendered — to be "shockingly insensitive". Hartinger continued, "Frankly, it's literally impossible for me to reconcile last night's episode with MacFarlane's words, unless I come to the conclusion that the man is pretty much a complete idiot".^[97] The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, an LGBT media watchdog organization, shared "serious concerns being voiced from members of the community" about the episode.^[98] MacFarlane said he was "surprised" by the negative reaction to "Quagmire's Dad", saying that "it seemed that [gay commentators] were not picking up on the fact that it was a very sympathetic portrayal of a transsexual character". He further added, "Look, Brian happens to be a heterosexual character, as I am. If I found out that I had slept with a transsexual, I might throw up in the same way that a gay guy looks at a vagina and goes, 'Oh, my God, that's disgusting.'"^[99]

2008 Writers Guild of America strike[link]

Seth MacFarlane speaks at a Writers Guild of America rally in Culver City on November 9, 2007.

During the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, MacFarlane publicly sided with the Writers Guild, and fully participated in the strike.^[100] Official production of Family Guy was halted for most of December 2007 and various periods afterwards. Fox continued producing episodes without MacFarlane's final approval, and although he refused to work on the show during the strike, his contract with Fox required him to contribute to any episodes it subsequently produced.^[101] Rumors of continued production on Family Guy prompted the statement from MacFarlane that "...it would just be a colossal dick move if they did that".^[101] The strike ended on February 12, 2008.^[45]

Personal life[link]

MacFarlane identifies himself as a Star Wars, Star Trek and science fiction fan.^[66][102] He appeared at a Star Wars convention to promote his new Family Guy episode "Blue Harvest" on May 26, 2007.^[103] MacFarlane's interest in science fiction and music are regularly themes for his birthday and Christmas parties in Los Angeles. In 2009, he held a Star Wars-themed Christmas party.^[104] In 2010, he held a Rat Pack-themed party for his birthday with a 60-piece orchestra and performance by Frank Sinatra, Jr.^[105]

In a 2004 interview with The Daily Princetonian, MacFarlane noted his similarities to Brian Griffin on Family Guy, revealing, "I have some Brian type issues from time to time – looking for the right person – but I date as much as the next guy".^[106] MacFarlane has also revealed that Brian is his favorite character from Family Guy, because he feels most comfortable when playing that role.^[107]

In early 2007, fellow comedian Alex Borstein reported in an interview that MacFarlane is old-fashioned in several aspects of his life, in that "his pop culture knowledge is very retro. Seth doesn't have e-mail at home, doesn't own a computer and he doesn't really watch television. He doesn't understand MySpace and despises most new music.".^[108]

On July 16, 2010, MacFarlane's mother, Ann Perry MacFarlane, died after a long battle with cancer. Her death was reported by Larry King on his show, Larry King Live, who acknowledged a conversation he had with her during an interview with her son in May 2010.^[8][109] A brief opening scene from the first episode of the ninth season of Family Guy ("And Then There Were Fewer") mentions her lifespan, and dedicates the episode to her.

MacFarlane is an atheist,^[110] but says that he has no problem with religious people in general.

September 11, 2001 experience[link]

On the morning of September 11, 2001, MacFarlane was scheduled to return to Los Angeles on American Airlines Flight 11 from Boston. Suffering from a hangover from the previous night's celebrations,^[111] and with an incorrect departure time (8:15 a.m. instead of 7:45 a.m.) from his travel agent,^[112] he arrived at Logan International Airport about ten minutes too late to board the flight as the gates had been closed.^[112] Fifteen minutes after departure, American Airlines Flight 11 was hijacked,^[113] and at 8:46 a.m. it was flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, obliterating the airplane, and killing everyone on board.^[114]

In an interview with TVShowsOnDVD.com, MacFarlane said the following about his close call:

Lawsuits[link]

On October 3, 2007, Bourne Co. Music Publishers filed a lawsuit accusing Family Guy of infringing its copyright on the song "When You Wish upon a Star", through a parody song entitled "I Need a Jew" appearing in the episode "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein". Bourne Co., the sole United States copyright owner of the song, alleged the parody pairs a "thinly veiled" copy of their music with antisemitic lyrics. Named in the suit were MacFarlane, 20th Century Fox Film Corp., Fox Broadcasting Co., Cartoon Network, and Walter Murphy; the suit sought to stop the program's distribution and asked for unspecified damages.^[116] Bourne argued that "I Need a Jew" uses the copyrighted melody of "When You Wish Upon a Star" without commenting on that song, and that it was therefore not a First Amendment-protected parody per the ruling in Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc.^[117][118] On March 16, 2009, United States District Judge Deborah Batts held that Family Guy did not infringe on Bourne's copyright when it transformed the song for comical use in an episode.^[119]

In December 2007, Family Guy was again accused of copyright infringement when actor Art Metrano filed a lawsuit regarding a scene in Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story, in which Jesus performs Metrano's signature "magic" act involving absurd "faux" magical hand gestures while humming the distinctive tune "Fine and Dandy".^[120] MacFarlane, 20th Century Fox, Steve Callaghan, and Alex Borstein were all named in the suit.^[121] In July 2009 a federal district court judge rejected Fox's motion to dismiss, saying that the first three fair use factors involved—"purpose and character of the use", "nature of the infringed work", and "amount and substantiality of the taking"—counted in Metrano's favor, while the fourth—"economic impact"—had to await more fact-finding. In denying the dismissal, the court held that the reference in the scene made light of Jesus and his followers—not Metrano or his act.^{[122][123][124]}

Filmography[link]

Films[link]

Television[link]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Awards[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

	Animation portal
	Biography portal
	Family Guy portal

Media related to Seth MacFarlane at Wikimedia Commons

• Seth MacFarlane at the Internet Movie Database
• Seth MacFarlane at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
• Seth MacFarlane's channel on YouTube
• Interview on IGN.com
• Seth MacFarlane on Twitter

br />Steve

Bernhard Hugo Goetz (born November 7, 1947) is an American man best known for shooting four alleged muggers on a New York City Subway train,^[2][3][4][5] resulting in his conviction for illegal possession of a firearm. He came to symbolize New Yorkers' frustrations with the high crime rates of the early 1980s. The incident occurred on a No. 2 train in Manhattan on December 22, 1984. It sparked a nationwide debate on race and crime in major cities, and the legal limits of self-defense.^[4]

Goetz fired an unlicensed revolver five times, seriously wounding all four. He was dubbed the "Subway Vigilante" by the New York press, and was both praised and vilified in the media and in public opinion.

He surrendered to police nine days later and was eventually charged with attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment, and several firearms offenses. A jury found him not guilty of all charges except an illegal firearms possession count, for which he served two-thirds of a one-year sentence. The incident has been cited as a contributing factor to the groundswell^[6] movement against urban crime and disorder, and successful National Rifle Association campaigns to loosen restrictions on the concealed carrying of firearms.

Early life[link]

Goetz was born on November 7, 1947 in the Kew Gardens, Queens, a neighborhood of New York City, the son of Gertrude and Bernhard Willard Goetz, Sr. His parents were German-born immigrants who had met in the United States;^[7] Goetz's father was Lutheran; his mother, originally Jewish, had converted to her husband's faith.^{[8][9][10][11]}

While growing up, Goetz lived with his parents and three older siblings in upstate New York, where his father ran a dairy farm and a bookbinding business.^[12] He and his sister attended boarding school in Switzerland for high school. Goetz returned to the United States in 1965 for college, and earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and nuclear engineering from New York University.^[12] By this time the family had relocated to Orlando, Florida; Goetz joined them and worked at his father's residential development business. He was briefly married, and after his divorce moved to New York City, where he started an electronics business out of his Greenwich Village apartment.^[12]

Historical context[link]

This incident occurred during the 1980s, a time of peaking crime rates in New York City that had begun in 1966. Between 1966 and 1981, violent crime rates in NYC had more than tripled from 325 violent crimes per 100,000 to approximately 1100 crimes per 100,000 people. By mid-decade, the city had a reported crime rate over 70% higher than the rest of the U.S. In 1984, there were 2 homicides, 18 violent crimes, and 65 property thefts reported per 10,000 people. The subway became a symbol of the city's inability to control crime.^[13] In an opinion poll of New York City residents taken the month after the shootings, more than half of those surveyed said crime was the worst thing about living in the city; about a quarter said they or a family member had been a victim of crime in the last year; and two-thirds said they would be willing to pay for private security for their building or block.^[14]

While transporting electronic equipment in 1981, Goetz was attacked in the Canal Street subway station by three youths in an attempted robbery.^[15] They smashed him into a plate-glass door and threw him to the ground, permanently injuring his chest and knee.^[16] Goetz assisted an off-duty officer in arresting one of them; the other two attackers escaped. Goetz was angered when the arrested attacker spent less than half the time in the police station that Goetz himself spent, and he was angered further when this attacker was charged only with criminal mischief, for ripping Goetz's jacket.^[12][16] Goetz subsequently applied for a permit to carry a handgun, on the basis of routinely carrying valuable equipment and large sums of cash, but his application was denied for insufficient need.^[12] Despite this, he bought a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver during a trip to Florida.^[12]

Incident[link]

In the early afternoon of Saturday, December 22, 1984, four young men from The Bronx—Barry Allen, Troy Canty, and Darrell Cabey (all 19) and James Ramseur (18)—boarded a downtown No. 2 express train apparently on a mission to steal money from video arcade machines in Manhattan.^[17] When the train arrived at the 14th Street station in Manhattan, 15 to 20 other passengers remained with them in subway car 7657,^[18][19] the seventh car of the ten-car train.^[20][21]

At the 14th Street station, Goetz entered the car through the rearmost door, crossed the aisle and took a seat on the long bench across from the door. Canty was across the aisle from him, lying on the long bench just to the right of the door. Allen was seated to Canty's left, on the short seat on the other side of the door. Ramseur and Cabey were seated across from the door and to Goetz's right, on the short seat by the conductor's cab.^[19][20] According to Goetz's statement to the police, approximately ten seconds later Canty asked him, "How are you?" Goetz responded, "Fine". According to Goetz, the four men gave signals to each other, and shortly thereafter Canty and Barry Allen rose from their seats and moved over to the left of Goetz, blocking Goetz off from the other passengers in the car. By Goetz's account, Canty then said, "Give me five dollars". Canty and Ramseur testified at the criminal trial that they were panhandling, and had only requested the money, not demanded it. Cabey didn't testify and Allen took the fifth amendment.

Sequence of shots[link]

Sources differ in reporting the sequence of shots fired, and whether Cabey was shot once or twice. Following are four versions from significant or reliable sources describing the sequence of shots:

Sequence of shots with Cabey shot on the fourth and fifth shots[link]

Prior to the criminal trial, the media reported that Cabey had been shot on the fourth shot and then again on the fifth shot, with Goetz saying, "You don't look too bad, here's another." or "You seem all right, here's another."^[22] This sequence of shots was discredited at the criminal trial when it was revealed that Cabey was shot once in the left side; however, some media still reported^[23] this sequence long after the criminal trial.

Sequence of shots with Cabey shot on the fifth shot[link]

"Speed is everything," Goetz said in a videotaped statement made after he surrendered nine days later.^[20] He told police that while still seated, he planned a "pattern of fire" from left to right. He then stood, stepped clear of Canty, drew his revolver, turned back to Canty, and fired four shots, one at each man, then fired a fifth shot.^[20] At the civil trial years later he said, "I was trying to get as many of them as I could."^[24] Other sources repeated Goetz's statements to New York City police as to the sequence of shots: Canty was shot first, then Allen, then Ramseur, then Cabey.^[21][20] In the related proceeding People v. Goetz, the New York Court of Appeals summarized the incident:

It appears from the evidence before the Grand Jury that Canty approached Goetz, possibly with Allen beside him, and stated "Give me five dollars." Neither Canty nor any of the other youths displayed a weapon. Goetz responded by standing up, pulling out his handgun, and firing four shots in rapid succession. The first shot hit Canty in the chest; the second struck Allen in the back; the third went through Ramseur's arm and into his left side; the fourth was fired at Cabey, who apparently was then standing in the corner of the car, but missed, deflecting instead off of a wall of the conductor's cab. After Goetz briefly surveyed the train scene around him, he fired another shot at Cabey, who then was sitting on the end bench of the car. The bullet entered the rear of Cabey's side and severed his spinal cord.^[25]

According to his statements to police, Goetz checked the first two men to make sure that they had been "taken care of," then, seeing that the fourth man was now sitting down and seemed unhurt, said "You seem to be all right, here's another," and fired at him again.^[26] That the fourth man, Cabey, was shot only once^{[20][23][27][21][28]} was a fact not made known to Goetz or his attorneys until shortly before the trial. One bullet missed, fragmenting on the steel cab wall behind Cabey. (The missed shot would also be the basis of a charge of reckless endangerment of other passengers.)^[28]

Cabey and the "here's another" issue[link]

Cabey ended up slumped in the short seat in the corner of the car next to the conductor's cab,^[19] a lateral bullet wound in the rear of his left side and his spinal cord severed. Whether Cabey was struck by the fourth shot or by the fifth was critical to Goetz's claim of self defense; this issue was fiercely contested at trial.^[21] Medical testimony said that such an injury would render the lower half of Cabey's body instantly useless. According to the prosecution, the fourth shot missed; then Goetz shot a seated Cabey at point-blank range with the fifth. The defense theory of how Cabey ended up in the seat was that he was standing when hit by the fourth shot, then collapsed into the seat due to the lurching and swaying of the train; with the fifth shot being the shot that missed.^[20]

A summary of Goetz's statements to the police had become public two months after the incident, drawing intense media coverage. Probably most damaging to Goetz's public support and to his claim of acting in self-defense was his statement that he had said "You don't look so bad, here's another" before firing at Cabey a second time. Media concentration on the summary's more damning portions created a public mindset that a wounded Cabey was shot a second time, with the second shot taken in a premeditated and deliberate way — an impression that stood uncorrected until the criminal trial two years later.^[22] Eleven years later, at least one city newspaper was still reporting as fact that Cabey was shot twice.^[27]

At trial, one witness testified that Goetz approached to within "two to three feet" of a seated Cabey, then demonstrated how Goetz stood directly in front of Cabey and fired downward, a description that matched Goetz's published statements.^[21][20] Eight other independent witnesses testified that all shots came in "rapid succession";^[21] one of these said the firing lasted "about a second".^[20] None of the eight heard a pause before the final shot, and none saw Goetz standing in front of Cabey.^[20]

Whether Goetz actually said the words "You don't look so bad, here's another" aloud, or only thought them, is still a matter of dispute. He has subsequently denied on several occasions making the statement.^[29] In his closing summation to the jury, prosecutor Gregory Waples conceded:

In all probability, the defendant uttered these words only to himself and probably not even mouthing the words, but just saying them in his own mind as he squeezed the trigger that fifth time.^[21]

Sequence of shots with Cabey shot on the fourth shot[link]

At The Bronx civil trial Goetz testified the first shot was Canty, Allen second, the third shot missed, Cabey fourth, and Ramseur fifth. The following similar shooting sequence is from Bernie Goetz's website:

"I decided to shoot as many as I could as quickly as I could. I did a fast draw, and shot with one hand (my right), pulling the trigger prior to the gun being aligned on the targets. All actual shots plus my draw time occurred easily within 1.6 seconds or less. This is not as difficult to do as some might think, and occasionally I give a description of the technique along with a re-enactment.

The first shot hit Canty in the center of the chest. After the first shot my vision changed and I lost my sense of hearing. The second shot hit lightning fast Barry Allen in the upper rear shoulder as he was ducking (later the bullet was removed from his arm). The third shot hit the subway wall just in front of Cabey; the fourth shot hit Cabey in the left side (severing his spinal cord and rendering him paraplegic). The fifth shot hit Ramseur's arm on the way into his left side. I immediately looked at the first two to make sure they were "taken care of", and then attempted to shoot Cabey again in the stomach, but the gun was empty. I thought Cabey was shot twice after reading a media account no shots missed; I had lost count of the shots and while under adrenaline I didn't even hear the shots or feel the kick of the gun. 'You don't look too bad, here's another', is a phrase I came up with later when trying to explain the shooting while I was under the impression that Cabey was shot twice. Cabey, who was briefly standing prior to the shooting, was sitting on the subway bench during all attempted shots. The others were standing. Shortly after the shooting my vision and hearing returned to normal."^[30]

[edit] Sequence of shots, Time Magazine (April 8, 1985)

Goetz said one of the boys made gestures that may have implied he had a weapon.^[12] He rose and partly unzipped his jacket where the revolver was concealed, and plotted his "pattern of fire" for shooting them.^[12] He asked Canty what he had said, and he repeated his statement. At this Goetz unzipping his jacket the rest of the way, drew the gun, and shot Canty, hitting him in the center of the body. He then turned to shoot Allen, who had tried to flee, hitting him in the back, and then shot Ramseur, wounding him in the chest and arm.^[12] He then shot again, at Cabey, but may have missed. According to Goetz he then approached Cabey and shot him on the ground; however another witness disputed that Goetz shot Cabey a second time.^[12] In any event, all four were wounded, but survived, though Cabey was permanently paralyzed from a bullet that severed his spinal cord.^[12]

Flight and surrender[link]

The terrified passengers ran to the other end and out of the car, leaving behind the two women who had been closest to the shooting, fallen or knocked down by the exodus, and immobilized by fear. Goetz talked to them to make sure they were not injured, then was approached by the conductor of the train. Goetz stated "They tried to rob me."^[20] The conductor asked whether Goetz was a police officer, receiving the reply, "No." Some time after a brief conversation in which he refused to hand over his revolver,^[20] Goetz jumped to the tracks and ran south through the tunnel to the Chambers Street station, where he exited the system.^[21]

He went home to gather some belongings, then rented a car and drove north to Bennington, Vermont, where he burned his blue jacket and dismantled the revolver, scattering the pieces in the woods north of town. He drove around New England for several days, registering at motels under various names and paying in cash. On December 26, an anonymous hotline caller told New York City police that Goetz matched the gunman's description, owned a gun, and had been mugged previously.^[31][32]

On December 29, Goetz called his neighbor, Myra Friedman, who told him that police had come by his apartment looking for him, and had left notes asking to be contacted as soon as possible.^[16] He gave his side of the story to Friedman, and described his psychological state at the time:^[16]

Myra, in a situation like this, your mind, you're in a combat situation. Your mind is functioning. You're not thinking in a normal way. Your memory isn't even working normally. You are so hyped up. Your vision actually changes. Your field of view changes. Your capabilities change. What you are capable of changes. You are under adrenaline, a drug called adrenaline. And you respond very quickly, and you think very quickly. That's all. [...] You think! You think, you analyze, and you act. And in any situation, you just have to think more quickly than your opposition. That's all. You know. Speed is very important.

Goetz returned to New York on December 30, turned in the car, picked up some clothing and business papers at his apartment, rented another car and drove back to New England. Shortly after noon the next day, he walked into the Concord, New Hampshire police headquarters and told the officer on duty, "I am the person they are seeking in New York."^[32]

Statements to police[link]

Once the officer realized that Goetz was a genuine suspect, Goetz was given a Miranda warning and he waived his right to have an attorney present. After an interview that lasted over an hour, a Concord detective asked Goetz to consent to making an audiotaped statement. Goetz agreed, and a two-hour statement was recorded. That evening, New York City detectives and an assistant district attorney arrived in Concord, and Goetz submitted to a two-hour videotaped interview. Both interviews were eventually played back for the grand juries, the criminal trial, and a civil trial years later. When the audiotape was first played in open court, Goetz was described by The New York Times as "confused and emotional, alternately horrified by and defensive about his actions, and obsessed with justifying them."^[33]

In his statements, Goetz described his past mugging in which he was injured and the only assailant arrested went unpunished. He called New York City "lawless" and expressed contempt for its justice system, calling it a "joke", a "sham", and "a disgrace".^[4] Goetz said that when the four men he shot surrounded him on the train, he feared being "beaten to a pulp" as well as being robbed.^[34] He denied any premeditation for the shooting, something that had been speculated on by the press.^[20]

Asked what his intentions were when he drew his revolver, Goetz replied, "My intention was to murder them, to hurt them, to make them suffer as much as possible."^[26] Later in the tape, Goetz said, "If I had more bullets, I would have shot 'em all again and again. My problem was I ran out of bullets". He added, "I was gonna, I was gonna gouge one of the guy's [Canty's] eyes out with my keys afterwards", but said he stopped when he saw the fear in his eyes.^[35] At the criminal trial, Goetz's defense attorneys, Barry Slotnick and Mark Baker, argued that this and other extreme statements by Goetz were the product of emotion and an overactive imagination.

Goetz was brought back to Manhattan on January 3, 1985, and arraigned on four charges of attempted murder, with bail set at $50,000. He was held in protective custody at the Rikers Island prison hospital.^[36] Refusing offers of bail assistance from the public and from his family, he posted bail with his own funds and was released on bond January 8.^[37]

Early reports[link]

Because of the loudness of the shots inside the confined space of the subway car, there were initial witness reports that suggested the gun involved was a .357 Magnum revolver. Goetz alluded to these reports in a December 2004 interview on the Opie and Anthony radio show, saying that the first shot he fired that afternoon had been unusually loud in part because it was the first shot fired by the small-frame .38 caliber revolver after the factory tests, which "cleaned the barrel".

After the incident, rumors spread that Goetz had been threatened with sharpened screwdrivers.^[38] This rumor was published as fact by some newspapers including The New York Times;^[3][39] however, neither Goetz nor the men made any such claim. During his subsequent statement to the police, Goetz expressed a belief that none of the young men had been armed.^[40] Paramedics and police did find a total of three screwdrivers on two of the men; when Canty testified at Goetz's criminal trial, he said they were to be used to break into video arcade change boxes and not as weapons.^[3]

Public reaction[link]

"The Subway Vigilante", as Goetz was labeled by New York City media, was front-page news for months, partly owing to the repressed passions the incident unleashed in New York and other cities. Public opinion tended to fall into one of three camps: Those in the first camp tended to believe Goetz's version of the incident, that he was aggressively accosted and surrounded by the four men and feared he was about to be beaten and robbed. Those in the second camp tended to believe the version told by the four men, that they were merely panhandling to get some money to play video games. A third camp believed that Goetz had indeed been threatened, but viewed the shooting as an unjustified overreaction.

Supporters[link]

Supporters viewed Goetz as a hero for standing up to his attackers and defending himself in an environment where the police were increasingly viewed as ineffective in combating crime.^[41]

The Guardian Angels, a volunteer patrol group of mostly black and Hispanic teenagers,^[42] collected thousands of dollars from subway riders toward a legal defense fund for Goetz.^[43] The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), a civil rights organization, supported Goetz.^[44] Its director, Roy Innis, offered to raise defense money, saying Goetz was "the avenger for all of us", and calling for a volunteer force of armed civilians to patrol the streets.^[43] The prior criminal convictions of the four men (and the published accounts of such) prevented them from gaining sympathy from many people. A special hotline set up by police to seek information was swamped by calls supporting the shooter and calling him a hero.^[39][43] Harvard Professor of Government James Q. Wilson explained the broad sentiment by saying, "It may simply indicate that there are no more liberals on the crime and law-and-order issue in New York, because they've all been mugged".^[43]

Detractors[link]

Some believed the version of the incident as told by the four men, that they were merely panhandling with neither intimidation nor threats of violence. This view was later discredited when Cabey admitted in a newspaper interview that his friends had indeed intended to rob Goetz, who looked like "easy bait".^[45]

Some saw the incident as racial (Goetz was white, the four men were black), and the jury verdict as a blow to race relations. Benjamin Hooks, director of the NAACP, said "The jury verdict was inexcusable. [...] It was proven — according to his own statements — that Goetz did the shooting and went far beyond the realm of self-defense. There was no provocation for what he did." Representative Floyd Flake agreed, saying "I think that if a black had shot four whites, the cry for the death penalty would have been almost automatic".^[46] C. Vernon Mason, a candidate for district attorney and co-counsel for Cabey who was later disbarred, said Goetz's actions were racist,^[46] as did the Rev. Al Sharpton. Organized demonstrators accused Goetz of genocide.^[47] Goetz's racial language about criminal activity on 14th Street, allegedly made at a community meeting 18 months before the shooting, "The only way we're going to clean up this street is to get rid of the spics and niggers",^[16] was offered as evidence of racial motivation for the shooting. Black political and religious leaders twice called for Federal civil rights investigations.^[48] An investigation by the office of U.S. Attorney Rudolph Giuliani determined that the impetus for the shooting had been fear, not race.^[49] In an interview with Stone Phillips of Dateline NBC however, Goetz admitted that his fear was in fact enhanced due to the fact that the alleged muggers were Black.^[50]

Grand juries[link]

Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau asked a grand jury to indict Goetz on four counts of attempted murder, four of assault, four of reckless endangerment, and one of criminal possession of a weapon.^[51] Because they would have to be granted immunity from prosecution, neither Goetz nor the four men he shot were called to testify. The 23 jurors heard witnesses, considered the police report of the shooting, and studied transcripts and tapes of the sometimes conflicting statements Goetz made to police in New Hampshire.^[22][52] The jury refused to indict Goetz on the more serious charges, voting indictments only for unlawful gun possession – one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, for carrying in public the loaded unlicensed gun used in the subway shooting, and two counts of possession in the fourth degree, for keeping two other unlicensed handguns in his home.^[51] The case was assigned to Judge Stephen Crane.^{[citation needed]}

The shootings initially drew wide support from a public fearful and frustrated with rising crime rates and the state of the criminal justice system.^[41][53] A month after the grand jury's decision, a report summarizing statements Goetz made to police became public, indicating he had fired one shot at each of the four men, then checked their condition, and seeing no blood on the fourth, said "You don't look so bad, here's another" and fired again.^[22] The media now wrote of a change in the public mood^[54][55] and demanded that Goetz be tried on the attempted murder and assault charges while suggesting approaches that would allow Morgenthau to convene a new grand jury.^[56] Public figures including New York Governor Mario Cuomo raised questions based on the police summary. Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania called for a special prosecutor.^[52] Stating that he had a new witness, Morgenthau obtained Judge Crane's authorization (transcript) to convene a second grand jury, which heard testimony by Canty and Ramseur and indicted Goetz on charges of attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment and weapons possession.^[57]

Judge Crane granted a motion by Goetz to dismiss the new indictments, based on alleged errors in the prosecutor's instructions to the jury regarding Goetz's defense of justification for the use of deadly force. A second factor in the dismissal was the judge's opinion that testimony by Canty and Ramseur "strongly appeared" to have been perjury, based on later public statements by Canty and Ramseur that they had intended to rob Goetz,^[57][58] and on a newspaper interview where Cabey stated that the other members of the group planned to frighten and rob Goetz because he "looked like easy bait".^[59] The judge allowed the weapons possession and reckless endangerment charges to stand.^[58]

The New York Court of Appeals, in People v Goetz, reversed Judge Crane's dismissal, affirming the prosecutor's charge to the grand jury that a defendant's subjective belief that he is in imminent danger does not by itself justify the use of deadly force. The court agreed with the prosecutor that an objective belief, one that would be shared by a hypothetical reasonable person, is also required.^[57] The appeals court further held that Judge Crane's opinion that the testimony of Canty and Ramseur was perjurious was speculative and inappropriate.^[25] All charges were reinstated, and the case was sent to trial.

Criminal trial[link]

The case was defended by Barry Slotnick and Mark Baker. Slotnick argued that Goetz's actions fell within the New York self-defense statute. Under Section 35.15, "A person may not use deadly physical force upon another person... unless... He reasonably believes that such other person is committing or attempting to commit [one of certain enumerated predicate offenses, including robbery]."

Goetz was tried before a mainly white Manhattan jury,^[23] six of whom had been victims of street crime.^[60] He was acquitted of the attempted murder and first-degree assault charges and convicted of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree – carrying a loaded, unlicensed weapon in a public place.^[57] He was sentenced to six months in jail, one year's psychiatric treatment, five years' probation, 200 hours community service, and a fine of $5,000. He appealed, and the appellate court affirmed the conviction and ordered a resentencing for a period of one year in jail without probation. The order of the appellate court was affirmed because the trial court had not erred in instructing the jury that, if it found the People had proved each of the elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt, it "must" find the defendant guilty. This was not a directed verdict. Goetz served eight months.

Civil trial[link]

A month after the shootings, Cabey's lawyers William Kunstler and Ron Kuby filed a civil suit against Goetz.^[61] The case was tried in 1996, eleven years later, in The Bronx, with race as the dominant theme.^[62] During jury selection, Kuby asked the mostly non-white prospective jurors whether they had ever been discriminated against. Goetz admitted to previous use of racial language and to smoking marijuana laced with PCP in the 1980s.^[63] Kuby portrayed Goetz as a racist aggressor; Goetz's defense was that when surrounded he reacted in fear of being again robbed and beaten. Newspaper columnist Jimmy Breslin testified that in a 1985 interview, Cabey denied his involvement in an attempted robbery, but said that Canty, Allen, and Ramseur intended to rob Goetz.^[45]

The jury found that Goetz had acted recklessly and had deliberately inflicted emotional distress on Cabey. The Daily News stated that Goetz's decision to fire a second shot at Cabey was a key factor in the jurors' decision.^[64] The jury awarded Cabey $43 million – $18 million for pain and suffering and $25 million in punitive damages.^[65]

Goetz subsequently filed for bankruptcy, saying that legal expenses had left him almost penniless. A judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court ruled that the $43 million jury award could not be dismissed by the bankruptcy.^[66] Asked in 2004 whether he was making payments on the judgment, Goetz responded "I don't think I've paid a penny on that", and referred any questions on the subject to his attorney.^[67]

Legacy[link]

The New York State legal standard for the self defense justification use of deadly force shifted after rulings in the case. New York jurors are now told to consider a defendant's background and to consider whether a hypothetical reasonable person would feel imperiled if that reasonable person were the defendant. (Opinion by Chief Judge Sol Wachtler, People v. Goetz 68 NY2d 96 .)

After reaching an all-time peak in 1990, crime in New York City dropped dramatically through the rest of the 1990s.^[68] As of 2006^[update], New York City had statistically become one of the safest large cities in the U.S., with its crime rate being ranked 194th of the 210 American cities with populations over 100,000. New York City crime rates in the years 2000–2005 were comparable to those of the early 1960s.

Goetz and others have interpreted the significance of his actions in the subway incident as a contributing factor precipitating the groundswell movement against crime in subsequent years. While that claim is impossible to verify, Goetz achieved celebrity status as a popular cultural symbol of a public disgusted with urban crime and disorder.^[69]

Activities since the incident[link]

In March 1985, soon after being released from the hospital for the treatment of his gunshot wound, James Ramseur falsely reported to police that two men hired by Goetz had kidnapped and attempted to kill him,^[70] but was not charged in this hoax. In May 1985, Ramseur held the gun while an associate raped, sodomized and robbed a pregnant eighteen-year-old woman on the rooftop of the Bronx building where he lived, and in 1986 was sentenced to 8 ¹⁄₃ to 25 years in prison. According to the New York State Department of Corrections^[71] inmate search site, Ramseur served his sentence and was released in July, 2010. Ramseur was found dead of a drug overdose, in an apparent suicide, in a Bronx, New York motel room on December 22, 2011, the 27th anniversary of the incident on the number 2 train.^[72][73]

Barry Allen committed two robberies after the shooting, one of them a 1986 chain snatching in the elevator of the building where he lived.^[58] The second arrest, in May, 1991, brought him a sentence of three and a half to seven years for probation violation and third degree robbery. He was released on parole in December, 1995.^[74][71][75]

After a number of minor arrests for petty offenses, Canty was ordered to undergo an 18-month drug treatment program at a rehabilitation center, which he completed in 1989.^[76][75] He was later charged with assault, robbery, and resisting arrest in an altercation with his common-law wife in August, 1996, but was not convicted and did not serve time.^[77]

As of 2005^[update], Goetz was again living in New York City and had run for Mayor in 2001 and also Public Advocate in 2005. Goetz has stated that while he did not expect to be elected, he did hope to bring attention to issues in the public interest. He is an advocate for vegetarianism and the serving of vegetarian lunches in the New York City public school system.^[78] Goetz is also involved with squirrel rescue in New York.^[79] He installs squirrel houses, feeds squirrels and performs first aid.However, Goetz's treatment of squirrels has been severely criticized by New York State licensed wildlife rehabilitators specializing in squirrel and small-mammal rehabilitation. People familiar with his operation, including apparent maltreatment, while acknowledging his good intentions, have lodged a formal complaint with the state Department of Environmental Conservation.^[80] He sells and services electronic test equipment through his company Vigilante Electronics.^[81] In the 2002 film Every Move You Make, Goetz played a criminalist who teaches a female stalking victim how to use a concealed-carry weapon.

Goetz occasionally gives media interviews about the 1984 subway incident that brought him into the public eye. In 2004, twenty years after the incident, Goetz was interviewed by Nancy Grace on Larry King Live, where he stated his actions were good for New York City and forced the city to address crime.^[67] In 2010, he was interviewed for the inaugural episode of The Biography Channel's documentary show Aftermath with William Shatner.

Cultural references[link]

The Law & Order episode "Subterranean Homeboy Blues" is based on the Goetz case.

He is frequently referenced in rap music, including by Big L on Da Graveyard and Wu-Tang Clan member GZA on Clan in da Front among many others. Bill Stephney of Def Jam Records mentions Goetz in an explanation of Public Enemy's namesake: "We're all public enemies. Howard Beach. Bernhard Goetz. Michael Stewart. The Black man is definitely the public enemy."^[82]

He is mentioned in the Billy Joel song "We Didn't Start the Fire",^[83] "Hold On" by Lou Reed and "Stop That Train" by the Beastie Boys. The songs "Subway Vigilante" by Ronny and the Urban Watchdogs, "The Saga of Bernhard Goetz" by Otto von Wernherr, and "Shoot His Load" by Agnostic Front are about him.

In the David Letterman Book of Top Ten Lists, there is a list entitled "Bernhard Goetz's Top Ten Pickup Lines".^[84] He is mentioned in the film The Brave One, and in the Family Guy episode "Stewie Kills Lois".^[85] Goetz is mentioned approvingly by NBC executive Jack Donaghy in the season two episode "Subway Hero" of 30 Rock.

In a scene in the film Predator 2, a group of gang members threatens a businessman on the subway and he pulls a gun out of his briefcase, prompting half of the ordinary-looking patrons to pull out similar weapons.^[86][87]

Goetz is frequently mentioned in Criminal Minds episode 17 when the Behavioral Analysis Unit is in New York City to profile a vigilante killer.

The incident is referenced in the Forgotten Rebels song "Criminal Zero" which appeared on the 1994 album of the same name.

In the Venture Brothers episode "The Better Man" Dr. Orpheus' omnisicent Master takes the form of a middle-aged Dean Venture who bears a strong resemblance to Goetz. The likeness is intentional and confirmed on the DVD commentary for the episode.

References[link]