A dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, misbehavior, and often abuse on the part of individual members occur continually and regularly, leading other members to accommodate such actions. Children sometimes grow up in such families with the understanding that such an arrangement is normal. Dysfunctional families are primarily a result of co-dependent adults, and may also be affected by addictions, such as substance abuse (alcohol, drugs, etc.). Other origins include untreated mental illness, and parents emulating or over-correcting from their own dysfunctional parents. In some cases, a "child-like" parent will allow the dominant parent to abuse their children.

A common misperception of dysfunctional families is the mistaken belief that the parents are on the verge of separation and divorce. While this is true in a few cases, often the marriage bond is very strong as the parents' faults actually complement each other. In short, they have nowhere else to go. However, this does not necessarily mean the family's situation is stable. Any major stressor, such as relocation, unemployment/underemployment, illness, natural disaster, etc. can cause existing conflicts affecting the children to become much worse.

Edward James "Eddie" Griffin, Jr. (born July 15, 1968) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his sitcom Malcolm & Eddie along with co-star Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and his role in the 2002 comedy film Undercover Brother as the film’s title character.

Griffin was born in Kansas City, Missouri and raised by his single mother, Doris Thomas, a phone company operator. After attending high school in Kansas City, he enrolled as a biological engineering major at Kansas State University, but left after three months.

Griffin starred in many films, including The Meteor Man (1993), Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999), Double Take (2001), Undercover Brother (2002), John Q (2002), Scary Movie 3 (2003), Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005) and Norbit (2007). Later in 2007, Eddie starred alongside Steven Seagal in Urban Justice a thriller set in New Mexico. He also starred in the UPN television series Malcolm & Eddie (1996–2000).

He was ranked at number 62 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time. In 2011 Comedy Central released You Can Tell 'Em I Said It on DVD. It was 82 minutes of unedited and uncensored content.

Maria Bamford (born September 3, 1970) is an American stand-up comedian and voice actor. She is best known for her portrayal of her dysfunctional family and self-deprecating comedy involving jokes about depression. Her comedy style draws upon surrealism and incorporates voice impressions of various character types.

Bamford was born at the naval base in Port Hueneme, California, where her father Joel was serving as a Navy doctor. She grew up there and in Duluth, Minnesota, where she attended Chester Park Elementary and The Marshall School. She went on to attend Bates College, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Minnesota, where she earned a degree in Creative Writing. She started doing stand-up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at age nineteen, at Stevie Ray's Comedy Cabaret. Bamford then joined Edinburgh's improvised comedy show The Improverts. Maria has one sister, Sarah Bamford Seidelmann.

Bamford has been in a number of movies and television shows, including voice appearances in cartoons. The best-known aspect of her act are her various impersonations (including her mother and her agent). Her comedy often takes the form of vignettes rather than the comedy stand-up standard setup/punchline format.