> there's a lot you don't know about him. and all will be revealed about the dark secret side of seth macfarl"> > there's a lot you don't know about him. and all will be revealed about the dark secret side of seth macfarl" property="og:description"> > there's a lot you don't know about him. and all will be revealed about the dark secret side of seth macfarl">
>> this is "piers morgan tonight." >> there's a lot you don't know about him. and all will be revealed about the dark secret side of seth macfarlane this evening. evil genius, welcome. >> oh, we're starting. >> we're starting. i thought you were doing a promo. >> we're off and running. how do you feel about being an ooel genius? >> i'm a fairly peaceful, docile individual. evil isn't my primary goal, i'll take it. what was your original intro? >> the original intro, i just told you was tonight one of the greatest talents in the history of television family guy seth macfarlane. it was rejected. we turned it into evil genius. you started a t the age of -- >> i have no recollection of doing those which tells me that probably about 2 or 3 years old. >> barney, fred, wilma. >> looks like barney is misspelled. >> you're 3 years old. they're very good for 3. clearly a cartoon genius. >> i'm not quite sure why fred is -- waving an american flag there. >> it could be an ax. which is where the evil starts to filter through. >> wilma looks like she's ready to -- i'm not even going to go there. she's ready to make shaquille o'neal's day. >> at what point did you go for being a 3-year-old cartoonist into evil person? >> probably at about 4. i guess. >> where did the dark stuff come from? it's hilarious. >> a lot of that is my family. my cousins, my mother, a lot of people in my family had a very dark, very twisted sense of humor. >> do you -- dark isn't quite the word. you seem to be absurd and slightly sinister in everything. >> the absurd, absolutely. the sinister i think i think is something that people get from stewy and bleeds outd into the rest of the universe. >> how much of that is you? >> stewy? very little, believe it or not. >> you're a liberal. >> yes. >> you went to a conservative school. you worked for fox. i'm doing the math here. it's not adding up the right way. >> fox is a company that is schizophrenic in a lot of ways. the news division is very conservative. the entertainment division is very progressive. they really kind of keep their hands out of our business, within reason. i think at the top it's a company. i've never met rupert. i always assumed he was a businessman first and a conservative second. >> i can confirm that. absolutely. business is always first. sort of dug a little bit into politics then. let's go straight hard core. because we're heading towards an election. america is economically tanking. is this great comic value for you? are these cast of characters emerging? >> i guess rick perry or michele bachmann it would be the best possible thing to happen to comedy. >> that is dream double ticket? >> probably, yeah. my god, that would be wall to wall laughs for four and possibly eight years. but, you know, for me i constantly have to remind myself to try and see the absurd to try and look at it from a comedic standpoint. really that's what people want from me. they don't want to hear me giving my personal views on politics. it is hard not to get really, really frustrated. you saw it coming when obama was elected. people were expecting him to magically fix everything within a few years and i remember thinking that's going to go south pretty fast. because you figure eight years of damage has to take 16 years to fix, longly, i would think. it's much easier to -- somebody i think it was mr. spock said it's far easier to destroy than to create. >> it's true. >> you have to allow a lot more time. there steams so be this revisionist history that somehow this haul startsed after obama got elected. >> isn't the problem -- >> it was horrible many years before that. >> isn't the problem that obama came along as the new messiah. >> the expectation were high. >> if you didn't agree with what george bush and many americans didn't, it didn't matter because hope, change, audacity had arrived. >> people were desperate. >> the reality is it doesn't work like that as he's found out. are you disappointed by obama or do you feel he couldn't do much more? >> the only thing i'm disappointed about -- on the whole, i'm not disappointed i don't think anyone else would have any better luck given the obstructionism that the policy op obstructionism by the right wing right now. before the guy can even- he takes a breath before he can say the first word of the first idea that pops into his head, nope. can't do it. anybody who's in that position is kind of screwed. i think his flaw was that -- i all equate it to blazing saddles. not to use a black analogy. when the sheriff comes into the sheriff's office after going autoand trying to mike friends with the locals and they give him the reaction that they gave him and gene wilder says, what do you expect? in a way that's what he did. he was sheriff bart going out there in the congress and trying to make frepds. he was trying to reach across the aisle you've got to think, really? really, did you think you were going to get a response that was any different than the response you got. did you really think they were going to be your friends. they want to see you fail. it works better for them if they see you fail. that's the only thing that is kind of a colossal screw up i think. >> you said i think about rick perry. >> i'll get filleted by my republican friends for this. he was too noble. he went in, let's work together and they of course were going to have none of that. >> i think that's absolutely right. there's a slight naivety to the expectation that they would. and why would they? >> there are far worse things to say about a guy than he tried to compromise. he tried to be too collegiate. there's a lot worse characteristics in a president than that. >> when you see the gop, you've tweeted quite extensively. a governor from texas, that might be worth trying. >> i don't fundamentally dislike conservatives. i have a lot of conservative friends. and i think that at one time -- >> do you fundamentally dislike their policies. >> in 2011, yes. if this were 1955, i'd probably be the first guy, yeah, republican right here. i think we had a middle class then. now everything is going here and going here. we have the very rich and the very poor and fewer and fewer people in between and conservative policies don't work as well in that kand of an environment. it just doesn't work. and it's not that i dislike conservatives. occasionally i find myself agreeing with things now and then. >> have you dated a conservative. >> yes. >> snowingly? >> it's really angry fantastic angry sex. when you take a position such as the denial of evolution. it's not a theory. it happened. there's -- i've never gotten to do this on tv. you can zoom in on this if you want. >> who is that? >> it's stewy. >> how do you know? >> enough of the pieces are there. >> that's to me is evolution. >> the basic math adds up. climate change is -- that's still really crazy to me. to take a position of denial with regard to climate change. but if you are being really forgiving ubd at least say, all right, it's a relatively new -- we know less about climate change than about evolution. we understand more about evolution than we do about gravity. nobody questions gravity. >> when you see these tea party candidates and they're against evolution and climate change. they think gay marriage is a sin. when you see all this but you see the traction they're getting, it's quite clear probably the way the polls are going one of them will be at least either the candidate or the running mate. what do you feel this is about? >> they're angry. everybody's angry and we're looking for some place to focus our anger. that's what we do as human beings. i mean, they can't all be crazy. this can't be a mob of crazy people. they can't all be clinically insane. all i can think of is they're just getting a lot of really bad information. it's strange that we all kind of vote against our interests the conservative members of the tea party vote against their pocketbooks and i vote against my pocketbook. why do i vote for politicians who are going to tax me more. >> did you think that obama can win the next election? >> no idea. no idea. i think ultimately if the republicans -- if the republicans put up a michele bachmann then, yes, i think he can win. if they put up mitt romney, then who knows. that's a guy who is by today's standards a pretty down the middle conservative. which is kind of scary. >> he's more electable i would imagine to the mainstream. >> rick perry, i don't know, he falls somewhere in between. he's fairly extreme in his views. but he's a little bit more articulate about it. >> when i say things like that, people they tweet me in droves and say what's extreme to you, you snarky little brit. it's not extreme to millions and millions of americans. is it right -- >> what is the left wing equivalent of the tea party, would you say? >> i struggle to find one. that doesn't mean necessarily that they are out of kilter with the believes of many millions of americans. >> obama -- you can disagree with obama's economic policies. you can disagree with miss position on health care. these are gray areas. he's never done anything as crazy as questioning evolution. why? why question something that is so -- so thoroughly backed up by science? >> let's take a break. let you calm down a bit. have a class of water. with when we come back we'll talk about the birth of "family guy." later you're going to reveal the newest member of the cast. >> oh, really? >> may be news to you, that's what i'm told. >> hey, how about that? it says there's another state to abolish the death penalty. >> oh, is that right? >> it says it makes you share a pops kl with tom waits? >> what state is that? >> i don't know. looks like oklahoma chasuetts. >> when you watch that your very first proper animation, what do you think? >> not very proper. >> was that your pathetic attempt at a british accent? >> yes. it's not very good. i have yet to make any profit off of it. it's -- i look at it -- it doesn't look that much different than what i would do now. >> you can recognize it as your kind of style. even amateurish. >> the life of larry my degree film from college. most of those gags have been pillaged for "family guy." it's a very crude, very early version of "family guy" in a lot of ways. >> when you have this kind of vision, what was the ethoes going to be? has it maintained a consistency? did you have a clear idea of what eventually you would love to do in animated form? >> no. when i was in college disney was having their second golden age, "beauty and the beat"adus3pomut >> hey, how about that? it says there's another state to abolish the death penalty. >> oh, is that right? >> it says it makes you share a pops kl with tom waits? >> what state is that? >> i don't know. looks like oklahoma chasuetts. >> when you watch that your very first proper animation, what do you think? >> not very proper. >> was that your pathetic attempt at a british accent? >> yes. it's not very good. i have yet to make any profit off of it. it's -- i look at it -- it doesn't look that much different than what i would do now. >> you can recognize it as your kind of style. even amateurish. >> the life of larry my degree film from college. most of those gags have been pillaged for "family guy." it's a very crude, very early version of "family guy" in a lot of ways. >> when you have this kind of vision, what was the ethoes going to be? has it maintained a consistency? did you have a clear idea of what eventually you would love to do in animated form? >> no. when i was in college disney was having their second golden age, "beauty and the beast" had just come out and they were doing amazing movies, that that's what i wanted to do. i wanted to go and be a disney animator. then -- >> didn't work. >> i got out here and i found out that you start hearing stories that make it seem -- so i said maybe that's not for me. sensiblity wise, i had veered in a different direction by that point. i was doing stand up in college and kind of enjoying the more adult humor that that allowed me the ability to do. and at the same time the simpsons had got and lot of traction. and rewritten the rule book for primetime television animation. there was now really a whole new genre that was available to produce in. that's kind of more what i want to do. >> were you thinking simpsons only ten times for vile? >> not really. when i look at the show i don't -- i don't know. i guess it is. >> it is ten times as vile. i think we both agree. the vileness has made you the highest paid tv producer in the world. >> really? >> your contract is believed to be over $100 million? >> is that true? >> it's believed to be. that makes it true in america. >> no denial. >> thatst that's what may lawyers tell me. >> you are repulsively rich? >> i guess. i guess. >> are you motivated -- >> and a republican president, i'm going to get richer. it's going to be fantastic. >> it would help my revulsion at your fast success of wealth if you are displeasing to women, but you're not unfortunately. you must be living the life of riley. you must be -- >> nobody believes me. i have the same problems as anyone else. >> you have a problem getting a girl? >> if i was, you know, a taylor lautner walking around, it would be -- i would have no difficulty at all. >> how many times have you been turned down for a date in the last year? >> as much as the next guy. >> is there a problem with your lines? >> maybe. >> are they too unpleasant. >> i'm just as awkward and uncomfortable as i was in high school. that might be the problem. >> is that true? >> maybe that's the downside of not caring about money, you're still -- you don't gain the [ bleep ] confidence. can you say [ bleep ] on cnn. >> you just did. i think we expected it from you. i think maybe that's a problem. >> extraordinary. >> let's take another break as i reel from that confession. i'm going to talk about you as a family guy. one of the great stories about nationwide insurance, what's up ? what's vanishing deductible all about ? guys, it's demonstration time. let's blow carl's mind. okay, let's say i'm your insurance deductible. every year you don't have an accident, $100 vanishes. the next year, another $100. where am i going, carl ? the next year... that was weird. but awesome ! ♪ nationwide is on your side one of the great stories about this is you found out family guy was being picked up from your mother who had read it in the trades. which is an extraordinary story. i want to talk to you about that and your mother who i know you're extremely close to. >> mom, it's kind of cold in here. >> don't touch the thermostat, meg, your father gets upset. >> oh, come on, this this thing goes up to 90. >> who touched the thermostat? >> how does he always know. >> brain implant. every father's got one. tells you when the children play with the dial. >> my thing went off. >> my kid over here? >> forget it. >> that was the pilot of "family guy" on fox. you made it extraordinarily $50,000 as opposed to the millions it ought to have cost? . how did you do that? >> i was an animation major in college i had very good training from the rhode island school of design. i was able to sit at home and have a stack of papers and stack of magic markers and pen sils and whatnot in front of me and do it with the skills i learned in college. >> they said $50,000 or forget it. >> you had a budget. >> i was completely green. i had no credits to my name. they said, if you can do this for $50,000. we'll give you a chance. >> and then you didn't hear anything. then your phone goes early one morning and it's your mother who tells you -- >> who says, hey, your show got picked up. i said what? my mother had taken to reading the trades as i think a lot of people in hollywood have the same story. their parents start to read variety. it's hilarious they start to use terms that they don't really know, my mother could call and say now is that a go. i think the show is a go. i think it's been green lit. the -- alpha net -- green light. >> you didn't know. this is how the news was broken to you. your mother told you. how did you react? >> i mean, look, my mother was always the first to know any piece of gossip. it only stood to reason. i was very -- i was cautiously excited. of course, i double-checked wit the network. my mother was right. >> you were very close to her and she died a year ago from cancer. how important was she to your career? >> really, really -- you know, certainly from a comedy standpoint just invaluable. she was had a wickedly vicious sense of humor. there was really nothing on family guy or any of the other shows that could offend her. >> i was going to ask you that question. let's cut to the quip here, family guy you've ripped into pedophiles, to aids, you name it. even a perversion of the nicole simpson murder. you would imagine that there was not a mother in the world that wouldn't be offended by something you've done. you're el thing me your mother went along with ail this. >> she was unflappable. there was really nothing that phased her. she in fact, told me some jokes and some stories from her past none of which i can repeat on camera that shocked me. i was never able to do the reverse. she was -- and for that reason, you know, even over 60 she was really a valuable resource as any colleague or friend of mine would be. >> do you have any limits? >> there are things that are justify limits? >> whatsome. >> we wouldn't make a 9/11 joke for at least two weeks after 9/11. and now we feel -- within reason comfortable treading on that ground as do many other comics. >> how do you make that decision? >> that is just your gut. that's just sitting in a room with in the case of our writer's room about 15, very smart conscientious people who are aware of what is funny and what is going to be over the line, or at least we try to be. if we're wrong about something, we have a take where we read the script aa loud for the network, and we get a lot of groans. if we make it past that point, there's always broadcast standards who in fox's case are actually very reasonable people who genuinely care about the comedy as much as they care about not getting the network fined. >> is religion a particularly sensitive issue for networks? >> yes. >> only in america. >> in britain it wouldn't be an issue at all. >> yes. that's something that america really needs to get over. religion is an institution that for better or worse is here to stay for a while. >> and most people from most religions have a huge core humor about their religions. that's what i always find slightly perverse about you can't tell religious jokes. there are books and books and books written by jews and catholics and muslims. >> i can think of two extremely christian people who are very close friends of might be who have a great sense of humor about christianity. absolutely. i think at times, you know, the networks bow down to the most angry and the most vocal. the two folks i'm thinking of are very comfortable in their religion. they're very at ease. they have no reason to be offended. >> we're going to come back and talk about charlie sheen who you >> i can think of two extremely christian people who are very close friends of might be who have a great sense of humor about christianity. absolutely. i think at times, you know, the networks bow down to the most angry and the most vocal. the two folks i'm thinking of are very comfortable in their religion. they're very at ease. they have no reason to be offended. >> we're going to come back and talk about charlie sheen who you roasted to within one inch of your life. and your bizarre connection to 9/11. you actually through a hangover avoided on being on one of the planes that crashed into the tower. hello and happy thanksgiving weekend. i'm gary tuckman. three american college students studying in egypt are now