AN EPISODE OF the popular animated series ‘Family Guy’ has been withdrawn by its US TV network after internet users spliced clips together to create apparent references to the Boston Marathon attacks.
The episode, which had first aired only last month, showed protagonist Peter Griffin driving over competitors to win the famed marathon – and, separately, a scene where Griffin accidentally detonates a bomb when using a mobile phone given to him by a terrorist.
Clips had begun appearing on YouTube and other sites, splicing the two clips together to create a reference to Monday’s attacks at the Boston Marathon, where two bombs were detonated close to the finishing line, killing three people.
The Fox network, which airs the cult series, said the episode had now been removed from its own website and from the on-demand TV streaming service Hulu.
The show’s creator, Seth MacFarlane, said on Twitter that the edited clip was “abhorrent”.
“The event was a crime and a tragedy, and my thoughts are with the victims,” he said.
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