Family Guy sued over Jew song

Complaint over anti-semitic lyrics

The makers of Family Guy are being sued over its parody of the Disney song When You Wish Upon a Star, which has been branded anti-semitic.

Seven years ago, the animated comedy made a controversial episode entitled When You Wish Upon a Weinstein, in which head of the family Peter Griffin decided he needed to hire a Jew to look after his money.

During the episode, he sings I Need a Jew, which, the lawsuit claims, was a thinly veiled copy of When You Wish Upon a Star, with new anti-semitic lyrics.

Music publishing house Bourne, which owns the rights to the song, is seeking to stop the programme's distribution.

It accuses Twentieth Century Fox, Fox Broadcasting Co., the Cartoon Network and others of copyright infringement and seeks unspecified damages.

The episode was not aired when originally made, but has subsequently been released on DVD and aired on the Cartoon Network in 2003.

Lyrics of the song include: 'Lois makes me take the rap/Cause our checkbook looks like crap/Since I can't give her a slap/I need a Jew.' and 'Though by many they're abhored/Hebrew people I've adored/Even though they killed my Lord/I need a Jew'

When You Wish Upon A Star first appeared in the 1940 Disney film Pinocchio.

‘With its theme of wholesome hopefulness, the song has gained worldwide status as a classic,’ the lawsuit said. ‘By associating Bourne's song with such offensive lyrics and other content in the episode, defendants are harming the value of the song.’

Here are some clips from the offending episode: