Line #34 AmericanDad/TropesFToJ


1	AmericanDad/{{Tropes A to E}} \| '''Tropes F to J''' \| AmericanDad/{{Tropes K to O}} \| AmericanDad/{{Tropes P to T}} \| AmericanDad/{{Tropes U to Z}}
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3	[[foldercontrol]]
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5	[[folder:F]]
6	%%* FaceFullOfAlienWingWong: An early RunningGag replaced by NewPowersAsThePlotDemands.
7	%%* FailedAttemptAtDrama: "I'M LOOKING FOR PEACHES!"
8	%%** "DIFFERENT TYPES OF SANDWICHES!"
9	* {{Fainting}}:
10	** In the episode "Roger Passes the Bar", an attractive young woman named Charlotte comes to the Smiths' door. She tells Steve and his friends that she's legally required to inform her new neighbors that she's a registered sex offender. In her own words, she's done "an insane amount of stuff [with boys]."
11	-->'''Toshi:''' ''[in Japanese, subtitled]'' Are we talking online or the real deal?\
12	'''Charlotte:''' ''[in Japanese, subtitled]'' As real as snow melting on bamboo.\
13	'''Toshi:''' ''[faints]''
14	** Towards the end of "A Jones for a Smith", [[spoiler:Stan costs Steve a chance to be with a beautiful girl in his class named Jeanine. Her father orders Steve and his family to leave their house after Stan ruins dinner, and Jeanine shows them out by bending her leg around the back of her neck and pointing out the exit with her foot]]. Steve immediately faints.
15	* FaintInShock: Played for laughs in ''Daddy Queerest'' when Stan outs Terry as a homosexual to his homophobic father. Terry faints into his lover's arms in the girliest way possible, and Stan, drunk off his ass, calls him out on it.
16	-->'''Stan:''' That's not how a straight guy faints. This is how a straight guy faints! ''[{{faceplant}}s]''
17	%%* FairytaleWeddingDress: Hayley when she was {{Brainwashed}}.
18	* FakedFoodContaminant: In the episode "Stan's Food Restaurant", Roger poses as a customer of Stan's restaurant and tries to ruin its reputation by pretending that there is a cockroach in his salad.
19	* FakeOrgasm:
20	** Referenced in "Gorillas in the Mist". Stan and Steve are implied to be stoned in Steve's bedroom while sharing some of their "deep thoughts," and Stan opens up that he he suspects his wife, Francine, of doing this.
21	---> '''Stan''': Sometimes, I think Francine fakes her orgasms.\
22	'''Steve''': Well, [[RightThroughTheWall through the wall]], it sounds like you're slaying it.\
23	'''Stan''': Thanks, man.
24	** In "Poltergasm", the Smith house gets haunted by an apparition born from Francine's sexual frustration. Stan is outraged at the thought that his wife doesn't think he's good in bed, saying that her sex face is just like Meg Ryan's [[Film/WhenHarryMetSally in the movie]]... ''[[ExplainExplainOhCrap when she faked it]]''.
25	* FallBackMarriagePact: Stan has promised to marry his dentist in case he ends up outliving Francine.
26	* FanDumb: InUniverse, Stan becomes a fanatic of the band My Morning Jacket, revolving his life over them. When Hayley tries to show him other bands, he calls her a "musical slut".
27	* FanserviceWithASmile: The episode "Stan Time" has Mia and Sandy, two young blonde waitresses that work at diner where Roger and Steve attempt to write a porno movie. They wear revealing outfit, flirt with Roger and Steve and struggle to fix the diner's air conditioning ending in sexually suggestive situations. [[NotDistractedByTheSexy Roger and Steve are so busy with the movie they completely ignore the girls]].
28	%%** The "Hooters" expy, "Boobers", where the Smith family goes out for dinner over Hayley's objections in "Faking Bad".
29	* FantasticNirvana: In "The Enlightenment of Ragi-Baba", Roger adopts the persona Ragi-Baba and as a result creates a fictional Jonestown-type cult following, all while trying to pursue enlightenment. Hayley, who has spent most of the episode jealous of Roger's popularity and dismissive of his faux-cult, finally convinces him to meditate. In doing so, she and Roger quickly ascend to a higher plane complete with psychedelic visuals and Tame Impala's "Eventually" as the backing track. Eventually the two reach a group of fictional creatures who congratulate them on reaching Nirvana. When Roger is told he must cast aside his earthly possessions, he decides it's no longer worth it and leaves, with multiple creatures following suit.
30	* FateWorseThanDeath: Roy Family was entirely conscious the whole time he was cryogenically frozen so that he could see his park develop. According to him, it was awful.
31	* FawltyTowersPlot: Done in the space of a few seconds in "Lincoln Lover" when Stan's homophobia is uncovered:
32	-->'''Bret''': Your son stopped by the office today and dropped off this.
33	-->''[Bret holds up a picture of Stan and Pat Robertson smiling]''
34	-->'''Stan''': So it's me and hatemonger Pat Robertson. I met him at some party.
35	-->''[Bret unfolds it; it's an "Anti-Gay Palooza" pamphlet]''
36	-->'''Stan''': I was just walking through.
37	-->''[Bret unfolds it again; it was held and funded by Stan]''
38	-->'''Stan''': It was just a momentary lapse of judgment.
39	-->''[Bret unfolds it again; it's the seventh annual convention]''
40	-->'''Stan''': ''[beat]'' My mind's a blank.
41	* FauxAffablyEvil: Roger when he's in a [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative mood.]] He can act nice if he wants to be at times, before stabbing you in the back and/or abandoning you.
42	* {{Fetish}}:
43	** Bullock has a GroinAttack fetish.
44	** Steve has a [[{{Robosexual}} recurring fascination with robotic women]] that is usually treated as a real character trait rather than a joke.
45	** In "I Am The Walrus", Principal Lewis says that he works at the pottery center to pay for his watch fetish.
46	** In "Hot Tub", Stan pays quite a lot of attention to Francine's feet...
47	--->'''Cee Lo Green:''' Now he's got lady foot in his mouth!
48	* FightingBackIsWrong: Subverted in "Bully for Steve", where Steve is having bully troubles and Francine tells him that fighting back is not the answer... until she finds out that said bully is her own husband.
49	-->'''Francine:''' Steve, I've told you that violence is never the answer. ''But it's just become the answer!''
50	* FilmNoir: "Star Trek" (title of Season 2, Episode 8) includes a soft trumpet theme in the background, a [[spoiler:(seemingly) PosthumousNarration]], and heavy references to ''Film/SunsetBoulevard''.
51	* FingerSnappingStreetGang: In the episode "I Am the Jeans: The Gina Lavetti Story", the boys club "gang" parodies the finger-snapping prologue from ''Film/WestSideStory1961''.
52	* FingerTenting: Roger becomes excited when he gets the chance to do what he calls "the finger pyramid of evil contemplation".
53	* FirstPeriodPanic: A flashback shows Hayley getting her first period. She reacts with an UnstoppableRage.
54	-->''"What do you MEAN 'every month'!?"''
55	* {{Flanderization}}:
56	** Roger's antics used to be quite varied, relating to his drinking, scheming with Steve, alien biology, watching trashy reality television, etc. On later seasons, virtually everything he does is based on his role playing/dress-up obsession, and his {{Jerkass}} traits also got Flanderized to sociopathic extremes.
57	** Steve's [[LovableSexManiac obsession with losing his virginity]] and [[BrattyHalfPint bratty nature]] became his defining traits by the 9th season.
58	** Francine's bitchiness was increased in later seasons, primarily if the episode doesn't focus on her.
59	** Originally, Principal Brian Lewis was portrayed as a fairly confident educator despite having a somewhat checkered past. By the sixth season, he's often portrayed as crazy, drug abusing, and wildly irresponsible. The show often lampshades that he shouldn't be in the occupation that he's in, even implying that he's also a pedophile.
60	** Klaus became more of a ButtMonkey over time as the show [[DemotedToExtra scaled back]] on how much screentime he would get.
61	** Stan became as dumb as Peter Griffin, which stems from him falling victim to AesopAmnesia and how his antics put his family in danger every other episode.
62	** Bullock's CloudCuckooLander tendencies became much more profound as the series went on, to the point in later seasons he can be as childish as Stan himself.
63	** In his debut, Santa Claus' only motivation was to kill the Smiths after they wounded him and tried to hide his body. In subsequent Christmas specials, he has degenerated into a megalomaniacal sociopath bent on world domination.
64	* FlagBikini: Obama wears a flag speedo on the episode "An Incident at Owl Creek."
65	* FlashbackCut: In the pilot episode, flashbacks were used to provide random gags in the same fashion as the cutaway gags in ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy''. Afterwards, the writers banned cutaways in an effort to both distinguish the series from its predecessor and to focus on more character-based humor.
66	* FlashedBadgeHijack:
67	** Stan once proclaims "Official CIA business" to do this to a woman and her sports car. Before she can say anything, he grabs her and tosses her out of the car, then drives off. A moment later he returns and throws her wheelchair out next to her before driving off again.
68	** "42-Year-Old Virgin" has Stan trying to enter a carnival to catch up with the villain of the episode, a child molester who's kidnapped Steve and his friends, and arguing with the ticket booth to be let in. After driving to the store, buying a can of soda, driving back, and chugging the entire thing to get a discount on the ticket, his CIA buddies and Roger arrive, the former two getting in for free by simply flashing their CIA badges (to which Stan replies "that bums me out"). Then it's taken to parodying lengths when Roger follows them in by simply flashing his ''wallet'' and identifying himself as a wallet-owner.
69	* FlexibilityEqualsSexAbility: Steve finally scores a date with "the girl from his wet dreams", but their meeting goes sour due to Stan harassing the young woman's father. She then orders Steve to leave, showing him the exit by bending her leg behind her neck in order to point him to the door. Shocked by her flexibility and unable to cope with the fact that he came so close to sleeping with her only to be ultimately rejected, Steve faints.
70	* FlushTheEvidence: When Stan gets fired from the CIA, he takes up the job as a meter maid, much to his initial disdain. He soon discovers that collecting quarters for his own gain instead of giving them to the city earned him much more money that affords him and Francine a luxurious lifestyle. When an investigator knocks on their front door, Francine and Stan panic and start trying to flush dozens of quarters down the toilet when they think the jig is up.
71	* {{Foil}}: Stan and Jeff were both raised by really crappy parents in their youth. Stan grew up to be an ultra-conservative, JerkWithAHeartOfGold who tries to take down anything against his morals. Jeff grew up to be a decent (if CloudCuckooLander and stoner) man, being able to take any levels of abuse and doing anything to help anyone. Naturally, the two will butt heads when trying to interact.
72	%% Too vague** The relationship between Steve and Roger, with Steve usually being Roger's foil. They are similar in many ways but different enough to inevitably disagree, leading to the derailment of their schemes and usually some kind of fight.
73	%%** Stan and Hayley, who both tend to be similarly minded people on the opposite ends of the political spectrum.
74	* FollowThatCar: Subverted when Stan hops into the back of a car intending to follow out the trope as normal, only to realize after a second he's in the back seat of his own car.
75	* AFoolAndHisNewMoneyAreSoonParted: In "There Will Be Bad Blood", Stan and his half-brother Rusty are given a choice of inheritance by their grandfather: either twenty grand in cash or several acres of land. Stan tricks Rusty into accepting the land while he takes the cash. Years later, it's revealed that Rusty has made millions in mineral rights while Stan lost his inheritance. Not in stocks, gambling, or any other foolish investment, but he left it on the bus.
76	%%* ForgotICouldFly: Stan frequently forgets that he's carrying a gun. Name at least one instance
77	* ForgottenAnniversary: The episode "Francine's Flashback" is about the ''second'' time Stan forgot his anniversary.
78	* ForHalloweenIAmGoingAsMyself: In "All About Steve", Roger is so desperate for human contact that the only place he can go outside the house is a sci-fi convention. This was [[CharacterizationMarchesOn before he became]] a [[PaperThinDisguise master of disguise]].
79	* {{Foreshadowing}}: In "Finances With Wolves", Hayley stops the construction equipment from bulldozing a tiny patch of forest, but gets trampled by a herd of wildlife. One of these animals is the wolf that will later cause troubles for Roger and Steve in the episode's B-plot.
80	%%** In "Joint Custody", Stan is shown to look up to his mother as a role model, which he admits set him back quite a bit. It's not until season 3's "Oedipal Panties" that it's shown just how far it set him back. Context?
81	* FormerTeenRebel:
82	** Francine is continuously shown to have been a crazy and promiscuous party girl when she was younger until she met the ultra-Conservative Stan, whereupon ThePowerOfLove made her choose a button-down life instead.
83	** In S2 [=Ep10=] "Bush Comes To Dinner", then-President UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush brings this trope up to Stan after he angrily tells Hayley that she's a lost cause. Bush reveals that he was a very wild party boy when he was younger and that Hayley, due to her rebellious ways, is not a lost cause, but is on the track to becoming President of the United States.
84	* FormulaBreakingEpisode:
85	** ''Tearjerker'' and ''For Black Eyes Only'' are full episode ''Film/JamesBond'' parodies.
86	** ''Rapture's Delight'' is a post-apocalyptic Christmas episode.
87	** ''Hot Water'' is a MusicalEpisode featuring a murderous hot tub played by Cee Lo Green, It was [[SeriesFauxnale originally written as the last episode of the series]] due to worries that FOX may cancel it without a proper ending.
88	** ''Blood Crieth Unto Heaven'', an episode set up as a parody of the play ''August: Osage County'', featuring a live-action appearance by the voice of Avery Bullock himself, Patrick Stewart.
89	** ''Lost in Space'', a space adventure featuring Jeff Fischer (while the rest of the main cast are either not there or only appear in flashbacks).
90	** ''Of Ice and Men'': Told ''Princess Bride''-style as a fairy tale by a human Klaus years after he spent life as a goldfish.
91	** "Steve and Snot's Test-Tubular Adventure" to an extent. The third act becomes an homage to ''Film/BladeRunner'' with a prom that decorated to look like the dystopian future depicted in the movie and Stan putting on a coat like the one Rick Deckhart wore and chasing and killing clones.
92	** "Rubberneckers", another MusicalEpisode
93	** "Minstrel Krampus": A musical Christmas fantasy episode
94	** "Introducing the Naughty Stewardesses": The B-story is pretty much a whole episode parody of ''Charlie's Angels''.
95	** "Familyland": A ''Hunger Games''-meets-''Game Of Thrones''-style fantasy story that's one big TakeThat against Walt Disney, his cartoons, and his theme parks.
96	** "Blagsnarst, A Love Story": Focuses on Roger mostly and is revealed at the end to be Stan reading the family a story about how Kim Kardashian was born.
97	** "Rabbit Ears": An atmospheric, ''Series/{{The Twilight Zone\|1959}}''-esq episode revolving around Stan trying to unravel the mystery of a black-and-white television show that doesn't seem to actually exist.
98	* FourFingeredHands: Just like in ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', the human characters are drawn with only four fingers in each hand. Stan [[LampshadeHanging hangs the shade]] in "Finger Lenting Good", when he comments how he's down to seven after Bullock cuts off his pinky.
99	* FramingTheGuiltyParty: When a series of improbable events make Stan look like a wife-beating child molester, his solution is to find somebody who, while innocent, ''[[AssholeVictim deserved]]'' the punishment anyway. He winds up framing it on a co-worker of Roger's who had screwed him over. The fact that the police found (legal) neo-Nazi apparel--and that the detective in charge of the case was a ''Holocaust survivor''--was a rather handy bonus.
100	* FreezeFrameBonus:
101	** Roger's golden turd is visible in the title sequence from Season 4.
102	** In"Meter Made", Stan beats up a man giving him a parking ticket using his own memo pad. The final shot before the camera cuts to black is a first-person angle from the meter maid's perspective, with Stan slamming down the memo pad on his face; paused at the right time, one can see that two parts of the pad read "Check this box if the car is a piece of crap" and "Offense: Vehicle smells funny" respectively.
103	** In "Shell Game", at least two of the coupons in Francine's circular read "Valid only on Odd and/or Even Days Of The Month".
104	* FrenchMaidOutfit: Francine wears one in "A Smith in the Hand". A blonde stripper wears a similar outfit to Francine's in "Stan Knows Best".
105	* FriendToAllLivingThings: Francine has a singing version in "In Country... Club" [[spoiler:which is then subverted when she drowns the bird singing with her.]]
106	* FrozenBodyFluids: According to Steve, he once tried to pee behind a tree out in the forest at night during wintertime, but the stream was frozen solid.
107	* FryingPanOfDoom: Roger uses one in "Francine's Flashback" to knock out the girls because [[HeKnowsTooMuch they knew too much]].
108	* FullNameUltimatum:
109	** Hayley, Stan, and Francine all address Steve as "Steven [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Anita]] Smith" at different times, when they're pissed at him.
110	** Francine addresses her daughter "Hayley [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Dreamsmasher]] Smith"'s excessive piercings in "Stanny Slickers II: The Legend of Ollie's Gold". This is a BrickJoke -- "Dreamsmasher" having been revealed as her middle name because Stan's lifelong ambition was to find Oliver North's gold, but he was forced to put the project on hold when Hayley was born.
111	** Roger invokes this trope in "Office Spaceman". While pretending to be "photographer Parker Peters", he's hired by the CIA.
112	--->'''Bullock:''' ''[to Stan]'' You'll be answering to Peters now. Give him anything he needs.\
113	'''Roger:''' What's your name?\
114	'''Stan:''' ''[bitter]'' ... Stan.\
115	'''Roger:''' Hmm... I already know a "Stan." I'm gonna call you "Mortimer." Now run and fix me a coffee, Mortimer. ''[{{beat}}]'' ... today, Mortimer James! ''[to Bullock]'' I add the middle name when I'm disappointed in him.
116	%%* FutureImperfect: How Stan imagines life after his death in "Stanny Slickers II: The Legend Of Ollie's Gold". How?
117	[[/folder]]
118
119	[[folder:G]]
120	* GayConservative: Explored extensively in "Lincoln Lover", where Greg is revealed to be a Log Cabin Republican... and Stan temporarily becomes one.
121	* {{Geek}}: Steve, Barry, Snot and Toshi are a group comprised entirely of geeks who adore ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', ''Franchise/StarTrek'', and ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft''-esque computer games. Thankfully the show doesn't resort to making any one of them a full-time ButtMonkey.
122	* GeekReferencePool: Pretty much every stereotypical geek interest that's out there, Steve has been shown as being into it at some point.
123	* GeekyTurnOn: Akiko trick-or-treats as [[Franchise/StreetFighter Chun-Li]], which Steve finds very... happy. Though given Chun-Li's general attire, it may be a turn on in general.
124	-->'''Steve:''' Hommina hommina hommina BONER!
125	* GenderIncompetence: Averted for the most part. Stan is actually a pretty intelligent and efficient operative in many aspects, but is prone to making snap decisions and his judgement can often be clouded by his political views. Meanwhile Francine is (usually) more rational and has noticeable hidden talents and intellect, but something of a CloudCuckooLander. Likewise, neither Hayley nor Steve seems especially more intelligent or competent than the other.
126	* GeneHunting: In "Big Trouble in Little Langley", Stan gets tired of dealing with Francine's adoptive Chinese parents and goes searching for her biological parents.
127	* TheGeneralissimo: Roger briefly impersonates one of these.
128	* GenerationXerox: Stan and Hayley. Despite being polar opposites in their political and social views, they're exactly the same. They're both controlling, obsessed with being right, and tend to treat their partners like crap.
129	* GenreBlindness: Steve, who lies on the opposite side of the [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism Idealism-Cynicism]] scale to [[CrapsackWorld the rather dark series]]; for example, during the conclusion of "Brains, Brains, and Automobiles":
130	-->'''Snot:''' If only we could thank that [[ItMakesSenseInContext magic, mystery underwear salesman]].\
131	'''Steve''': Oh, I don't think we've seen the last of him...\
132	[[spoiler:[Cut to the salesman sitting in a boxcar train, pale and with a needle hanging out of his arm; he falls out of the train and into a river, where he sinks.] ]]
133	* GentleTouchVsFirmHand:
134	** Season 6 "[[Recap/AmericanDadS7E2SonOfStan Son of Stan]]", follows this conflict point by point when Stan and Francine fight over how to raise Steve. They decide things by creating a clone of Steve called Stevearino and raising each their way. Under Francine's lenience, Steve becomes a {{lazy\|bum}}, {{ungrateful\|bastard}}, {{entitled\|bastard}} JerkAss, while under Stan's hardness, Stevearino becomes a murderous psychopath. Naturally, the two come to see the value in each others' parenting style, and agree to work together more.
135	** Season 7 "Gorillas in the Mist" sees Stan deciding to go the excessively Gentle Touch route and treat Steve as more of a buddy than a son. Eventually, he learns that parents cannot afford to be BetterAsFriends with their kid, since they have to shape their well-being, and regains his Firm Hand.
136	* GeorgeJetsonJobSecurity: Stan has been suspended or lost his CIA job several times, yet he's always right back at work the very next episode. Sometimes [[ResetButton it's explained in-story]], sometimes [[SnapBack it isn't]].
137	* TheGhost:
138	** Gwen, the biological daughter of Francine's adoptive parents. Based off what we've heard she's very attractive (Stan calls her "Hot Gwen"), but also [[BrainlessBeauty very]] [[AsianAirhead stupid]]. She finally appears in the episode "Now and Gwen", and is indeed beautiful but more larcenous than stupid.
139	** For a long time, Bullock's wife fit this trope, though she was eventually seen in "One Little Word".
140	* GibberishOfLove: In "The Scarlett Getter", Stan meets his very attractive former colleague Scarlett Reynolds after 20 years without having seen her. He's so enamored with her that most of what he says to her consists of nonsense and/or disparaging comments about his wife Francine and their marriage:
141	-->'''Scarlett:''' Are you still working at the CIA?\
142	'''Stan:''' Hardly working or am I hard? I'm hard! How are you?\
143	'''Scarlett:''' Great. I left the agency after boot camp, and I know I work in the private sector.\
144	'''Stan:''' ''[laughs nervously]'' Privates!\
145	'''Scarlett:''' You look great. We've gotta catch up!\
146	'''Stan:''' Come over for dinner! I'm married, but most people get divorced these days! ''[laughs nervously]''
147	* GilliganCut: In the episode "Kiss Kiss, Cam Cam", Stan and Francine attend a baseball game together, but have trouble finding things they both like at the concession stand.
148	-->'''Francine:''' How about these gender-neutral pink baseball caps?\
149	'''Stan:''' ''[laughs]'' You're hilarious! ''[continues laughing]''\
150	''[cut to Stan and Francine in their seats, each wearing one of the pink caps]''
151	** In "It's Good to Be the Queen," Steve and Roger spend the night with a pizza delivery guy who is based on Jesus. Steve becomes his disciple while Roger is dismissive. When Mitch brings Roger on a delivery, there's this exchange.
152	-->'''Roger:''' ''(sarcastically)'' Oh, this is gonna be totally life-changing.\
153	''(cut to Roger and Mitch leaving the house)''\
154	'''Roger:''' ''(wide-eyed)'' That was totally life-changing!
155	* GirlOnGirlIsHot: Subverted in the episode "Star Trek":
156	-->'''Steve:''' ''[narrating]'' I had rooms filled with the finest antiquities. Rooms devoted to girl-on-girl action. ''[Steve walks into a room with two beautiful, scantily-clad women playing a game of chess]'' ... scintillating.
157	* GladIThoughtOfIt: The CIA telethon episode.
158	* GlassesCuriosity: In "Don't Look a Smith Horse in the Mouth," Francine yanks Steve's glasses off his face and asks if she looks smart in them when she and Stan come home drunk one night.
159	* AGlitchInTheMatrix: In "The Vacation Goo", Francine thinks the fact that [[DidNotGetTheGirl Steve]] has an attractive girlfriend is proof that she's [[DreamSequence not in the real world]].
160	* GodwinsLaw: Invoked by car salesman who's just been framed by Stan, and revealed to be a member of the Aryan Brotherhood:
161	-->'''Car salesman:''' What do you think this is, Nazi Germany? Oh wait, that'd be AWESOME!
162	* GoingNative: Stan often ends up going full throttle into any subculture he is thrust towards, such as illegal street racing or gay lifestyle. Francine [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this in "Stan of Arabia".
163	* GoneHorriblyRight:
164	** In "Pilot", Stan helps Steve woo the girl of his dreams by pretending to be a thief stealing her purse so Steve apprehends him. Stan goes all out into his role and pretty much leaves Steve in the dust, and several lodged glass pieces all over Stan's face.
165	** In "The Boring Identity", Francine [[spoiler:gets Stan to act kinder and more sensitive by telling him that he's a wonderfully nice person (as opposed to the JerkWithAHeartOfGold, at best, that he really is) after he suffers from amnesia]]. The plan works perfectly... [[spoiler:until Stan breaks up with Francine because he feels they're not compatible]].
166	** In "[[Recap/AmericanDadS7E2SonOfStan Son of Stan]]," Stan clones Steve and tries to prove Francine he can raise "Steve-arino" into a better child using tough love and boot-camp-like nurturing to turn into a super child while Francine's HandsOffParenting turns the original Steve into a jerkass slob. Later, Steve-arino disappears, leaving a note saying he couldn't handle Stan's harsh parenting. However, it then turns out Steve-arino kidnapped Steve and took his place to live a good life under Francine's parenting, except Steve-arino ended up somehow becoming incredibly devious with a fascination of abusing and beheading cats and ''eating'' their heads. Stan himself [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] how every time he trains someone it comes to bite him in the ass.
167	** "The Missing Kink" focuses on Francine's attempts to open Stan's mind sexually after he refuses to spank her in bed because it's "sinful." [[spoiler:She succeeds, and Stan becomes crazed with sexual passion to the point where there's apparently nothing he won't try]].
168	--->'''Stan:''' I've got to bring Francine home and let her know I've found my kink!\
169	'''Roger:''' I'm proud of you, Stan. So, which kink is it?\
170	'''Stan:''' [[spoiler:All of them]]!\
171	'''Roger:''' Uh-oh.
172	%%* {{Gonk}}: The Summoner from "Lost in Space."
173	* {{Gorn}}: Has indulged in this since the early 2010s, and most of the time it is ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' levels of going too far.
174	* GoshDangItToHeck: In "Ricky Spanish":
175	-->'''Roger''': What the Dickens? I thought you knocked him out, Daniel. ''[shaking fist]'' [[LargeHam WHAT THE DICKENS?!]]
176	* {{Goth}}: Debbie Hyman (see PerkyGoth below) is the de facto leader of a brood of goths, who haunt a candlelit stairwell, and believe that dancing to Joy Division is enough to halt a stampede of jocks.
177	* GrailInTheGarbage: In "Return of the Bling", Roger finds what is apparently the One Ring near the site of a plane crash...and then promptly throws it away.
178	-->'''Roger:''' It turns you invisible in the middle of nowhere? What good is that? Where were you when I farted at Danny's wedding?
179	* GrandfatherClause: The "Terror Alert" indicator on the family Fridge is a relic from the [[TurnOfTHeMillennium 2000s]], but is still there in the [[TheNewTens 2010s]] despite the fact that Obama retired it. In newer episodes it's missing its arrow as a subtle joke.
180	* GranolaGirl: Hayley.
181	* GratuitousSpanish: That weird song Roger listens to during the chase scene in "Roy Rogers [=McFreely=]", which is set to the tune of the Mexican Hat Dance and full of nonsensical Spanish phrases.
182	* GretzkyHasTheBall: One newspaper gag reads "Girlfriend Dumped After Asking 'Who's in World Series Bowl?'"
183	* GreyAndGrayMorality: Stan vs his conscience in "Cock of the Sleepwalk". In the end it’s hard to know who to root for as while Stan did [[WellIntentionedExtremist intentionally put his family in danger to prove a point]]. Good Stan’s approach would have eventually ruined them financially. This also leads to another BrokenAesop about how Stan is the only one in the family who isn’t allowed to spend money excessively.
184	* GroinAttack:
185	** Stan and Steve are subjected to one every now and then, usually by each other for ruining a father-son moment by mentioning it. Stan's special CIA martial arts training specifically focuses on kicking people in the groin.
186	** Francine chops Stan in the nuts when the two of them playfully dash down the stairs to go answer the door. She said he answered it the last time, and it was her turn.
187	--->'''Francine:''' Cup check!\
188	'''Stan:''' ''[huddled over in pain on the floor]'' Punk!
189	** Also invoked in "Stanny-Boy and Frantastic" about four times.
190	* GrossoutFakeout: In the episode "Iced, Iced Babies", Stan gets a vasectomy and upon finding out, Francine, who wants to have another baby, heads to a cold storage center to get Stan's frozen sperm samples. When Stan tries to stop her, Francine pulls out a gun and [[ExactlyWhatIAimedAt shoots a huge storage tank]], resulting in Stan seemingly being washed away by a gigantic wave of semen... until she realizes that she accidentally got the wrong room, and was at a milk research center, with the sperm bank being in the next room.
191	* GroundhogDayLoop:
192	** The episode "Father's Daze" has Stan subjecting the family to this. Unlike other examples, which have a technobabble or supernatural explanation, Stan simply wipes the memories of Francine, Hayley, and Steve every night or when they make a mistake, forcing them to redo Father's Day. By the time he's finally confronted on this, due to not wiping Klaus' memory, it's already well-past Christmas in real time.
193	** The later episode "Yule. Tide. Repeat" has Stan's family being killed in the explosion of a giant Christmas tree at the mall catching fire. He finds a magic fortune cookie that sends him back to before a janitor pulled him out of the path of a train and gets five minutes to save his family, being sent back to before the train after every failed attempt.
194	* GrowlingGut:
195	** This happens to Stan, Roger, and Hideki in "Independent Movie", not from hunger, but because their guts were telling them how to be successful in their new invention idea.
196	** It happens to Roger again at the beginning of "Wheels and the Legman and the Mystery of Grandpa's Key" due to the restaurant Roger ate at prior to the episode.
197	* GrubTub:
198	** In one episode, Steve briefly becomes fantastically wealthy and fills a pool with jello...into which Roger shoves Steve's lookalike, causing him to asphyxiate.
199	** PlayedForHorror in [[Recap/AmericanDadS3E2TheAmericanDadAfterSchoolSpecial "The American Dad After School Special"]] when Stan unknowingly contracts anorexia. He fools the family that he's properly eating the food on this plate by disposing most of it in the family pool and keeping it covered up so nobody would see it. Francine only discovers it when she gets knocked into the pool and just barely manages to get out before she gets covered up by the automated cover.
200	* GunsAkimbo: Roger vs. the drug dealers. Stan has done the double once or twice too. Francine even [[DualWielding dual wields]] machetes in the pilot. ("If I die you must protect the clan!")
201	* GunTwirling:
202	** Of all the characters in the show to employ this trope, it's not the {{trigger happy}} Stan or any of his CIA co-workers. In the episode "Lincoln Lover", [[CampGay Greg]] performs a song and dance about how people such as himself can be both gay and Republican. He twirls revolvers that he uses to light a candle, explaining that, per the theme of the song, he likes guns (Republican values) and also scented candles (gay culture values).
203	** Roger goes through a "fashion montage" in the episode "Joint Custody", trying to decide which alien bounty hunter character he should use while hunting down Jeff. He dresses up as [[Franchise/StarWars Boba Fett, Greedo]], and a Franchise/{{Predator}}. While dressed as Boba Fett, he twirls his gun while looking at himself in the mirror.
204	[[/folder]]
205
206	[[folder:H]]
207	* HairTriggerSoundEffect: A wolf howl could be heard every time a character mentioned Karl Rove howl during "Deacon Stan, Jesus Man". Stan and Steve can both hear it, flashing a look of wonder and worry in their eyes.
208	* HandWave: Stan has an extreme [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes fear of seagulls]]. The plot of "Choosey Wives Choose Smith" requires him to interact extensively with seagulls. How to solve the problem?
209	-->'''Stan:''' Hey, there is good news. I overcame my fear of seagulls. ''[casually takes a bite out of a dead seagull]''
210	* HappilyMarried: [[spoiler: Hayley and Jeff]]. The events of the 2010 Christmas episode indicate it may actually last.\
211	\
212	By the end of season 6, [[spoiler: this one has been averted and played straight in regards to [[StatusQuoIsGod status quo.]] Averted in that they're still married and have overcome a few marital issues, and played straight in that the show rarely brings up the fact that they are indeed married (on the infrequent occasions that Hayley and Jeff even appear at all). It's shown that Jeff has seemed to move in with the Smiths, and sleeps in Hayley's room, but most of the time he's nowhere to be seen.]]
213	* HappinessInSlavery: Paco and his '''entire family''' while working far below minimum wage in Stan's "American Dream Factory". Notably, the relationship changes from Stan not caring to one of great appreciation when he sees how much they love his country, whereby he decides to do them a favour.
214	* HappyHolidaysDress: The blue, winter themed dress the Ghost of Christmas Past (formerly a tooth fairy) wears.
215	* HardTruthAesop:
216	** "Daddy Queerest" has Terry's dad coming to visit him, then discovering he's gay and disowning him. After the characters scramble to convince him to accept homosexuals, he says "I know it's not dangerous. I know it isn't something that can be changed. I just don't like it." The moral is, "Not every bigot has ignorance as an excuse. Bigots will be bigots no matter what you say to them, and sometimes they're people you love".
217	** Parodied in "Shallow Vows", where Stan and Francine realize that they're both horribly shallow,[[note]]Stan only loves Francine for her looks, while she married him so she wouldn't have to work[[/note]] but declare that it works [[AtLeastIAdmitIt because they're honest about it.]]
218	* HeadPet: In the episode "Rough Trade", Hayley adopts a pack of monkeys after rescuing them from a product testing lab. When she walks in to an early scene, one of the monkeys is perched atop her head.
219	-->'''Roger:''' Hey, look, that monkey has a Hayley on its ass!\
220	''[{{beat}} as no one laughs]''\
221	'''Roger:''' ... oh, go to Hell.
222	* HealingHands: Spoofed in the pilot when Roger reveals his race have no such ability:
223	-->'''Roger:''' And don't expect me to bring him back with that [[Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial E.T.]] finger thing because that's a giant load of crap!
224	* HealingPotion: Roger uses one on Stan to regrow his legs, after they've been bitten off by a [[BearsAreBadNews polar bear]].[[note]]Season 6, episode 12, "You Debt Your Life".[[/note]]
225	* HenpeckedHusband: Buckle the MountainMan, married to Shari, a stereotypical nagging Jewish housewife. She constantly complains about anything that she can think of, belittles Buckle, and overall, she treats him like dirt. Buckle simply takes it in stride.
226	* {{Hentai}}:
227	** Referenced in the episode ''Iced, Iced Babies'', where [[spoiler:Stan goes to have a vasectomy from a Japanese company, and is asked if he wants to bank some sperm just in case; in addition to a sample cup,]] Stan is offered two magazines: "[[BuxomBeautyStandard Buxom Octopus Woman]]" and "[[CatholicSchoolGirlsRule Disobedient School Prefect]]".
228	** In another episode Stan hides in a whale's skeleton:
229	--->'''Stan:''' Let me outta here! ''[holds up a dead squid]'' Squidface does horrible things to me during lights out! ''Unspeakable things!''
230	* HighlyConspicuousUniform: Stan, in a strange variation. He doesn't wear non-camouflaged clothes when the opposite would be appropriate; he wears camouflage or monochrome uniforms in situations during which they don't help at all. Stan is married to his job, so it comes through in his everyday life when he sometimes dresses like a soldier to accomplish mundane tasks. In the episode "Widowmaker", for example, he changes into an all-black sneaking suit with a balaclava while trying to avoid being seen by Francine and her friend while they're talking in the kitchen, even though it's the middle of the day. Unsurprisingly, Francine notices Stan in the room without even looking in his direction.
231	* HillbillyMoonshiner: One of the Christmas specials has Roger learning how to make moonshine from a hillbilly named Bob Todd after his alcoholism gets so bad that the stuff at the liquor store can't satisfy him. The liquor store clerk told him the guy was a blind four-armed satyr, which he isn't but the hallucinations from his booze make him look like that.
232	* HistoricalCharacterConfusion: Stan tries to encourage his son and says:
233	-->'''Stan:''' Just look at Helen Keller. Deaf, dumb and blind, and she wrote that whole diary in her little attic during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. She doesn't sound so dumb to me.
234	* HistoricalInJoke:
235	** Ever wondered if George Washington Carver ''really'' invented peanut butter? See "Black Mystery Month". There are other allusions throughout the show too, such as the truth behind Ollie North's gold, Reagan's assassination attempt and the rise and fall of disco music in the 1970s.
236	** Also played with in "The Best Christmas Story Never". Stan goes back in time to stop Creator/JaneFonda from ruining Christmas and inadvertently sets in motion a chain of events which leads to America being taken over by the Soviets. To put the timeline right, he must [[spoiler:shoot President Reagan]].
237	** In this universe, Francine, after having a one-night stand with apparently the entire band, inspired Dexys Midnight Runners to write the song "Come on Eileen" (they couldn't remember her name).
238	* HitchhikersLeg: When Roger is trying to get a ride with Stan. It didn't work, so Roger flung himself at a car to get it to stop.
239	* HoistByHisOwnPetard:
240	** In one episode, Hayley needs internship credits and works at Roger's bar in the attic; when Roger refuses to sign her papers, the two get into an InstantCostumeChange battle, rapidly cycling through personas. Hayley resolves the conflict by dressing as Roger and saying "I'll never sign your form, Hayley!", prompting Roger to dress as Hayley and say "Well then I'll just forge your signature!" After she walks off with the signed form, Roger asks "What just happened? Did I win?"
241	** In "May the Best Stan Win", Stan defeats [[FutureMeScaresMe Cyborg Stan]] using one of the ludicrous made-up martial arts moves that Cyborg Stan taught him to keep Stan busy so he could try to steal Francine.
242	* HollywoodProvincialism: At least two episodes feature characters buying Chocodiles at the store. Since the mid-90s, Chocodiles have only been available on the West Coast (the show is set in Virginia).
243	* {{Homage}}:
244	** Steve's plan in "Bar Mitzvah Shuffle" is presented in the exact same fashion as plans are presented in ''Film/OceansEleven''.
245	** The poison drinking scene in "With Friends Like Steve's" is a direct nod to ''Film/ThePrincessBride''.
246	** In "I Can't Stan You", Stan sends people to the [[Franchise/TheTwilightZone corn field]] motel when he overhears them criticizing him.
247	** The plot of "Hot Water" references ''Theatre/LittleShopOfHorrors'', made obvious by the name of the store Stan buys the tub from -- Little Shop of Hot Tubs.
248	** "Independent Movie" is a bit of this and a bit of DeconstructiveParody to American independent movies. They use tropes and cliche plots (the plot of the story being basically Steve and his friends decide to take Snot on a road trip to get to his distant father's funeral) to play with them, but also takes its care including shots and sequences that wouldn't be in any other episode but this one.
249	* HopeSpot: After being kidnapped by Principal Lewis who wanted to commit suicide with Steve by driving off a cliff, Roger (apparently) uses his power of worry to help the car float to the other side of the canyon. [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment Cue a blond Lewis and black Steve look-alikes on the other side of the canyon driving their car off and colliding with Lewis and Steve in midair.]]
250	* {{Housewife}}: Francine is an extreme parody of this. In the Thanksgiving episode she was obsessed with having the most number of burners on her stove, and upon entering an enormous magnificent mansion, all she can think about are the burners.
251	* HowIsThatEvenPossible: In "Joint Custody", Stan asks why can't Jeff live with his own family instead of leeching off the Smiths. Hayley tells him that he hasn't spoken to his father in years and [[RuleOfFunny his mother ran away]] [[BeyondTheImpossible before he was born]]. Dumbfounded, Stan asks "How... how could she do that?"
252	* HoYay: An InUniverse example kicks off the plot of "Lincoln Lover"; Stan makes a play about Lincoln's bodyguard. He intends the characters to be HeterosexualLifePartners but includes lines like "I was his bodyguard...and he was my everything!" and ends with him recreating the famous scene from Film/TheBodyguard with Music/WhitneyHouston's "I Will Always Love You" playing. It's a smash hit with the local GayConservative community.
253	* HugAndComment: Roger does this to Francine.
254	-->'''Francine''': ''[hugging Roger]'' Oh, Roger! You're back.\
255	'''Roger''': And you're starting to get lunch lady arms.
256	* HughMann: After tricking Stan into switching bodies in "Da Flippity-Flop", Klaus claims that he'll be able to flawlessly impersonate him. However, after saying only "Hi!" to Francine and Hayley, they immediately know what's happened.
257	* HumongousMecha:
258	** In "Rough Trade", complete with BillionsOfButtons. Stan has no hope of piloting it, since his [[AllThereInTheManual manual]] was destroyed by [[SillySimian monkeys]]. Monkeys [[ItMakesSenseInContext with amazing hair]].
259	** Francine has also has an encounter with one in "1600 Candles" when she [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJpV9AkGimQ uses brownies as leverage and excites Stan's co-worker.]]
260	** [[spoiler:Francine]] uses one to fight [[spoiler:[[ItMakesSenseInContext Stan's teenage female avatar]]]] during the episode "Virtual In-Stanity".
261	* HurricaneOfPuns: Frequent in Wheels and the Legman parts, such as when they interrogate Klaus:
262	-->'''Roger''': Something about your story seems... ''fishy''.\
263	'''Steve''': [...] Klaus, you’re going to face the ''scales'' of Lady Justice!\
264	'''Roger''': We know you’re ''gill''-ty!\
265	'''Steve''': Like it or not, fish, you’re ''on the hook'' for this one!\
266	'''Roger''': Your days of crime are ''[=H2Over=]''!\
267	'''Steve''': [[LampshadeHanging That doesn't even make sense!]]\
268	'''Roger''': [[DontExplainTheJoke Fish live in water!]]
269	* {{Hypocrite}}: In "100 A.D.", Francine is beyond pissed off when she finds out that [[spoiler:Jeff Fischer is willing to break up with Hayley for $50,000]]. In a previous episode ("Chimdale"), Francine almost let Hayley ''die'' for $1,800.
270	* HypocriticalHumor:
271	** [[FatIdiot Barry]] has commented on Debbie's weight a few times and once said that fat people disgusted him.
272	** "We get it! You're a Jewish farmer!" says Toshi, whose entire bit of humor centers around him playing out every Japanese stereotype imaginable.
273	** Hayley herself is not so different from her dad in the early seasons. In one episode, she complains about how the mall is making people materialistic, and demands that the family text her on her sidekick when they're done shopping.
274	** In "Stannie Get Your Gun", Stan and his NRA buddies recite a pledge about how they will always be vigilant in protecting their neighbors, while Terry is outside pleading for help as someone makes away with his CD collection.
275	[[/folder]]
276
277	[[folder:I]]
278	* ICallItVera: Stan's gun's name is Gun.
279	* IBangedYourMom: Used as a RunningGag when Stan becomes Steve's bully to toughen him up. Done to the point that even Francine does it, referring to herself.
280	* ICanExplain:
281	-->'''Francine:''' Oh, has my pie fairy godmother finally arrived? ... Hayley?\
282	'''Hayley:''' Mom! It's not what it looks like. I was cooking meth!\
283	'''Francine:''' Oh really? Then where's your muriatic acid?
284	** In "Phantom Of The Telethon", when Stan and co get excited about torturing a terrorist:
285	-->'''Stan''': I get to strap him to the waterboard!\
286	'''Dick''': I get the car battery!\
287	'''Sanders''': I wanna slather him in oil and make love to him all night long! ''[he realizes people are looking]'' Oh, [[FridgeLogic I'm on the phone.]]
288	* IdiotBall:
289	** [[ItMakesSenseInContext "If they find out that potato salad had alien breast milk, I'll never be deacon!"]] Uh, Stan, if they find out you have an alien ''at all'', you'll go to jail for treason, which you yourself have acknowledged in episodes such as "Office Spaceman". And you seem to have done a good job of keeping that under wraps for the past four years.
290	** Steve is in "I Ain’t No Holodeck Boy" after seeing just how horrific his dad's life truly was and realizing that the only thing keeping him sane was Herculean levels of self-denial. Steve decided it would be a good idea to break his dad of that nostalgia.
291	** In the secondary plot of "My Purity Ball and Chain", Hayley, Jeff, Klaus and Roger decide to build a slide and end up in trouble when a stranger called Kyle rode down it and landed a car, killing him. They hide the body and Roger has to ride the slide to prove that it's harmless, only to horrifically get scarred from the back but the agent believes him and removes them as witnesses. Why didn't just say they built a slide but decided to destroy it when they realised it was too dangerous? Kyle broke into the yard, ignored Klaus' warnings and killed himself because of it.
292	** Oh, sure, Stan. Go ahead and rest your eyes while you're still driving your car. I'm sure that won't result in you nearly going off the road, or leaving Steve leaning out the open car door so that his head winds up killing a poor innocent hare.
293	* IfIWantedXIWouldY
294	* IgnorantAboutFire: In season 9 "The Longest Distance Relationship", when Hayley is moping in for room due to the one-year anniversary of Jeff's abduction thanks to Roger, Francine suggest she sees a therapist but Stan said he has a way to "smoke her out". This results in their house being burned down and Hayley getting hospitalized.
295	-->'''Francine:''' Stan! What were you thinking?!\
296	'''Stan:''' Well, first I thought I smoke her out with a controlled fire. Then I lit the fire. Then I thought, "I don't know how to control fire."
297	* IHaveBoobsYouMustObey: Francine uses this trope several times in S5 [=Ep07=], "My Morning Straitjacket" to get Stan backstage at a concert. A montage shows her flirting and flashing her way past several levels of security (including a lesbian security guard).
298	* IHaveNoSon:
299	** Stan disowns Steve upon realizing that he is a total {{Geek}}. He's also done the same to Hayley more than once.
300	** Inverted when they think Roger died, Stan acts like a jerk about it, and Steve shouts "I ''have'' no father!"
301	* IJustWantMyBelovedToBeHappy:
302	** While Stan doesn't exactly treat Francine brilliantly a lot of the time, whenever he believes she may be happier with someone else he is willing to let her go. [[StatusQuoIsGod Naturally it always works out however]].
303	** Hayley plays this trope straight when [[spoiler:Snot (believe it or not)]] breaks up with her.
304	* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight:
305	** In "Honey, I'm Homeland", [[spoiler:Hayley]] tries to break [[spoiler:Stan's radical anti-capitalist brainwashing by reminding him of times that she pissed him off with her leftist, hippie lifestyle, such as when she filled his gas tank with sugar so he'd be forced to bike to work, and when, for Career Day, she told her class that he introduced crack and AIDS to the ghetto]].
306	** Played with nicely in "Haylias", in which a brainwashed Hayley turns on Stan and chases him back to their house. Stan tries to reason with her as she holds him at gunpoint, making a last gambit with a heartfelt confession and apology on trying to control her happiness. It fails, she proceeds to shoot him anyway mid-sentence. Luckily for Stan, he manages to survive with just a concussion, with the brush of death he had allowing the program in Hayley to be completed and bringing her back to normal with no memory of the true reason she was trying to kill him.
307	** Taken to literal lengths by Francine towards Stan, who has amnesia, in the episode "The Boring Identity". To help Stan remember that he works for the CIA, she attempts to trigger his self-defense instincts... by pummeling him with punches and kicks, hoping that he'll fight back on reflex alone ("[[GenreSavvy Like]] in Film/TheBourneIdentity!"). [[spoiler:[[WrongGenreSavvy He doesn't]], and the guests at the wedding they're attending are horrified at Francine's beatdown on Stan]].
308	** Said word for word by Stan to Bond-girl parody Sexpun T'Come in the episode "For Black Eyes Only", after his former wife has been cloned and "Blacked up" in the words of the main antagonist, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Black Villain]].
309	* ImmortalBreaker: After dying and losing [[CelestialBureaucracy a court case in Heaven]] in "The Most Adequate Christmas Ever", Stan flees and threatens to kill angels with a normal gun, which would be ineffective against immortals. Then, he pulls out a Heaven Gun, which is golden in color and can shoot TechnicolorMagic bullets that can kill anyone.
310	* ImmuneToFire: Roger is set on fire in "[[Recap/AmericanDadS4E4BigTroubleInLittleLangley Big Trouble in Little Langley]]". Though he screams in shock and discomfort, he survives the incident without any injuries other than a slightly darker skin, and is amazed to discover that he is fireproof. A similar event occurs in "[[Recap/AmericanDadS7E4StansFoodRestaurant Stan's Food Restaurant]]", when Roger's face is burned by a blowtorch, but he only reacts with mild annoyance.
311	* ImprovisedLockpick: Subverted "Portrait of Francine's Genitals". When Roger is hiring a crew to help Stan steal a portrait of Francine's genitals from an art museum, he hires a Belgian locksmith named Claude Verdeer, who has the smallest fingers in the world. It looks like he is about to use his small fingers to pick the lock on the entrance, but then he pulls out a drill to use on the lock instead.
312	* INeverSaidItWasPoison: Spoofed in "Black Mystery Month." Steve goes to the museum, only to find that it's a crime scene and the detective gets incredibly suspicious when Steve mentions details that are ''clearly visible''.
313	-->'''Detective:''' I'm afraid the curator has been murdered.\
314	'''Steve:''' Oh my God, someone killed him?!\
315	'''Detective:''' Funny, I never said he was murdered.\
316	'''Steve:''' Yes... yes, you did. God, he's wedged into the mouth of a giant bust of George Washington Carver!\
317	'''Detective:''' That's classified, how do you know that?\
318	'''Steve:''' Uh, I can see it from here.\
319	''[the detective takes half a minute confirming that the body is visible from where Steve is standing]''\
320	'''Detective:''' Okay, that checks out.
321	* IdiotBall:
322	** In "Stannie Get Your Gun," Stan stages a robbery at the house to motivate Hayley into firing a gun. It all goes smoothly...until Stan and the "robber" celebrate their successful ploy right in front of the house. Where Hayley can clearly see and hear them.
323	** In "Stan of Arabia", Francine goes to jail for a variety of Muslim related charges (revealing too much skin, singing, dancing etc) ALL of which could have been easily avoided had Francine retained some of that common sense [[OnlySaneMan she]] usually has.
324	* IgnoreTheFanservice: In one episode, Francine tries to sweet talk some CIA scientists into giving her a top-secret formula. She tries brushing the straps of her dress off her shoulders, and shimmying off her panties and tossing them at the scientists, but they don't react at all. When she mentions she has ''brownies'', however... [[LargeHam BROWNIES!!]]
325	* ImagineSpot: Director Bullock has one of these in the season five episode, G-String Circus:
326	--> '''Bullock''': ''[to Stan]'' The "C" in "CIA" doesn't stand for "crestfallen." ''[to himself]'' [[CuteKitten But what if it stood for cat?]]
327	* ImmediateSelfContradiction:
328	** Stan is at a nightclub trying to pick up women in the episode "When a Stan Loves a Woman" ([[spoiler:[[ItMakesSenseInContext Francine had divorced him so he could have sex with another woman]]]]):
329	--->'''Stan:''' ''[sees a beautiful woman]'' Target identified. Time to turn on the charm. ''[walks up to her]''\
330	'''Woman:''' Hi, I'm--\
331	'''Stan:''' INTERCOURSE! I'M GOING TO HAVE INTERCOURSE WITH YOU!
332	** During the episode "Dungeons and Wagons":
333	--->'''Klaus:''' Please, let me play!\
334	'''Steve:''' I don't think you're ready yet.\
335	'''Klaus:''' Not ready? I've been watching you for four years!\
336	'''Steve:''' Night time! ''[places a sheet over Klaus' fishbowl]''\
337	'''Klaus:''' I'm not a parrot! That trick won't work on-- ''[snores]''
338	* IncestSubtext: Hoooo boy. Virtually every member of the Smith household has had at least one scene built on this trope, and more often than not it's a great deal more than subtext. Comes to a head in "Virtual In-Stan-ity" when [[spoiler: Stan takes control of a (robot) girl's body and tries to sleep with Steve (!) to get closer to him]].
339	* IncurableCoughOfDeath: Hayley coughs early in "Tears of a Clooney"; minutes later[[note]]Minutes from our perspective, [[TimeSkip months from theirs]][[/note]], she is suddenly stricken with cancer (though she ultimately beats it).
340	* IndecisiveParody: Several episodes don't seem to know whether to play the Aesop straight or mock it. Almost any episode involving Hayley and Roger heavily lampshade their hypocrisy and Jerkass tendencies for laughs for example, but Stan learning to respect them is still usually played straight.
341	* InferioritySuperiorityComplex:
342	** Stan is deeply arrogant and self-assured, but he puts a lot of stock into gaining the validation of others. In "I Can't Stan You", learning that he was not beloved by his neighbors as he believed he was caused him to break down, eventually driving him to have the whole neighborhood (and his family) relocated so he wouldn't have to endure their "criticisms". This trait is also brought up in "Chimdale" and "An Incident at Owl Creek", with Stan even stating in the former his belief that other people's opinions of you matter more than anything.
343	** Roger also suffers from this. His massive ego is easily punctured, and his sense of self-worth can be diminished by a few choice words from people he's closest to.
344	* InformedAbility: Roger has a Master's degree in City Planning. He can tell you where to build a convention center, but can't tell when he's being played for a fool by a fish.
345	* InjuryBookend: In "Stannie Get Your Gun," Stan is paralyzed from being shot. After some hijinks and character development, he gets shot again, which cures his paralysis.
346	* InkSuitActor:
347	** Avery Bullock looks more than a little like Creator/PatrickStewart. And you'd never guess [[DeadpanSnarker who voices him]].
348	** What makes it more conspicuous is that in ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', Patrick Stewart has appeared as himself in ''Not All Dogs Go To Heaven'', as Jean-Luc Picard in at least one CutawayGag, and as Avery Bullock in a dream sequence, and in all cases the character model was '''exactly the same''': no changes at all apart from clothing, proving once and for all that Avery Bullock '''is''' Patrick Stewart in everything but name, parodying himself to great effect.
349	** Francine and Hayley look remarkably similar, in basic features, to their respective voice actresses, Wendy Schaal and Rachael MacFarlane.
350	** There are also some cameos by some people that work on the show. Those scientists about five tropes up? The one in the mech is Mike Barker and the other is Matt Weitzman, the co-creators of the show.
351	** Principal Lewis is basically the animated version of Creator/KevinMichaelRichardson.
352	** And Snot's name and design are based on his voice actors most famous role, Booger in ''Film/RevengeOfTheNerds''.
353	* InMediasRes: ''American Dad!'' premiered with one of these. Subsequent episodes would show the origins of various character relationships in {{Flashback}} (such as the fifth episode, "Roger Codger", which flashed back to how Roger came to live with the Smiths).
354	* InnerMonologue: Crops up more than average, especially in episodes centering on Stan.
355	* InnocentInnuendo:
356	** When Stan's teammate, Jim, uses his TheCasanova skills to seduce his way out of the bad guys' hideout and to safety. When Stan gets home, he hugs his wife.
357	--->'''Stan:''' ''[still hugging]'' If I smell at all like sex, it's because of Jim.\
358	''[Francine opens her eyes and gets an ''odd'' look on her face]''\
359	'''Stan:''' His hips never stopped moving as we porked our way through 200 miles of jungle. It was ''magnificent''.
360	** From "Francine's Flashback":
361	--->'''Stan:''' This is the only photo from our honeymoon where you can't see Vag. [beat] Ah, Vag, the little island boy who served as our tour guide.
362	** In "Stanny Tendergrass" Steve throws out half of a can of soda and tries to justify it:
363	-->'''Steve''': I don't like the last half, it's not as effervescent. Nope, the bottom's not for me; ''I'm what they call a top.''\
364	'''[[MistakenForGay [Roger's eyes widen] ]]'''
365	* InsistentTerminology:
366	** Throughout the episode "Dr. Klaustus", the titular character insists that he's not a fish; he's a man in a fish's body.
367	** During the episode "Bush Comes to Dinner", Roger and Steve think they've found Osama Bin Laden:
368	-->'''Roger:''' Where are you hiding Osama?! We broke the code; we know he's here!\
369	'''Danny:''' I don't know what you're talking about! I'm a med student at Georgetown!\
370	'''Roger:''' Well, terrorist, you leave us no choice. We will now torture you... in my ''backless chair.''\
371	'''Steve:''' ... that's a stool.\
372	'''Roger:''' ''[slaps Steve]'' It's a backless chair! Don't diminish my invention!
373	* InstantTasteAddiction: In Season 13 "Garfield and Friends", after Stan brought former President James A. Garfield back to life using a cloning technology, Hayley takes Garfield to a movie and introduces him to orange soda. He loves the drink so much that he gives a speech about it to the audience and starts drinking a lot of it. Stan originally planned to have Garfield killed to ensure people don't find out about his existence but he allows him to live knowing that with all that soda he's constantly drinking he'll be dead in a month. Ironically, he's still alive in later episodes and he eventually becomes the mayor of Langley Falls.
374	* InstantTurnOff: In an episode, Roger paints Hayley while she's working as a nude model for an art class, lends his painting to her brother Steve for him to masturbate to, and then drops the bombshell on the poor kid, [[ForTheEvulz just to be a dick]].
375	* InsultingFromBehindTheLanguageBarrier: Steve's friend Toshi speaks exclusively in Japanese, and often insults him and their other friends without them being any the wiser.
376	* InternetSafetyAesop: ''An Incident at Owl Creek'' is about Stan forcing the family to migrate to escape from a video of him pooping himself in a pool. When he finds out Roger was the one who uploaded the video, he beats him to a pulp and gets the idea to make Obama do the same embarrassing thing so people would stop laughing at him. Obama's message is that Stan should just accept what happened and learn to not let the laughs get to him. When it was revealed that the episode was a mere dream sequence, he craps himself for real and states that Obama gave him bad advice.
377	* InterspeciesRomance:
378	** Hayley and Reginald The Koala. Roger and [[spoiler: Kim Kardashian the alien]].
379	** Also, Steve and Klaus, at times. One time Steve got the "ick" from "spending time" with Klaus.
380	* InThePastEveryoneWillBeFamous: In one episode, Stan is sent to the past to discover the true meaning of Christmas, but it goes awry when he tries to fix the problem himself. While in the past, he manages to bump into Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, '''AND''' Martin Scorsese '''in the same day'''
381	** Justified, since he believes Jane Fonda ruined Christmas with the start of political correctness, and goes to Hollywood to kill her.
382	* IntoxicationEnsues: During a daring escape [[spoiler: from a burning barn full of dope]] in "Joint Custody" this happens to Stan and Roger, who ride out the episode with some [[HilarityEnsues hilarious stoner behaviour]], and manage to resolve the plot by accident.
383	* InvadedStatesOfAmerica:
384	** One episode has a SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong plot where it is shown that a Walter Mondale presidency would have resulted in the Soviets perpetrating a full-scale conquest of America. Stan has to help the president he idolizes, UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan, prevent this turn of history, but the method of fixing history is not one that he will enjoy...
385	** In another episode, a cyborg Stan from the future mentions that Canada and Mexico will team up to invade the US.
386	* InvokedTrope: When an awkward fight between Stan, Steve, and Stan's dad starts in the kitchen, Francine points out that this is when Klaus would usually come in and say something funny for comic relief, the joke being that he doesn't make it until the end of the scene, despite Francine's repeated invoking.
387	** And in ''Iced, Iced Babies'', Roger wants to discuss an intellectual article, but Francine and Stan point out that Roger is only good for spitting out cutesy one-liners and that he's "the Adam Sandler of the house."
388	* InvoluntarySmileOfIncapacitation: In "1600 Candles", Roger the Alien fills his mouth with frosting and ties an airless balloon around his arm before suddenly gurgling with a smile on his face and falling unconscious.
389	* IOweYouMyLife: Stan owes Roger a life debt after he saves him at Area 51. It's finally repaid (''twice'') in the episode ''You Debt Your Life'', however.
390	* IShouldWriteABookAboutThis: The final episode of the show's run on Fox [[note]] "Blagsnarst, A Love Story"[[/note]] literally ended with Stan finish reading a book titled "American Dad! on Fox".
391	* IssueDrift: Inverted, as the show effectively ditched the whole post-9/11 satire angle by season 4 and focused more on over-the-top and relatively apolitical {{Farce}}. While the show hasn't avoided politics entirely, it's pretty rare for it to actually be the focus of an episode, and when it does it tends to be much broader and less topical than, say, an episode about UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush coming to the Smith household for dinner. ProductionLeadTime was cited by Matt Weitzman and Mike Barker as one of the major reasons for this.
392	* IToldYouSo: The episode "Four Little Words" centers on Stan's increasingly over-the-top efforts to keep from having to hear this from Francine.
393	* ItsAWonderfulPlot: The "Dreaming Of A White Porsche Christmas" episode is this doubly over. First, Stan wishes he could live Principal Lewis' life, only to find out he's no longer married to Francine and Steve and Hayley are no longer his kids. Stan figures he has to "learn a lesson" in order for the wish to be undone. True to plot, Stan ends up realizing how important his family is, and an angel shows up to restore things... only [[spoiler: Stan is reunited with an entirely different family, Klaus is a normal fish, and Roger lives with them under the guise of a mall optometrist. It turns out this new family is Stan's ''actual'' family, while Francine, Hayley, Steve, and Klaus were part of a previous attempt at this trope and thus the "cautionary family." Turns out the original angel in charge of Stan's first lesson died before things were set straight and Stan forgot all about his original family. The problem is that Stan actually wants Francine and the others back.]]
394	* ItsPopularNowItSucks: In-universe, Stan decides to get a head start by hating on a singer before he gets popular.
395	[[/folder]]
396
397	[[folder:J]]
398	* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: Stan converts his backyard into a fully-fledged prison when he convinces himself the new neighbors are terrorists.
399	* JerkAss: Tank Bates, Terry's father. Tank understands completely that homosexuality is not a choice and he is still disgusted by it. Tank doesn't care how much stress it caused Terry to keep his homosexuality from him, wishes he never knew, and proceeds to act like Terry doesn't exist when he's finally been outed. Conversely, this episode plus later ones involving Stan's father have resulted in Stan and Terry being fairly amicable with each other.
400	* JerkassHasAPoint: While Stan may be a dickhead and most episodes depict him as in the wrong, he ''does'' make some legitimate points, even if he goes about them the wrong way, such as Roger being a lazy FatSlob who acts like he's better than everyone around him ("Weiner of Our Discontent") or being irritated that Francine's adoptive parents drop in uninvited and completely take over his house ("Big Trouble in Little Langley").
401	** "Less Money, Mo' Problems" depicts Stan as being in the wrong for considering Jeff and Hayley freeloaders for living with him and Francine instead of living on their own. While the episode had some valid points about how hard it is to make a living on just minimum wage, Stan was actually justified for getting frustrated with them, what with Jeff waking him up in the middle of the night by watching TV, going to the bathroom while Stan is still in the shower, and using an entire bottle of pancake syrup ''after'' Stan asks him to pass it.
402	** In "The Old Stan and the Mountain," Stan is depicted as wrong for going behind his elderly coworker's back and stealing an assignment to demonstrate a new Urban Assault Vehicle. While, yes, it was a dick move, Stan points out that the coworker was clearly exhibiting signs of senility, citing how just the other day he mistook a sponge for a Hot Pocket.
403	-->'''Stan:''' You microwaved it for thirty seconds, flipped it over, and then microwaved it for another thirty seconds. You had a lot of opportunities to see that it wasn't food.
404	** In "Hamerican Dad", he adamantly refuses to let Roger join his ham lover's club, well aware that Roger will end up making it all about himself. After Francine twists his arm into sponsoring Roger for membership, Roger ends up doing exactly that.
405	* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: A few episodes hint to Roger's HiddenDepths that possibly explain his personality issues, only for them to turn out as BlatantLies and for Roger to simply be an out and out JerkAss ForTheLulz. The episode in which his Ricky Spanish persona made its debut was entirely devoted to reforming him into a better individual, only for him to prove to be irredeemable when he callously betrays Steve at the end.
406	* JesusWasWayCool: In a [[AlternateContinuity Christmas episode]], the Rapture occurs and Stan and Francine are left behind. Jesus comes back to lead people against the Anti-Christ. He doesn't have his superpowers (except for being able to withstand freezing temperatures and WalkOnWater), but is still a [[KungFuJesus badass]]. He's [[{{Hunk}} hunky]], charismatic and kills the Anti-Christ by flipping over his shoulder and [[NeckSnap snapping his neck]] with his thighs. He's also allowed to date this time and Stan calls him the best guy Francine could ever end up with.
407	* JingleTheCoins: In "Office Spaceman", Roger sells photos of an alien (himself without a disguise) to a newspaper. He asks to be paid in Sacagawea dollars so that he can taunt homeless people by walking past them with coins jingling in his pockets.
408	* JockDadNerdSon: A constant source of contention between Steve and Stan Smith. Stan constantly tries to help his son with various "masculine" activities to prevent him from going through the same poor experience he had to endure in high school.
409	* JumpRopeBlunders: In "Crystal Clear", Steve goes for a Sunday stroll and stops to jump rope with some girls, which he performs flawlessly. He then gets his legs broken by loan sharks thanks to Stan overusing a credit card made in his name. After weeks of physical therapy, Steve goes for another stroll, barely able to walk on his atrophied legs with the aid of crutches. He stops to jump rope with the girls again, only to immediately get tangled in the ropes.
410	%%* JumpScare: Twice in ''Best Little Horror House In Langley Falls'' involving Buckle's haunted house and its setup.
411	* JustBetweenYouAndMe: Lampshaded in "For Black Eyes Only", the sequel episode to ''Tearjerker''. Black Villain has Stan all tied up on a conveyor belt, and casually asks him if he wants to hear about his convoluted evil plan before he kills him. Stan eagerly says "Sure!", and Black Villain turns on a video at a conveniently placed TV next to him.
412	* JustLikeMakingLove:
413	-->'''Jack''': Now son, breaking in to a safe is like making love to a woman.\
414	'''Stan''': So, we should just pound on it for like two minutes?\
415	'''Jack''': No... you need to gently work the dials till she surrenders...
416	[[/folder]]
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Context AmericanDad / TropesFToJ