History YMMV / AmericanDad

* BetterOnDVD: Much like ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', this show has a lot of [[http://www.movie-censorship.com/series.php?TID=7646 extended scenes, unbleeped-out language, and cruder lines of dialogue that only the DVD version can provide]]. Unlike ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', they don't come by the boatload.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSong: In "Virtual In-Stanity", the music that plays when Roger begins his massacre is inspired by "Cross the Tracks (We Better Go Back) by Maceo & the Macks.

* GrowingTheBeard: Midway through Season 1, after the "[[Recap/AmericanDadS2E5StanOfArabia Stan of Arabia]]" two-parter. When it first started, a lot of people thought the show was okay (while some wrote it off as a ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' knock off -- or a knock-off of a knock-off, if they were diehard ''Simpsons'' fans who thought shows like ''Family Guy'' were weakening ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''), but starting with the "Stan of Arabia" two-parter, the show got better in both animation and humor. On a broader level, the show is generally agreed to have really found its footing after it stopped focusing on being a critique of American conservatives in the George W Bush years and started leaning more and more towards bizarre and often absurdist humor.

* CrossesTheLineTwice: As expected of a Seth [=MacFarlane=] work, though ''American Dad!'' is often admired for showing some restraint and using this trope sparingly like a fine, expensive spice, rather than slathering it on like ranch dressing on an otherwise healthy salad. One such example is the suicidal lemur of "Killer Vacation" TakingTheBullet for Francine and [[RefugeInAudacity then giving a thumbs up to the camera]].
** Bad Larry describing how he killed someone by strangling him, [[EyeScream popping out one of his eyes without severing the optic nerve]], and turning it around so he could watch himself die.
---> '''Roger''': My God, Larry!... [[ComicallyMissingThePoint Would it kill ya to give me ONE good hand?!]]
** The video game Steve and his friends created, which pretty much involves aborting fetus Hitler by throwing stuff at his pregnant mother.
** The "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQdVVZMFTQw Leopard Chainsaw]]" scene. Stan breaking a bottle and being ready to attack Francine with it? Not funny. Giving up then coming back with a chainsaw? Exaggerated, but probably not that funny. [[RefugeInAudacity Giving up and coming back with a leopard?]] This is just getting silly. Giving up and coming back with the same [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs leopard holding the chainsaw?]] ''Hilarious!''
** The dead-on parody of AwardBait films in "Tearjerker" with ''[[ShowWithinAShow Oscar Gold]]'', the gripping tale of a mentally retarded alcoholic Jew living during the Holocaust whose puppy dies of cancer. A real movie using literally every [[{{Glurge}} downright emotionally exploitative]] story beat to guarantee Oscar prestige would be considered laughably cynical, but the episode's villain revealing that his real intention is to make audiences literally cry themselves to death is a hilarious satire ''of'' these kinds of movies. And just for added authenticity, the trailer is even narrated by Creator/DonLaFontaine, aka "the Movie Trailer Voice Guy," just as dead serious as any real-live drama he'd be advertising.
** The entire concept of Francine's attempt at a sitcom, ''White Rice''. A real sitcom about the white adoptive daughter of a Chinese family would undoubtedly be seen as tactless and offensive, but the knowledge that Francine is just writing what she knows, to the point that nobody (not even her Chinese co-stars) ever considers that it would be seen as offensive, makes for prime CringeComedy. The fact that the resulting ShowWithinAShow ''is'' [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome considered tactless and offensive]] by its InUniverse audience, enough to get canceled immediately after '''''the literal first joke of its premiere episode''''', makes for the perfect punchline.
** On paper, the intersex joke that ends "The One That Got Away" (Roger tells his girlfriend that he has no genitals, to which she replies "That's okay. I have both.") would just be an offensive BottomOfTheBarrelJoke, but the [[TheComicallySerious reassuring, almost comforting tone]] with which she says it makes it yet another hilarious example of the character ComicallyMissingThePoint.
** It is offhandedly mentioned in "Stan's Food Restaurant" that Stan was molested as a child by a priest at summer camp. Not funny and PedophilePriest is such an overused trope. Then it turns out that Stan actually molested the priest. It's so absurd that you can't not laugh. (This is assuming, of course, that Stan's not in denial and blaming himself.)
--->'''Stan''': Thing is, I'm not sure it was entirely his fault. I may have deserved it. In fact, I may have instigated it. Actually, Francine, I seduced him. I don't know why I wanted him, but I ''wanted'' him. There was no actual inser--.\\
'''Francine''': Stan, No!!

** [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Rlzgmr_9sPA&pp=ygUfZWwgcGVycm8gZWwgcGVycm8gZXMgbWkgY29yYXpvbg%3D%3D El perro, el perro, es mi corazón,
El gato, el gato, el gato no es bueno.
Cilantro es cantante,
Cilantro es muy famoso,
Cilantro es el hombre con el queso del diablo.]]

%%** ''[[https://youtu.be/RoUe1vlRb6Q?si=tsqHFd-Unx0ty7XB Good Morning, USA! I got a feeling that it's going to be a wonderful day!]]''

** Debbie Hyman, for she was the first girlfriend Steve had for more than one episode. Unfortunately, she was never really given much development beyond that, most of her appearances ended with her and Steve breaking up and she was often used as a target for cheap jokes regarding her weight or monstrous appetite.

*** Is Stan a DesignatedVillain? While he is often presented as being in the [[InformedWrongness wrong]], the show doesn’t hide the fact that Stan’s actions are usually the result of the abuse he’s suffered from. For example, due to the mind games and smothering Betty used to make Stan dependent on her, he ended up [[HoistByHisOwnPetard kidnapping every guy she dated out of fear they'd break her heart]]. There is also the fact that as much as his family complain about Stan’s actions, they are repeatedly shown to be unable to function without him. It isn’t that farfetched to assume that Stan is actually a form of LaserGuidedKarma. Keep in mind that the Smiths only devolve into their TooDumbToLive mentality when Stan leaves, they are fine when Francine does her own thing.

* DracoInLeatherPants: Stelio Kontos, Stan's [[SchoolyardBullyAllGrownUp old bully]], has his [[KarmaHoudini unpunished bullying]] overlooked by fans who cheered him beating up Stan [[WellIntentionedExtremist who was trying to bully Steve into toughening up]] and proclaimed him a MemeticBadass with [[ThemeMusicPowerUp an awesome theme-tune]]. Let's face it, though; he was the reason Stan engaged in that maliciously idiotic if well-intentioned stunt in the first place, as well as [[FreudianExcuse part of his somewhat unfortunate childhood]]. There may be times to cheer [[BreakTheHaughty Stan getting taken a peg or two]], but this wasn't one of them. [[TheExtremistWasRight Stan only seemed to be proven right]] in season 8 when Steve was faced with his own bully, and the strategy of pitting him off against Stelio, albeit with the circumstances slightly different due to [[UnwantedAssistance some unwanted help from Roger]], totally backfires, with Steve getting an off-screen beating from both this time.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: The show is very popular in France that the French channel NRJ 12 airs 8 episodes each Sunday.
* GrowingTheBeard: Midway through season one, after the "[[Recap/AmericanDadS2E5StanOfArabia Stan of Arabia]]" two-parter. When it first started, a lot of people thought the show was okay (while some wrote it off as a ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' knock off -- or a knock-off of a knock-off, if they were diehard ''Simpsons'' fans who thought shows like ''Family Guy'' were weakening ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''), but starting with the "Stan of Arabia" two-parter, the show got better in both animation and humor. On a broader level, the show is generally agreed to have really found its footing after it stopped focusing on being a critique of American conservatives in the George W Bush years and started leaning more and more towards bizarre and often absurdist humor.

* DracoInLeatherPants: Stelio Kontos, Stan's [[SchoolyardBullyAllGrownUp old bully]], has his [[KarmaHoudini unpunished bullying]] overlooked by fans who cheered him beating up Stan [[WellIntentionedExtremist who was trying to bully Steve into toughening up]] and proclaimed him a MemeticBadass with [[ThemeMusicPowerUp an awesome theme-tune]]. Let's face it, though, he was the reason Stan engaged in that maliciously idiotic if well-intentioned stunt in the first place, as well as [[FreudianExcuse part of his somewhat unfortunate childhood]]. There may be times to cheer [[BreakTheHaughty Stan getting taken a peg or two]], but this wasn't one of them. [[TheExtremistWasRight Stan only seemed to be proven right]] in season 8 when Steve was faced with his own bully, and the strategy of pitting him off against Stelio, albeit with the circumstances slightly different due to [[UnwantedAssistance some unwanted help from Roger]], totally backfires, with Steve getting an off-screen beating from both this time.

* GrowingTheBeard: Midway through season one, after the "[[Recap/AmericanDadS2E5StanOfArabia Stan of Arabia]]" two-parter. When it first started, a lot of people thought the show was okay (while some wrote it off as a ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' knock off -- or a knock-off of a knock-off, if they were diehard ''Simpsons'' fans who thought shows like ''Family Guy'' were weakening ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''), but starting with the "Stan of Arabia" two-parter, the show got better in both animation and humor.

* SeasonalRot: The TBS seasons tend to get this a fair bit, with frequent complaints including the ComedicSociopathy getting amped up too far from its already high levels (with the infamous "The Mural of the Story" getting the most flack), sloppier and overly wacky storytelling compared to the more focused and intricate plotlines of previous seasons, and a general sense that the show's ''Family Guy'' influence is creeping in more and more and affecting the show negatively. That said, the seasons do still have their fans and are home to some acclaimed, well-loved episodes like "Rabbit Ears", "Persona Assistant" and "Gold Top Nuts".

* [[DesignatedVillain/AmericanDad Designated Villain]]

* In 2019, someone made [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzJVwEQyWy4 a version of the opening sequence]] in which Stan doesn't get out of bed. Four years later, there'd be a canon episode [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eLxIavYtQ8 where the same thing happens]].

** ''[[https://youtu.be/RoUe1vlRb6Q?si=tsqHFd-Unx0ty7XB Good Morning, USA! I got a feeling that it's going to be a wonderful day!]]''

** ''[[https://youtu.be/zFBZ8RL07BY?si=oZVNU0h9VbuzN2Au Good Morning, USA! I got a feeling that it's going to be a wonderful day!]]''

%%** Gwen Ling.
* EvilIsSexy: Gina, the GoldDigger who marries and kills two of Roger's personas in the episode "[[Recap/AmericanDadS9E11MaxJets Max Jets]]", has [[ImpossibleHourglassFigure an amazing design]], and prances around in a bikini for a good amount of time.

*** Does Roger have multiple personality disorder, or is he just so committed to or obsessed with acting that [[LostInCharacter he sometimes forgets who he really is]]?

** "White Rice" has the titular ShowWithinAShow being cancelled and pulled off the air after just one joke. It sounds silly, but something similar (if not ''quite'' as quickly) happened in the 90's with the broadcast of ''Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos'', which was a one-off special on Creator/NineNetwork pulled off the air in the middle of its first broadcast (and replaced with a ''Series/{{Cheers}}'' re-run) after the owner of the network called and yelled at them to "Get that shit off the air!". (It's worth noting that it did get a full broadcast later on in 2008.)

** "Shell Game" features an organization devoted to illegal egg collection - both poaching the eggs of endangered species and stealing pre-collected eggs from established collections. Which sounds absurd, but [[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/egg-society-denies-aiding-nest-thefts-an-obscure-group-named-after-a-victorian-clergyman-is-accused-1440402.html was a thing in the UK from the 50s to the 90s.]]