When well-known American television series creator and filmmaker Seth MacFarlane received the Louis XIII Genius Award during the Critics' Choice Television Award, he did not hesitate in slamming the television show "Duck Dynasty" during his acceptance speech.
"Let's not forget I'm being declared a genius on a network that airs 'Duck Dynasty,' a show whose cast members believe hurricanes are created by gay marriage. I wish I was joking," he said on the live telecast that aired on A&E Network, according to Variety.
The "Duck Dynasty" show features the Robertson family from Louisiana. They are a Christian family who rose from rags to riches because of their duck whistles and eventually, their television show. Now, they have expanded their business to clothing lines, hunting equipment, iced tea, books, and even a musical about their lives.
Of course, MacFarlane's "gay marriage" jab was in reference to the show's patriarch Phil's scathing comments against the LGBT community, which he made during an interview with GQ magazine. It earned him and the rest of the family the ire of people, even some of their fans. Phil was temporarily suspended from the show, but the rest of his family supported him throughout that ordeal.
Meanwhile, MacFarlane is known as the brains behind the animated series "Family Guy," and he credits "The Simpsons" as his inspiration.
"I want to thank the people at Fox who years ago took a chance on a quirky little animated show about a bumbling dad and his family - which I saw and then created 'Family Guy,'" he said.
MacFarlane also noted that he has received tons of rough reviews during his entire career, and so to receive the award from a critics organization felt like a "remorseful abusive dad" apologizing for his mistakes and then surprisingly handing out money "because it's Easter."
He said that he feels very grateful for the recognition, and even added in jest that "if my work has made the world even a tiny bit better - I would be incredibly surprised."
The award was presented by Charlize Theron, who co-starred with MacFarlane in last year's western comedy "A Million Ways to Die in the West," which also starred Amanda Seyfried and Neil Patrick Harris.
Theron joked that MacFarlane used the movie as "a $40 million excuse to make out with me."
MacFarlane received the Critics' Choice award on the same night that the Fox and National Geographic TV science-oriented docu-series "Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey," (which he also produced) nabbed the Peabody Award in New York.
