Glenn Quagmire

Glenn Quagmire is a character on the animated series Family Guy, best known for his hypersexuality. A commercial airline pilot, and veteran Navy seaman, Quagmire is a neighbor of the Griffins. He is voiced by the show's creator and lead writer, Seth MacFarlane.

MacFarlane describes Quagmire as "An appalling human being who is still caught in the rat-pack era" based on anachronistic 1950's party animal clichés. His neighbor and friend Peter Griffin describes him as a "heartless sex hound."

Ethics and sexual deviancy

Many of the storylines and most of the jokes about Quagmire feature his wanton and deviant sexual behavior. A few gags even suggest that he is a registered sex offender. Quagmire's foot fetish is referenced in several episodes. He also is not above sex with a dead woman, as evidenced after his temporary wife Joan Quagmire's death. On one occasion, while out at sea with Peter and his friends, Quagmire confessed to a seemingly endless chain of bizarre sexual acts, ranging from picking up illegal aliens at Home Depot and Jo-Ann Fabrics stores to suffocate them while he masturbated to giving a reach around to a spider monkey while reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Aside from these excesses, Quagmire finds sexual arousal in seemingly banal situations, and sexual innuendo in much of the show's dialogue. Quagmire stated in the episode Baby Not on Board that the one thing that dosn't sexually arouse him someone is using the word "rubbish" when they mean garbage. He once told a story to the guys at the bar about "two hot homeless twins" where Peter shielded Stewie's ears so his son could not hear it, but his pantomime of his activities is apparently so revolting that Stewie screams in terror when Quagmire tries to play the "got your nose" game. Quagmire is also known for more extreme predatory behavior, such as drugging the drinks of his dates.

Despite this, Quagmire is not completely lacking in values. His thoughtful counseling of Meg Griffin helped her overcome her demented crush on Brian Griffin. When his friend Cleveland's wife makes a blatant sexual pass at him in "The Cleveland–Loretta Quagmire", he is extremely hesitant about the morality of responding to a come-on from his friend's wife. He is also moral enough to not engage in statutory rape, at least with Meg, often beginning conversations with her with "Are you eighteen yet?" In "I Take Thee Quagmire", Quagmire actually falls in love and marries; the marriage does not outlast the episode.

Appearance

Quagmire has short black hair, parted in the middle with lightly tanned skin. His facial characteristics include an enormous jaw and chin, and a long nose. His general skull structure (apart from the nose) and hair color are similar to the American Dad character Stan Smith. He is usually seen wearing a red Hawaiian shirt with yellow flowers, a pair of blue jeans, brown boots and, when undressed, leopard-print briefs. He has also appeared in a light blue flamboyant tuxedo and red bow tie. His swimsuit trunks match his red Hawaiian shirt.

Quagmire's home follows the same retro theme, decked out in a style reminiscent of the swinging party set of the fifties and sixties. It has been shown in the episode "The Cleveland-Loretta Quagmire" that nearly every part of the house has a discreetly hidden bed and that he has his telephone number tattooed on his buttocks.

Name

The word quagmire refers to both a soft soil that yields easily (such as quicksand) and a situation that is difficult to get out of. The title of a Family Guy episode from Season Four, dealing with infidelity, plays on the second meaning ("The Cleveland-Loretta Quagmire").

Job

Quagmire is an airline pilot. He uses his position to get Lois a job as a flight attendant in "Dammit Janet!". Although he is occasionally seen in his uniform at airports or on his way to work, it was not until "Airport '07" that viewers for the first time see him doing his job as a Boeing 767 captain for the fictional TransNational Airlines. In "Death Lives" when Peter has flash backs, it was also revealed that Quagmire was an Ensign in the United States Navy. He was the host of a late night sex-themed TV Show in "PTV".