Stan Smith
American Dad! character
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Stan Smith
First appearance"Pilot"
Created bySeth MacFarlane
Voiced bySeth MacFarlane
In-universe information
NicknamesStanford
Staniel
Stanny Boy
OccupationCIA Operative
SpouseFrancine,
"Thundercat" (Divorced),
Joanna (Divorced)
ChildrenHayley and Steve
RelativesParents: Betty, Jack and Hercules (Step-Father)
Half brother: Rusty
Non-human housemate: Roger and Klaus
ReligionEpiscopalian

Stan Smith is the title character and primary male protagonist of the adult animated sitcom American Dad! He is voiced by the series' co-creator and executive producer, Seth MacFarlane.

Stan is portrayed as drastic, endangering, rash, insensitive, inconsiderate, dog-eat-dog, and very masculine. Early on in the series, he was heavily emphasized as a conservative Republican; however, these particular characteristics were toned down after the first few seasons.[1] Stan's exaggeratedly large chin has been described satirically as a "Jay Leno jaw."[2] He usually wears a blue suit with a lapel pin that is a simplified version of the U.S. flag, consisting of three red and white stripes and a blue square.[3]

Stan is married to Francine Smith. He is the father of Steve and Haley Smith, however his claim as Hayley biological father is questionable. Also living under Stan's roof are three housemates: Roger, an alien; Klaus, the family's man-in-a-fish-body pet;[4] and Jeff Fischer, who's Hayley's boyfriend turned husband.

Fictional Character Biography edit

Prior to the series Stan is said to have worked at White Castle sweeping hair off the floors.[5] He has also been show to spend his summers working at the Langley Falls Country Club, where he someday hopes to obtain membership. He joined the CIA at some point in the 1980s; in 1987 he acquired Oliver North's old house after hearing office rumors that retired Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North had hidden gold somewhere on the premise during the Iran-Contra Scandal in order to avoid criminal prosecution. In 1988, he was captured by KGB officers while working behind the Iron Curtain (red october sky), and in 1996, he married Francine Ling.

Stan's primary job is with the Central Intelligence Agency, and this serves as both his main job and the source for most of the series stories. Despite his apparently long tenure at the CIA his exact job within the agency has never been explicitly stated, and as a result of this ambiguity Stan's job in any given episode tends to be conducive of whatever CIA skill set is convenient for a given episode's plot. At various times in the series he has been shown to work as a CIA analyst, an agency bureaucrat, a field agent, and a special forces operative; additionally, he has held a number of different titles during his time with the CIA, including (but not limited to) "Deputy-Deputy Director of the CIA (Bullocks to Stan)" and "Deputy Under-Director of Missing Foreign Agents (Red October Sky)".

Stan is on good terms with the CIA's Deputy Director Avery Bullock, and has tried to curry favor with the DDI to improve his standing at the CIA. This has included, but has not been limited to, picking up Bullock's dry cleaning, shining his shoes, and hiding Bullock's mistresses from his wife. Stan's drive to curry favor with Bullock has also occasionally resulted in questionable behavior, such as discrediting fellow CIA Agent Duper by photographing him eating a falafal and later encouraging Haley to remain in an unsafe job in order to eavesdrop on her conversations with Bullock so as to get into his inner circle. Additionally, Bullock has been shown to take advantage of Stan's brown nosing to further his own goals and agendas, which have resulted in Stan's desk being moved to the bathroom to make room for a ping pong table among other things.

Despite Stan's job at the CIA his closed-minded nature has resulted in certain information going over his head or being misinterpreted by him for lack of an ability to articulate it. In the episode School Lies, a Congressman known to assign the task force positions visits the CIA; despite Stan's attempt to curry favor with him by working he selects another inexperienced agent for a task force position. When Stan challenges the decision he learns that the reason for the selection was that the Congressman and the agent were golf buddies. Similar moments of obliviousness include Stan failing to catch on to Greg and Terry's homosexuality, failing to notice Francine's pregnancy, and failing to realize that Steve was a "geek" as opposed to an "athlete".

Family edit

Stan's immediate family includes his wife Francine, son Steve, daughter Haley, an adopted alien named Roger, and pet fish Klaus (in related an Olympic ski champion whose mind was switched with the body of a gold fish).

In addition to these family members, Stan's extended family includes his father, an internationally wanted jewel thief and apparent kleptomaniac whom Stan modeled himself after in the mistaken belief that his dad was a spy for the Scarlet Alliance. Upon learning the truth about his dad Stan reluctantly turns him into the authorities, although he would mend his relationship with his dad later in the series. Stan's father was eventually killed by Santa Clause, only to be reanimated when his blood and the blood of Krampus mixed, resulting in his taking Krampus's place as the person responsible for scarring children straight during Christmas.

Betty, Stan's mother, raised Stan after his father left her as a single parent. During the course of the series it is revealed that after Stan's father left them Stan began to remove would be suitors from Betty's life in a misguided attempt to protect her from heartbreak again. With Francine's help, Stan eventually overcame this habit, at which time Betty married Hercules. She returned briefly after Hercules' death, only to leave after collecting the insurance money from the death of Tom Yabo (a persona of Roger's).

Stan has a Native American half brother from his grandfather's affair with an Indian woman, but is not on speaking terms with his half brother after a Thanksgiving in which he attempted to switch places with his brother in order to capitalize on his wealth.

Alternate Versions edit

In the episode A Star is Reborn it is established that Stan is the reincarnation of a deceased movie star named Lenard. At the time Lenard was having an affair with Gloria Delmar, an alternate version of Francine. After the affair came to light both were killed by June Rosewood, Lenard's wife at the time. After rediscovering Lenard's reincarnation in Stan in the present, June welcomed Stan to her house and showed him the old movies he'd made in his past life. When Stan rejects her for Francine, June once again attempts to kill them both, only to end up dying when Stan and Francine turn the tables on her.

In Dreaming of a White Porsche Christmas it is reveled that the reason that Stan's family is so dysfunctional is due to his Stan's failure to appreciate what he has, which resulted in his marriage to Francine, his geeky son, his liberal daughter, and his adoption of a liberal version of Roger. Initially this was supposed to be a temporary setup, but the Angel assigned to Stan's case died, and it took his Christmas wish for situation to resolve itself. Stan is then returned to what what suppose to be his ideal family: a conservative wife, an athletic Steve, a conservative and mild manner Haley, and a version of Roger who does not partake in disguises and holds a single legitimate job. Despite being described as Stan's "ideal" family Stan rejects this version of his wife, his children, and Roger, and goes to great lengths to get back to his original, dysfunctional family, which he succeeds in doing.

In the episode The Longest Distance Relationship one possible version of the future is shown when Jeff and Ghost Sinbad emerge from a wormhole some sixty years in the future. In this version of the future Stan is shown to have migrated into a Gorilla body due to his belief that an ape uprising will being occurring. As the episode draws to a close Stan's prediction proves true, but when Stan moves to side with the apes he is unexpectedly killed by them.

Cameo appearances edit

References edit

  1. ^ McFarland, Kevin (2013-04-15). ""The Missing Kink" | American Dad | TV Club | TV". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
  2. ^ The Gospel According to the Simpsons, Bigger and Possibly Even Better ... - Mark I. Pinsky. Google Books. Retrieved 2013-05-28.
  3. ^ The Voice of Vexillology, Flags & Heraldry: American Dad - altered mini US Flag Pin
  4. ^ Written by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker, and Matt Weitzman. Directed by Ron Hughart. "Pilot". American Dad!. Season 1. Episode 1. FOX.
  5. ^ Boyle, Brian. "Permanent Record Wrecker". American Dad!. Season 10. Episode 8. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |city= (help)