Glenn Quagmire, often referred to by just his surname, is a fictional character from the American adult animated series ''

Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...

''. He is a neighbor and friend of the Griffin family and is best known for his

hypersexuality Hypersexuality is extremely frequent or suddenly increased libido. It is controversial whether it should be included as a clinical diagnosis used by mental healthcare professionals. Nymphomania and satyriasis were terms previously used for the c ...

and his catchphrase, "Giggity". The show's creator and

voice actor Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talent ...

Seth MacFarlane Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, comedian, and singer. He is the creator and star of the television series ''Family Guy'' (since 1999) and ''The Orville'' (since 2017), and co-creator ...

describes him as "an appalling human being who is still caught in the

Rat Pack The Rat Pack was an informal group of entertainers, the second iteration of which ultimately made films and appeared together in Las Vegas casino venues. They originated in the late 1940s and early 1950s as a group of A-list show business frie ...

era" based on

anachronistic An anachronism (from the Greek , 'against' and , 'time') is a chronological inconsistency in some arrangement, especially a juxtaposition of people, events, objects, language terms and customs from different time periods. The most common type ...

1950s party-animal

cliché A cliché ( or ) is an element of an artistic work, saying, or idea that has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, even to the point of being weird or irritating, especially when at some earlier time it was consi ...

s. The episode "Tiegs for Two" revealed that the surname Quagmire was originally the Polish surname Quagglechek or Quaggleczyk, the suffix -czyk indicating a

diminutive A diminutive is a root word that has been modified to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment. A (abbreviated ) is a word-formati ...

in the

Polish language Polish (Polish: ''język polski'', , ''polszczyzna'' or simply ''polski'', ) is a West Slavic language of the Lechitic group written in the Latin script. It is spoken primarily in Poland and serves as the native language of the Poles. In a ...

Origins and vocal style

The name ''Quagmire'' was chosen by a college acquaintance of MacFarlane's. MacFarlane came up with Quagmire's voice after listening to fast-talking

radio jockey A radio personality (American English) or radio presenter (British English) is a person who has an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality who hosts a radio show is also known as a radio host, and in India and Pakistan as a radi ...

s from the 1950s era, describing the character as a "50s radio guy on coke." The "giggity" phrase was inspired by Steve Marmel's

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...

impression.

Role in the show

Quagmire is a bachelor who works as a commercial airline pilot. He lives on Spooner Street where he is a neighbor and friend of

Peter Griffin Peter Löwenbräu Griffin, born Justin Peter Griffin, is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the American animated sitcom ''Family Guy''. He is voiced by the series' creator, Seth MacFarlane, and first appeared on television, alon ...

, Cleveland Brown and

Joe Swanson ''Family Guy (franchise), Family Guy'' is an American animated comedy multimedia franchise originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company, primarily based on the animated series ''Family Guy'' (1999–presen ...

. He has had two spouses: Joan, a maid for the Griffins who died; and Charmise, a prostitute whom he divorced. The former episode, "

I Take Thee Quagmire "I Take Thee Quagmire" is the 21st episode of season four of '' Family Guy'', originally broadcast March 12, 2006 on Fox. Peter wins free maid service for a week; he intentionally creates extra work for the maid, Joan. Quagmire meets her and inst ...

", was acknowledged by MacFarlane as the first to have a plot revolving around Quagmire. During his time in Korea in service in

Busan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, w ...

, he had a brief career as a soap opera star by the name of "American Johnny" and was lovers with his co-star, Sujin. They would reconnect ties during his brief travel there with Peter, Joe and Cleveland. Quagmire briefly dated

Cheryl Tiegs Cheryl Rae Tiegs (born September 25, 1947) is an American model and fashion designer. Frequently described as the first American supermodel, Tiegs is best known for her multiple appearances on the covers of the ''Sports Illustrated'' Swimsuit ...

in the early 1980s, but she dumped him because of his constant jealousy and his

sex addiction According to proponents of the concept, sexual addiction, also known as sex addiction, is a state characterized by compulsive participation or engagement in sexual activity, particularly sexual intercourse, despite negative consequences. The con ...

. Cheryl, whom Quagmire considers his long-lost one true love, would again appear twice in Quagmire's life, both times due to

Brian Griffin H. Brian Griffinas shown in Brian Griffin's House of Payne is a fictional character from the American animated television series ''Family Guy''. An anthropomorphic white labrador retriever voiced by Seth MacFarlane, he is one of the show's mai ...

's meddling: the first one, when Brian invited him to dinner under the pretense he was going to dinner with her; the second one, when Brian dated her just to torment him (Quagmire retaliates by dating Brian's ex-girlfriend Jillian). Quagmire despises Brian, and they have a feud that spans several episodes. In the episode "

Quagmire's Baby "Quagmire's Baby" is the sixth episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series '' Family Guy''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on November 15, 2009. The episode centers on neighbor Glenn Quagmire, who suddenly disc ...

", he discovers that he has a daughter, Anna Lee, but puts her up for adoption; several episodes imply that Quagmire has fathered several other children. His father, Dan, is introduced in the episode "

Quagmire's Dad "Quagmire's Dad" is the 18th episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series '' Family Guy''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on May 9, 2010. The episode features Quagmire after his father, Dan Quagmire, returns to Quah ...

"; he is a naval veteran of the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

who has a sex reassignment and becomes a woman named Ida. Quagmire's sister, Brenda, is first seen in the episode "Jerome is the New Black" and is the subject of " Screams of Silence: The Story of Brenda Q". In both episodes she is the victim of

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...

from her partner Jeff, whom Quagmire murders in order to protect her. The episode "

Quagmire's Mom "Quagmire's Mom" is the tenth episode of the thirteenth season of the animated sitcom '' Family Guy'', and the 241st episode overall. It aired on Fox in the United States on February 8, 2015. In the episode, Glenn Quagmire is found guilty of un ...

" reveals that he has a strained, dysfunctional relationship with his mother, who had acted sexually towards him; other episodes have implied that the two have actually had sex. He is characterized as indulging in numerous

sexual fetishes Sexual fetishism or erotic fetishism is a sexual fixation on a nonliving object or nongenital body part. The object of interest is called the fetish; the person who has ''a fetish'' for that object is a fetishist. A sexual fetish may be regard ...

such as

BDSM BDSM is a variety of often erotic practices or roleplaying involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given the wide range of practices, some of which may be engaged ...

frotteurism Frotteurism is a paraphilic interest in rubbing, usually one's pelvic area or erect penis, against a non-consenting person for sexual pleasure. It may involve touching any part of the body, including the genital area. A person who practices fro ...

biastophilia Biastophilia (from Greek ''biastes'', " rapist" + ''-philia'') and its Latin-derived synonym raptophilia (from Latin ''rapere'', "to seize"), also paraphilic rape, is a paraphilia in which sexual arousal is dependent on, or is responsive to, the a ...

somnophilia Somnophilia (from Latin ''somnus'' "sleep" and Greek φιλία, ''-philia'' "friendship") is a paraphilia in which an individual becomes sexually aroused by someone who is unconscious.Flora 2001, p. 92. ''The Dictionary of Psychology'' categoriz ...

erotic asphyxiation Erotic asphyxiation (variously called asphyxiophilia, hypoxyphilia or breath control play) is the intentional restriction of oxygen to the brain for the purposes of sexual arousal. The term autoerotic asphyxiation is used when the act is done b ...

voyeurism Voyeurism is the sexual interest in or practice of watching other people engaged in intimate behaviors, such as undressing, sexual activity, or other actions of a private nature. The term comes from the French ''voir'' which means "to see". A ...

exhibitionism Exhibitionism is the act of exposing in a public or semi-public context one's intimate parts – for example, the breasts, genitals or buttocks. The practice may arise from a desire or compulsion to expose themselves in such a manner to group ...

zoophilia Zoophilia is a paraphilia involving a sexual fixation on non-human animals. Bestiality is cross-species sexual activity between humans and non-human animals. The terms are often used interchangeably, but some researchers make a distinction b ...

, and

necrophilia Necrophilia, also known as necrophilism, necrolagnia, necrocoitus, necrochlesis, and thanatophilia, is sexual attraction towards or a sexual act involving Cadaver, corpses. It is classified as a paraphilia by the World Health Organization (WHO) ...

. He also has a predilection for teenage girls, including Peter's daughter Meg, whenever they turn 18. Following the episode "

Family Goy "Family Goy" is the second episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series '' Family Guy''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on October 4, 2009. In the episode, Lois discovers that her mother is Jewish and begins her str ...

", he develops a

pornography addiction Pornography addiction is the controversial application of an addiction model to the use of pornography. Pornography may be part of compulsive sexual behavior with negative consequences to one's physical, mental, social, or financial well-being. W ...

after discovering the existence of

internet pornography Internet pornography is any pornography that is accessible over the internet, primarily via websites, FTP servers peer-to-peer file sharing, or Usenet newsgroups. The availability of widespread public access to the World Wide Web in late 1990s ...

. When in sexual situations, he often shouts variations of his catchphrase "giggity", which has been used on ''Family Guy'' merchandise such as keyrings. Scenes involving Quagmire's sexual behavior have sometimes been censored by

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

, such as a cut-away in the episode "

Airport '07 "Airport '07" is the twelfth episode of season five of the animated sitcom ''Family Guy''. The episode originally broadcast on Fox on March 4, 2007. The plot follows the Griffin family's neighbor Quagmire being dismissed from his job as a pilot af ...

" which implied that he engaged in sex with a dead

virgin Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

at her funeral. The

Parents Television Council The Parents Television and Media Council (PTMC), formerly the Parents Television Council (PTC), is an American media advocacy group founded by conservative Christian activist L. Brent Bozell III in 1995, which advocates for what it considers ...

, a long-term critic of ''Family Guy'', says that Quagmire provides "some of the tawdriest moments" in the show.

References

External links

Glenn Quagmire
at Fox.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Quagmire, Glenn Animated human characters Family Guy characters Fictional commercial aviators Fictional naval aviators Fictional rapists Fictional sailors Fictional United States Navy personnel Television characters introduced in 1999 Animated characters introduced in 1999 Fictional characters from Rhode Island Male characters in animated series Characters created by Seth MacFarlane Fictional Polish-American people sv:Family Guy#Glenn Quagmire