I’ve never understood why Meg is the Griffin family scapegoat. It never fails that when a new Family Guy episode airs, there’s some line about how fat, ugly, stupid or generally awful Meg is. People have set themselves on fire after looking at her, the popular kids at school hate her, and her own boyfriend ran out on her after seeing her naked. What is the deal?

During the first few seasons, Meg was treated like a normal member of the family, which I think is rightly so; just add a little makeup, boobs and change her hair color and you’ve basically got a mini-Lois, right? Meg has no openly ugly characteristics; compared to the rest of the town, she looks pretty normal, if not pretty, period. So why the hate fest?

And how can people call Meg fat when hello, her dad is Peter Griffin, a man worthy of being followed by a tuba at all times (and stalked by a fat people murderer, otherwise known as Lois’s psycho brother). Peter’s fat is always a running joke, but he still gets to be with Lois, considered the show’s hottie, and he still has friends. And he’s told his own daughter that she’s “what they call a practice girl.” As if he should talk! Isn’t Peter himself what many would call a pity f***?

Then there’s Chris, who is not only an idiot (with random insightful things to say now and then), but openly ugly, fat and awkward. Chris has had girlfriends, been a popular kid, had a better job than Meg and not been subjected to half the ridicule she’s been saddled with. It’s actually pretty ridiculous.

And ridiculousness is the point of the show, right? I get that. But really, it’s time for Meg to get a break. Let Chris be the family joke for a few years or something. He’s definitely a bigger and better target. Why not give Meg a few good episodes? Maybe send her off to college, have her ace some classes, get involved with big things and have some great friends and a boyfriend or two who doesn’t A. run at the sight of her nudity or B. dump her at the altar and revoke declarations of love when he realizes she’s not pregnant.

It wouldn’t detract from the show any, and maybe instead of having her become “Ron” in the future, we could have her simply be a normal person—or even super successful as a doctor or Congresswoman or something. It could add plenty of new elements to the show, and if a family loser is still needed, well, there’s plenty of family members left to have the limelight for a few seasons.