Sarah Palin and her family were upset by a recent Family Guy episode in which Ellen, a character with Down’s Syndrome, says that she’s the daughter of the former governor of Alaska. According to The New York Times, Palin, whose son Trig also has Down syndrome, has said that the Family Guy show “really isn’t funny” and was the work of “cruel, cold-hearted people.” Palin’s daughter Bristol has written that the Family Guy writers were “mocking my brother and my family,” and called them “heartless jerks.”
Andrea Fay Friedman, the 39 year-old actress who supplied the voice for Ellen (and also has Down syndrome herself), supports the show. ”I guess former Governor Palin does not have a sense of humor,” she said. ”I thought the line ‘I am the daughter of the former governor of Alaska’ was very funny. I think the word is ‘sarcasm.’ In my family we think laughing is good. My parents raised me to have a sense of humor and to live a normal life.”
When she heard of Sarah Palin’s response, Andrea said, “I was making fun of Sarah Palin, but not her son.” She added that “it’s not really an insult” about Down syndrome.
I’m glad Andrea has a better sense of humor, but I’m not exactly sure how the episode wasn’t making fun of her son. If they were trying to make fun of the way she uses her son for sympathy, that’d be different. But is that what came across?
Andrea Fay observes that Sarah carries her son around like a “loaf of French Bread”. I suppose she thinks Ms. Palin is using Trig as a political prop.
I think they need to get over it. Family Guy has mocked countless celebrities . She should think of it as a right of passage into the celebrity world . Its meant to be a joke . Laugh , and then get over it . You should get mad because someone makes a joke you don’t like . Life goes on .
I’m so glad this actress spoke up. It would have been different had the Family Guy staff placed any voice over actress in this part, but the fact they went out to find someone real, someone who lives every day with this condition, shows real sensitivity on their behalf – even though what was coming out of her mouth may not be construed as sensitive at all! The Palins do need to get over it. This is politics, everything you do & say, and everything that you are, is open for criticism and parody. Hurtfulness is not a consideration in this world.