'Family Guy' Actress Responds To Sarah Palin's Criticism

It's only a cartoon, but still . . .

Sarah Palin is angry at Fox Broadcasting Co. because its saucy cartoon show "Family Guy" portrayed a teenage girl with Down syndrome telling another character that her mom is the former governor of Alaska. A song and dance routine followed, with language ridiculing people with disabilities, CNN said.

Palin, has a 22-month-old son with Down syndrome.

She said she was too ticked off to respond personally --"felt like another kick in the gut," she said -- so on Palin's Facebook page her daughter Bristol said, in part, "People with special needs face challenges that many of us will never confront, and yet they are some of the kindest and most loving people you'll ever meet. Their lives are difficult enough as it is, so why would anyone want to make their lives more difficult by mocking them?" Read More

Andrea Fay Friedman, the voice actress who played the role of "Ellen" --the character depicted as having Down syndrome on the Valentine's Day episode of Family Guy, has responded to the criticism of sometime-Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Of special significance, Friedman herself has Down syndrome. Palingates has Friedman's complete response:

My name is Andrea Fay Friedman. I was born with Down syndrome. I played the role of Ellen on the "Extra Large Medium" episode of Family Guy that was broadcast on Valentine's day. Although they gave me red hair on the show, I am really a blonde. I also wore a red wig for my role in " Smudge" but I was a blonde in "Life Goes On". I guess former Governor Palin does not have a sense of humor. 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. My mother did not carry me around under her arm like a loaf of French bread the way former Governor Palin carries her son Trig around looking for sympathy and votes.

I have to say, that's a pretty good burn.

Friedman also spoke to the New York Times Arts Beat reporter David Itzkoff. You can read their interview here.

Read

 

http://www.youtube.com/v/VzPhhPD0D7w&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true">http://www.youtube.com/v/VzPhhPD0D7w&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344">

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Comments

[FilomenaFallaci56]

Did you turn implementing a hair pin over (possibly by Enovid or Lanco´me)? I judge a hair is befitting for that

[sjohnson]

Wait. What?

[sjohnson]

What an insightful person Ms. Friedman is!  She must also have a very supportive family who did not look at her and see limitations, only possibilities.  I love the remark about the loaf of bread.  I always described the half-a-gov as holding Trig like a sack of flour.  Good post!

[ken]

just how sick and direct are the comments allowed to be,i'm sure you have a pretty thick skin,but i'm also sure i could find your breaking point.i did a little research and found that your husband and children arn't all they could be,maybe  i can do a post of their short comings,all in good humor of course.

[sjohnson]

And Ken hits a new low with an ad hominem attack instead of addressing the actual article.  Very typical and snarky.

[Syrin from Wasilla]

Ken, who are you talking to? Is that a threat? 

At what point do Palin's intentions become Trig's unfair exploitation? You have crossed the line. How despicable of you to even put that in words.

[Syrin from Wasilla]

I appreciated that Ms Friedman had a statement to know about her career. To listen to Sarah or Bristol special needs children are so needy. Thought it shows that people like Ms Friedman face those challenges and overcome them quite well.

Without the Palins

[Syrin from Wasilla]

.. husband and children arn't all they could be????????????

How dare you first off.....Yes they are, in every way. 

That shows how deep your ugly goes! This is my blog, shouldn't you tell me that I'm not all I could be?

 

[sjohnson]

As I have said several times in the past, Ken is the typical bully-boy.  It is all he knows.

[ken]

NO,that would be to easy,that would not be sarcastic enough,and now that your in the right frmae of mind ,now that your a mother protecting her children,NOW you can tell me how the political and personnal insult to palin came even close to being any kind of damm humor.go ahead,now your children are in that box that palins have been stuffed into,just how do you defend remarks like this where is your sense of humor where is your sense of fair play,as a mother you should be outraged at comments like this but your hatred of all things palin have blinded you to your christian charity.your sense of right and wrong,you should feel nothing but shame for defending freaks that used a show to make a political statement and to insult a child that has no way of defending himself,you should feel shame and nothing but shame for defenmding filth like this your hatred of palin has turned you dark and dirty,you need a bath.

[Syrin from Wasilla]

Ken, You can personally attack me if you wish. But, I do not want to be POTUS! My children or husband have no place here. Unless you would like to thank my child for serving in Afghanistan? You're just vitrol and I'm kinda sick of you because of that.  

It's Sarah who includes her children in this drama by exploiting them for her selfish gain ( money, power or sympathy). I don't watch 'Family Guy".. But, they have the right to use celebrity personalities and all their props in their satire.

[ken]

you behaved like a mother,and palin has every right to do the same,when letterman called her daughters whores he should have had his acorns cut off,now that that some left leaning sitcom writer has made fun of a child that has no way to protect himself ,she has every right to call them on it,your reaction is all the proof that anyone needs,and its not every celebrity,its palins kids that are taking shots in a very sick way.if those were my daughters,or my son,someone would be laying in a gutter.

[ken]

and whats your story,the english language not good enough for you,hanging around with marxist aristocrat has got you using latin..its called a personnal attack,not a ''ad homanimmmm'''

[Maria]

[this is good] Ken, did you actually view the cartoon clip?

[ken]

it was clearly done to mock palin,there is no other way to see it,don't try to cloud the facts in hopes of getting a different response,it was done in poor taste,or should i go out this weekend and point and laugh at all the ''tards'' running around.no matter how you cut it there is no defense of this.

[Maria]

Ken, no one is denying that Palin was being called out... but her child was NOT denigrated.  On the contrary the character who mentioned that her mother was the ex-governor of Alaska, was a girl that was on a date and being 'bossy' and capable, just a normal young woman who happens to have Down Syndrome.

Andrea Friedman's parents were told that she would not progress beyond the cognitive abilities of a 4 year old.  What did they do?  They ensured that Andrea was stretched and stimulated and they did not treat her like a r*tard, a special angel or someone to be pitied.

Andrea went to college, works at a law firm, drives a car, and lectures around the world.  And she's an actress!

If only Sarah would take note and give Trig the care and treatment that he needs - on the book tour he was kept up at all hours, and very seldom was seen wearing his glasses or hearing aid.  Sarah deserves to be called out for mistreating Trig, whose name in itself an insult being TrisomyG for short!

[GrannyBea]

My goodness!  I take some time away from the blogs, come back to find that Ken is still here, spitting out his nonsensical vitriol, and is as mean-spirited and bitter as ever.

 

I don't hate Palin, she isn't worth the effort it takes to hate.  I am not a Marxist, nor is Syrin, just because we state our views about her.  Palin certainly didn't object to Rush Limbaugh's *satire*.  The cartoon was simply satire and Palin herself was the target, not the child.  Palin has a continual knee-jerk reaction to every perceived insult to she or her family, which results in her looking more and more of a buffoon.

 

For those on Facebook, feel free to let Andrea know she is a great example for others with diminished abilities in some respects.  If only Palin could admit her shortcomings and find something nice to say..........or just sit down and shut up.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=357079929745

 

Oh..........and Ken.......you surely would not be missed if you decided to take yourbad manners somewhere else.

[sjohnson]

Well said.  Ken, like the rest of us, is a visitor at someone else's blog. He fails to realize that it is very bad manners to come to someone's house and spew his twisted hatred and ignorance all around.

[Syrin from Wasilla]

Welcome back GrannyBea..

Correct, Ken has lost his perspective in reality, if he ever had one. Similar to almost ever other person who defends Sarah Palin's bad behavior, stupidity and exploitation. Wonder where that JBodine slithered off to .. Doesn't matter.

Appreciate the facebook link for Andrea

[ken]

just the fact that you have no idea what trigs name means tells me evrything i need to know about you,in a world of mikes and johns,anns and marys she gave her children names of meaning,trigs name,in local indian tounge,stands for truth or strength,neither of which you seem to have.with a computer you have the world at your fingertips i suggest you use it.

[ken]

granny,is that just a title you gave yourself,or does it mean that not only did you raise children you helped raise grandchildren,and do you really want to say your reactions would be any different then palins or syrins when it comes to someone making fun of your children.the attack on family guy was aimed and there is no mistaken who it was aimed at.letterman was a child molesting coward,and family guy is a grinning,base,pandering, insulting show.

[ken]

this is a public blog,so it would be more like voicing your opinion in the local coffee house,not your living room,is their any fact that you can't misinterpit

[Syrin from Wasilla]

Ken,

....the attack on family guy was aimed and there is no mistaken who it was aimed at. So what! She's open to it by her own exploitations of her own family and private disfunctions. She's a star, celebrity..That's why she's getting the 'BIG BUCKS'

Don't watch it, that's how you can help defend Sarah. It's freedom, man! FREEDOM and LIBERTY applies to things we don't like aswell...

[Syrin from Wasilla]

Everyone is out to get Sarah Palin

...Her time as governor was marred by her almost incessant need to be a victim, a target. Big Oil. Crooks. Veco. Bloggers. Left-leaning critics. They were all out to get her. Lashing out at a cartoon seems to fit that mold.

A thicker skin would be nice, but picking the right fights would be better.

[sjohnson]

Well, Syrin, I guess that Ken is in the habit of walking into coffee shops, screaming random remarks, and victimizing himself.  Remind you of anyone?  I guess the good Lord gave him more bitterness and less manners.