Friday, February 19, 2010

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

I had found this particular piece on the Huffington Post interesting because it is in regards to the Sarah Palin-Family Guy controversy, in which Sarah Palin blasted the show for being insensitive to people with disabilities because the cartoon portrayed a character with Down's Syndrome stating that her mother was the former governor of Alaska. It just so happens that the voice actress Andrea Fay Friedman, who played the role of Ellen, had something to say about the former governor of Alaska's remarks:
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 am sure that if Trig could speak, he would say these exact words.  For Sarah Palin's benefit, I would also like to post the definition of "satire":

sat·ire [sat-ahyuhr]

–noun
1.  the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc.
2.  a literary composition, in verse or prose, in which human folly and vice are held up to scorn, derision, or ridicule.
3.  a literary genre comprising such compositions.

1 comment:

  1. A very eloquent response.

    Interesting side note...the medical name of Downsydrome is Trisomy 21 or Trisomy G, which is shortened in medical circles as Tri-G.

    Now I'm not saying Palin cruelly named her child after her medical condition as some sort of sick joke, I'm just pointing out a fact that Palin had to be aware of around the time it came to name her baby.

    Of course maybe she is a learned Norse scholar.

    Another note is that Levi Johnston (who impregnated Bristol and lived with the Palins for a couple months) has mentioned that Palin has herself referred to Trig as her "retarded baby" at home.

    ReplyDelete

Please share your thoughts and experiences in relation to this post. Remember to be respectful in your posting. Comments that that are deemed inappropriate will be deleted.