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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.

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Comments

[otherwhitemeat]

Just because the voice over actress spoke about her work doesn't make it right. Just because it's satire doesn't make it right. We all know the purpose was to make fun of Sarah Palin because she has a son with Down Syndrome. We all know it's the liberal thing to do to make fun of Sarah Palin. This is offensive and Palin has a right to respond to it. I find it offensive. If the tables were turned it and it was Obama being made fun of all you liberals would be up the wall. If it's wrong to make fun of Obama, it's wrong to make fun of Republicans (this means Bush and Palin).

I haven't seen this episode, but it seems to be in very poor (and outdated...making fun of Palin was so November 2008) taste.

[otherwhitemeat]

I also need to say this is just stupid. Why have the comment in the episode? It would have been okay for them to have a character with Down Syndrome and base an entire episode on it without the line. But, no, they have to add politics and that's where things go wrong. I used to watch Family Guy and I still think it's funny, but I don't find this funny. If someone makes fun of a liberal the media cries foul, but conservatives are fair game. It's not humor. It's hypocrisy. Yes, conservatives have a sense of humor and yes, we do laugh at some of the same stuff as liberals, but when it's not funny, we don't laugh.

[Dave Scofield]

yeah, ok....you know what? you're full of it. Mz. Palin was NEVER mentioned by name in the show, she has a SON with Down Syndrome, not a daughter. They could have been talking about anyone....or no one...after all, the show is set in a FICTIONAL UNIVERSE. i'm sure that Seth MacFarlane is laughing all the way to the bank since you fell for the intentional ambiguity of the quote in question.

Get...over...your...self.

"If you're watching a TV show and you decide to take your values from that... you're an idiot."
Wanna know who said that? Seth MacFarlane - as his main character, Peter Griffin.

Furthermore, if you haven't seen the episode in question, then WHY are you commenting?? You are providing a great example of the #1 problem in America: People talking bull about things they don't know about.

[4akinderworld]

But it's ALL about SarahP! Everything! In the world! The Universe! DUH!

[BeauRadley]

As usual Ms. Incoherent is full of it. And herself.

[Nathan Bricco]

LoL c'mon people! These are jokes intended on making people laugh! We live in a country where you can say just about anything you want on television or other sources of media. Anyone watching something offensive has a 2x7 inch chunk of plastic with buttons located right next to their easy chair. Instead of gazing upon this offensive material and thus melting into their chair, turn the F****ing STATION! Everyone has that right.

[ronald nicholson]

to all who have made the statement " money is the root of all evil" are wrong. the quote is "the 'love' of money is the root of all evil". changes the meaning of what your trying to get across don't you think?
what's with you 'palin haters' anyway? at least she "wasn't having sex" in your whitehouse, under your oval office desk. get a life.

[T4E2112]

Classic Palin! Rising to the bait and not even realizing she's being played.

[7Seas]

Sarah Palin should stay mum on the satire hits she takes because in the end it may be the only recognization she gets because she sure isn't a politician.

[Wild Clover]

My 6 year old with Down Syndrome is smarter than Sarah. Sarah honey, if you drag your children around as political props, trying to convince moms like me that you are "Just like"me with your schedule that leaves no time for the kind of parenting I want my children to have, then figure there will be commentary. It could have easily been an episode about an unwed mother ditched by her son's father (or visa-versa) with the same throw away line at the end. Would this have been insulting to unwed mothers in general? A specific dig at Bristol? Or just a moment of humor because of how Sarah has put her family up for public view, then screeches like a banshee when someone comments about them.

Obama did and does not make the same tacky display of his family as Palin did, therefore the jokes are fewer. They mostly target his wife, not the girls, for which I am grateful. He also is fortunate that his girls are young enough to not embarrass daddy by either proving one of his pet policy positions doesn't work (abstinence anyone?) or doing the "girls gone wild thing that the Bush sisters did.

[Wild Clover]

Sorry-Obama did not and does not......sentence makes more sense this way:)

[Wild Clover]

I told my son's other parent about this, explaining the plot, and giving the disputed line, and she immediately broke into snickers at the governor of Alaska I then I told her Sarah made a statement about it. She was sure Palin would be complementary.then was so very confused that Sarah could take offence that by positively depicting a together, bright, normal DS individual, it could in any way be insulting to Trig or DS people in general. "She was upset it is implied that her son can lead a completely normal life???"

If second hand (well, third, since I actually haven't seen the episode) my very fierce in defense of her kids partner gets it, I truly begin to wonder about the quality of intelligence in America.

[BlueFloyd]

DEBATE!!! DEBATE!!! LET THEM DEBATE!!!

[Quequegs]

LOL Sarah would get PWNDed then too! ;0)

[snowbilly]

Sarah should now be outraged by Bob Marshall's implication that she had an abortion ... crickets.
Here's a post that has video of Keith O's segment, Marshall's quote, and links to a paper where they were reported:

http://palinquestions.blogspot.com/2010/02/did-sarah-palin-have-abortion.html

[Mohanna]

The reason Palin keeps YAPPING about this NON-ISSUE is she has gone 24 hours without her insane observations/whiny (somebody look at me, listen to me I NEED ATTENTION 24/7.), I don't have a clue. The ICKIEST person in politics is Palin!

[Michael Scarborough]

I have to be honest that a lot of MacFarlane's humorous barbs directed at Christianity are personally offensive, but the fact that he used an actor with Down's Syndrome to do the voiceover is nothing short of genius. He set Palin up to make a fool of herself, and she fell for it; hook, line, and sinker. Not that she needs any help at playing the fool.

[FlameOnH8]

So what's going to happen when Trig says, "I am the son of the former governor of Alaska"?

[goodtomeetyou]

Good point. According to some people that constitutes derision.

[MonaLisa65]

Not only that, what if Trig ever meets an accountant? THEN what?!

[gripeboy]

You go, girl. "French bread". Classic!

Sarah Palin is obviously too stupid to understand the subtleties of sarcasm and satire. Please leave that stuff to the educated "elites".

[shar1]

You people are cruel and insensitve. No wonder our country is so screwed up...
This was a direct offensive joke towards Sarah Palin and her son.
It is not ok to use someone else as the "butte" of your joke in any sense..
I have a Down Syndrome granddaughter who is now 15 years old and thus know first hand how tough it is for her. She too has always been in a loving and laugh filled family, but never would we offer her up to be exploited like this girl is being used to make fun of people like herself.
She is just doing and saying what she is told to do....sad.....Money is the root of all evil and in my opinion her parents or guardians are just exploiting this girl for money....
If they wanted to depict a down syndrome person dating why did the story line have to include the inference of her mother being the former governor of Alaska? It was written that way to inflame the Palins.
I get it that a lot of people don't like Sarah Palin but isn't enough, enough? Quit attacking her kids...
I know a lot of people who don't like Mr Obama, but they don't attack his children...
But this skit just went too far over the top and our family will never ever watch another episode of this show after this outrage.....

[love2lindy]

"If they wanted to depict a down syndrome person dating why did the story line have to include the inference of her mother being the former governor of Alaska? It was written that way to inflame the Palins."

It's called SATIRE! Andrea Freidman gets it. Why don't you? Are you one of those folks who's brain just isn't wired for satire or irony? There are such folks - look it up - and if you are one, I feel for you. You are missing a lot of really good comedy.

[BlueFloyd]

au contraire. he's prolly a big fan of satire: he listens to rush!

[Principaldad]

You should have watched the episode before claiming that it makes Trig the object of a joke. There is nothing in it that insults Palin's son and certainly nothing that is an "attack". At the most, it merely calls attention to his existence. There is nothing wrong with mentioning that Palin has a son with DS (unless you are claiming that having DS is something to be ashamed of).

I also find it rather condes.cending of you to assume that a 40 year old woman is "just doing and saying what she is told". Andrea Friedman has been self sufficient for many years. She is a college graduate and an Emmy nominated actress (well deserved). Her career as an actress has been about showing that people with DS can succeed and working against the stereotype you are trying to perpetuate.

That you can't even say whether Friedman has parents or guardians means that you didn't even take a few seconds to consider this woman before you attacked her and her parents. You don't have enough knowledge on which to base your biased opinion. In addition to accusing her parents of expIoiting her, you are essentially calling her a Iiar.

You claim that you will never watch the show. I seriously doubt you ever watched it to begin with. You most certainly did not watch the scene in question.

[MonaLisa65]

Fanned.

[deola557]

Its kind of sad to ear how mad you are at everyone and it shows how much you worship Palin. I feel really sorry for your granddaughter because you abviously treat her like she has no sense. You are so disrespectful to Ms. Friedman to assume that she has no common sense and needed her mammy to call shots. I have worked with people who were born with down syndrome and function no different than most people. I don't belief they just hand out college degrees and Emmy nominations to people who are not worthy! Google her and learn something.

[CityBoy613]

I know some one who makes fun of Obamas kids all the time! She talks about how ugly they are and how she thinks how ridiculous their names are...(You cant sit there and act like Obama haters or "Republicans" are not guilty of what you claim Family Guy is doing...which i supposedly attacking her kids...

[RottingintheMidwest]

and many conservatives ripped on Chelsea Clinton's appearance in the nineties. John McCain even stooped so low as to make this joke:
"Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly?
Because her father is Janet Reno."

[MonaLisa65]

Wow, your friend has issues. You don't need the eye of an artist to see that the Obama daughters aren't just pretty, they're going to grow into exquisitely beautiful women. And their names are ridiculous? Seriously? I'd trade mine for either in a heartbeat. (You think it's easy growing up 'Mona'? It ain't)

Shar1 'thinks' as Sarah tells her to think. .

[BlueFloyd]

AHAAHHAHAH­AHAHAHAHHA­HAAHAHAHAH­AHAHAHAHAH­AHAHA
(deep breath)
AHAHAHAHAH­AHAHAHAHAH­AHAHAHAHHA­HAHAAHAHAH­AHAAHAHHAH­A

[webmunki]

1. I have a child with Down syndrome. (8yrs old)
2. I saw the Family Guy episode.
3. I was not offended in the least bit nor did I think the episode put individuals with DS down in any way.
4. In fact, I thought the episode painted individuals with DS in a positive light.
5. Andrea Fay Friedman nailed it.

My wife is the VP of a major-metro down syndrome association, chairwoman of that metropolitan area's Buddy Walk, and our son with DS...he has Autism as well. If any one has a right to b@#$% about the episode, I think we qualify.

Guess what...no problems here with Family Guy.

[Scratchpad]

You people on the left don't get. Don't try to muddy the water with facts and apparent inconstancies. This is about one thing- Sarah said this was bad so it’s bad. If she said it was good- we’d all be saying what a wonderful program bringing light to such a topic. I don’t know why this is so hard for you to understand? If Sarah says the sky is green, than it is green. Don’t you know anything about faith?

[MonaLisa65]

+1

[Wild Clover]

Our son is 6 and has DS...Telling his mom about this, her first thought was that Sarah's reaction would be pleased, since the throwaway line implies that he will grow up to be articulate, bright, and have a normal life....the sort of outside validation we all are grateful for from time to time. She was shocked that Sarah found it offensive.

Fanned, sir, just because of who your family is...I don't think I could handle both DS and Autism, and my hat's off to you and your wife.