The victimisation of Sarah Palin

[Iosif]

Responding to everything

The bawdy Fox cartoon "Family Guy" features a mentally disabled girl whose mother is governor of Alaska, and Palin, naturally, responds:

People are asking me to comment on yesterday’s Fox show that felt like another kick in the gut. Bristol was one who asked what I thought of the show that mocked her baby brother, Trig (and/or others with special needs), in an episode yesterday. Instead of answering, I asked her what she thought. Here is her conscientious reply, which is a much more restrained and gracious statement than I want to make about an issue that begs the question, “when is enough enough?”:

“When you’re the son or daughter of a public figure, you have to develop thick skin. My siblings and I all have that, but insults directed at our youngest brother hurt too much for us to remain silent. 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? As a culture, shouldn’t we be more compassionate to innocent people – especially those who are less fortunate? Shouldn’t we be willing to say that some things just are not funny? Are there any limits to what some people will do or say in regards to my little brother or others in the special needs community? If the writers of a particularly pathetic cartoon show thought they were being clever in mocking my brother and my family yesterday, they failed. All they proved is that they’re heartless jerks. - Bristol Palin”

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0210/Responding_to_everything.html?showall

What purpose does it serve to whine and moan and release a snotty statement every time someone says something you don't like?

[Vepres]

Why won't she just go away?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

What purpose does it serve to whine and moan and release a snotty statement every time someone says something you don't like?

It keeps herself in the news, which seems to be the only purpose Palin cares about these days.

[Torie]

The word that comes immediately  to mind when I think of Palin: AIRBRAIN. Sorry.

By the way, her being a Fox News commentator is one of the biggest jokes of all time. She has next to nothing to say, other than well, smaller government is great (except for the military of course), and folks should keep more of what they earn, which she says, over and over and over.

[King]

Sarah has an odd sense of humor irony common if she considers Rush Limbaugh to be satirical while holding David Letterman and Family Guy to high standards of integrity.

[TheGreatOne]

I think Palin does have a right to complain about this one.  I'm definately a person who likes to take shots at Palin, but this joke wasn't really directed at Palin.  It was directed at Trig, her mentally challenged child.  I laughed when it was said because it was sort of shocking, but it was a tasteless joke. 

[King]

I think Palin does have a right to complain about this one.  I'm definately a person who likes to take shots at Palin, but this joke wasn't really directed at Palin.  It was directed at Trig, her mentally challenged child.  I laughed when it was said because it was sort of shocking, but it was a tasteless joke. 

No. It was definitely a shot at Palin for being dumb and therefore having stupid kids.  If Trig had been born perfectly normal, they still would have made that joke. 

[Bo]

Why won't she just go away?

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Holmes]

So are people expressing faux outrage that this character was a hybrid of Bristol and Trig(was it?), or that she was kind of a bitch and it's horrible to portray disabled people as anything but perfect angels? Because we know every single one of them are just totally pure, unlike us. Which was the whole point of the plot.

[Cubby]

So are people expressing faux outrage that this character was a hybrid of Bristol and Trig(was it?), or that she was kind of a bitch and it's horrible to portray disabled people as anything but perfect angels? Because we know every single one of them are just totally pure, unlike us. Which was the whole point of the plot.

I noticed that too. It was original of them to have the disabled girl be really mean and unsympathetic. That to me was more memorable than the "Governor of Alaska" comment.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

The general rule is don't pick on the kids, they're not public figures.

Sweet Sarah has made hers public figures.......rules go out the window.

[tmthforu94]

I'm siding with Sarah on this one. Family Guy was extremely out of line on this. Palin's kids became public figures when she became McCain's VP nominee. But that still doesn't mean it should be okay for them to be picked on like this. They don't deserve it. If this was Obama's kids being picked at, everyone on both sides of the aisle would be all over them for it.

[President Mitt]

Jesus, it was a joke. They were making fun of Sarah Palin, not her kids. Get over yourselves.

[Holmes]

Oh wow, I didn't know Trig Palin was a 16 year old girl in high school, Family Guy was so out of line by depicting him as one and making him/her seem like a total douche. The connection is so obvious.

People complaining about how Family Guy was attacking her kids... please actually watch the episode. The character in question is not anything like any of her kids. And ask yourself, since when does any fictional character with Down Syndrome represent any of Sarah Palin's children? I guess that's now the case.

[East Coast Republican]

Stupid far left liberals continue to attack Governor Palin.

Bring it on.  She's not going to be running against Obama and it serves as a distraction for the Democratic Party.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

I'm siding with Sarah on this one. Family Guy was extremely out of line on this. Palin's kids became public figures when she became McCain's VP nominee. But that still doesn't mean it should be okay for them to be picked on like this. They don't deserve it. If this was Obama's kids being picked at, everyone on both sides of the aisle would be all over them for it.

Exactly, let's see some trashy humor against Sasha and Malia, and then we could see how all these apologists here would respond.

[Anthony]

I'm siding with Sarah on this one. Family Guy was extremely out of line on this. Palin's kids became public figures when she became McCain's VP nominee. But that still doesn't mean it should be okay for them to be picked on like this. They don't deserve it. If this was Obama's kids being picked at, everyone on both sides of the aisle would be all over them for it.

Exactly, let's see some trashy humor against Sasha and Malia, and then we could see how all these apologists here would respond.

Most people who are conservative would probably be laughing at trashy humor if it was against Obama's kids. In fact, they insult Obama and his family all the time. The Republicans are mad only because it was against Palin's kids.

We already know how they got mad when Rahm Emanuel, a Democrat, used the "R-word". But when Rush Limbaugh, a Republican, used the exact same word, they didn't even care. That's how hypocritical the GOP usually is.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

I'm siding with Sarah on this one. Family Guy was extremely out of line on this. Palin's kids became public figures when she became McCain's VP nominee. But that still doesn't mean it should be okay for them to be picked on like this. They don't deserve it. If this was Obama's kids being picked at, everyone on both sides of the aisle would be all over them for it.

Exactly, let's see some trashy humor against Sasha and Malia, and then we could see how all these apologists here would respond.

Most people who are conservative would probably be laughing at trashy humor if it was against Obama's kids. In fact, they insult Obama and his family all the time. The Republicans are mad only because it was against Palin's kids.

Sasha and Malia never get the treatment Palin's kid got on television. Don't make up lies, please.

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You mean how mad one person named Sarah Palin got?

[Anthony]

Sasha and Malia never get the treatment Palin's kid got on television. Don't make up lies, please.

True, they haven't gotten this kind of treatment yet on TV. Nor did I even say that they did, if you take another look at what I wrote. What I said was that Obama and his family are often insulted by Republicans all the time. For example, I've been to websites before where people who are conservative tend to talk badly and hatefully about not just Obama, but also about his family sometimes. I did say that IF Obama's kids had this kind of humor directed at them on TV, most of the Repugs would find it hilarious, and might even start repeating it over and over again. I never said Obama's kids were ridiculed on TV like Palin's kids were. Therefore, I was not making up lies, as you suggested.

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Not neccessarily just Palin. But also how some Republicans, who happen to be Palin supporters, got made at Rahm Emanuel when he said that word, but they still listen to(or at least haven't criticized) Rush Limbaugh, who also said that word. The point of that is how these people get mad when a Democrat does or says something that is wrong, but they don't really seem to care that much at all if a Republican does it.

[Brittain33]

The actress who voiced the role has Down's Syndrome and is really unhappy with Sarah Palin for twisting this around.

"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."

Full interview here.

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/family-guy-voice-actor-says-palin-does-not-have-a-sense-of-humor/?src=twr

[Brittain33]

Exactly, let's see some trashy humor against Sasha and Malia,

Let's break down the offensiveness of this trashy humor.

The essence of the joke is that Sarah Palin has a child with Down's Syndrome.

That's it.

Which, if Sarah Palin were keeping Trig's life completely private and we felt having a Down's Syndrome child was something to be ashamed of, and that a teenage girl on a cartoon could be confused with an infant boy with a different name, would be an invasion of privacy.

As the actress who played the role pointed out, Sarah Palin goes beyond being proud of her son to using him as a political prop and, in fact, exploiting him to get political credibility on an issue (care for special needs children) where she doesn't actually follow through. It's very similar to how she talks about her husband's union membership when talking to union members--while actually opposing union legislation. It's politics by identity and it's actually pretty damn insulting to people who are dealing with the challenge of special needs children, running out of money, running out of sanity, and facing government cutbacks of the kind Palin thinks are important. To be frank, Palin has yet to learn anything about what it's like to be the parent of a special needs child beyond the initial acceptance of a different future for her child. She certainly will learn, and she has my respect for that, but so far she seems most interested in what Trig can do for her rather than what she will do for Trig.

You don't know why this is "trashy humor," you can't back up that Sarah Palin is a victim, when she laps up victimhood like mother's milk. If she weren't a victim, yelling it loud and clear, she wouldn't be anything at all. That's the only trashy humor here.

[Gren]

I'm siding with Sarah on this one. Family Guy was extremely out of line on this. Palin's kids became public figures when she became McCain's VP nominee. But that still doesn't mean it should be okay for them to be picked on like this. They don't deserve it. If this was Obama's kids being picked at, everyone on both sides of the aisle would be all over them for it.

Exactly, let's see some trashy humor against Sasha and Malia, and then we could see how all these apologists here would respond.

Good point, Libertas.

 As I said in the other thread, I think that joke was something inappropriate. Yes, the fact that Palin is trying to attract votes by using her children is even more disgusting, but that has nothing to do with her son's right to be respected. I personally believe the only thing she should have done was asking for respect, not this melodramatic show whose sole objective is the political one.

I can understand the people who say "it's only a joke". However, let's put yourselves in the place of someone who has a relative with down syndrome. You might get hurt if your hear something like that, even if it hasn't bad intentions. It's perfectly comprehensible that they complain about it and that they criticise it.

[Brittain33]

However, let's put yourselves in the place of someone who has a relative with down syndrome.

Similarly, you shouldn't presume that we don't. 

[Gren]

However, let's put yourselves in the place of someone who has a relative with down syndrome.

Similarly, you shouldn't presume that we don't. 

I didn't. I just encouraged you to do it as you were reading. I'm not into your mind and if you don't  write that you do put yourself in their place, there's no way I can know it. Anyway, I'm sorry if I bothered you, it wasn't my intention.

[Lunar]

The voice actress who played the teenage girl with down syndrome also has down syndrome...

She put out this statement:

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and in an interview:

Q. When you get asked to play characters who have Down syndrome, does that make you at all uncomfortable?

A.
No, I’m proud of it. I’m not embarrassed. But mostly, it doesn’t matter if you have Down syndrome. Really, it just matters to have a different challenge.

Q.
When did you find out about the reaction that the episode elicited from Sarah Palin and her family?

A.
[laughs] That I did not even know about until my mom told me, “You’re on Channel 4!” And when I watched on Channel 4, on “Extra,” and I saw Sarah Palin with her son Trig. I’m like, “I’m not Trig. This is my life.” I was making fun of Sarah Palin, but not her son.

Q.
Do you agree with what she and her daughter Bristol were saying, that the character and the jokes were insulting to people with Down syndrome?

A.
It’s not really an insult. I was doing my role, I’m an actor. I’m entitled to say something. It was really funny. I was laughing at it. I had a nice time doing voiceover. It was my first time doing a voiceover, and I had fun.