'Family Guy' Actress With Down Syndrome Skewers Sarah Palin

By Marc Schneider Posted Feb 19th 2010 11:31AM

Sarah Palin raised a ruckus this week over a 'Family Guy' episode that seemed to poke fun at her son with Down syndrome. "My mom is the former governor of Alaska," said a character named Emily with the disorder. Palin called it a "kick in the gut." Her daughter, Bristol, said the show was filled with "heartless jerks."

What they didn't anticipate was the full-throated response from the woman who actually voiced Emily, an actress with Down syndrome named Andrea Fay Friedman, who sent a letter to the New York Times where she scolds the former vice presidential candidate for lacking a "sense of humor."

"I think the word is 'sarcasm,'" she wrote, mockingly. In the most pointed section of her letter, Friedman accuses Palin of using her son Trig as a political prop.

"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," she skewered in a portion of the letter that, amazingly, the Times left out of their article.

Full text of Friedman's letter (courtesy of the blog, Palingates) below:

"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."

In her comments on Monday, Bristol Palin said if 'Family Guy' writers "thought they were being clever in mocking my brother and my family yesterday, they failed."

In a short interview with the Times' Arts Beat blog, Friedman insisted she was "making fun of Sarah Palin, but not her son."

"It's not really an insult. I was doing my role, I'm an actor," said Friedman, who got her big break at age 21 on the show 'Life Goes On.' "I'm entitled to say something. It was really funny. I was laughing at it."

It will be interesting to see whether Palin responds to Friedman's comments. And if she chooses to respond, what will she say? Palin would be hard-pressed to question Friedman's sensitivity to the issue, which has been her tactic of choice in her recent tirades against 'Family Guy' and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. So far, she has yet to take to her Facebook, the former governor's preferred medium for her frequent tounge-lashings.

Friedman, who soon turns 40, has been spending the past several years as a public speaker and also works at a law firm. She said she'd love to get another role on 'Saving Grace,' the TNT show she appeared on in 2008.

Tags: andrea fay friedman

Comments

(257)

Friday 19 February

By Reid

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People really need a sense of humor. If you can't laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at? I for example, was born with Tourettes Syndrome. And I think the Tourettes Guy is absolutely hilarious. Even though it's not really an accurate demonstration of Tourettes Syndrome. People really are insecure.

By Gary

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You are right we all need to under stand that life is notlike a box of chocolates.. forgiveness is the word. besides who are we to |Judge HUM?

By dmf4357

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Palin is on point!!! Neither this girl nor her mother were targetted by the national media making them the butt of neanderthal satire! So, "Family Guy" gets a pass by pursuing someone mentally disabled to poke fun at Sarah Palin? How about take the Palin Punns off the shelf and pick at John Edwards X, or John Kerry's X, or any of the other politically active non elected people in America? I used to really like the show. The latest seasons show nothing but contempt and slam Christianity. How about making fun of Buddism, Taoism, Doaism, Greek and Roman gods, or even..... Islam or Barack Obama? Keep up with the times! And that what grinds my gears!!!

By olba

When these retards of the media r gonna start showing some respect for people like Sarah Palin who deserved it fully for her character, background, decency and guts..something more men in this country lack..and for the opinion of Emily here, she has down syndrome doesn't she?????/////

By nicenice

I am amazed at the ignorance of the show writer and some of the people posting here.
There are varying degree of severity for Down Syndrome sufferers. Friedman is fortunate to be minimally affected. She should be thankful and not throw stones.
Palin's son was just born when she was campaigning, which mother of any sense will leave him in Alaska?
This is humor at the lowest form. Friedman should be ashame of herself for being used this way. The writer and the producer of the show should hang their head on the ground for exploiting Friedman for this gig.

By JC

I absolutely agree with Reid that people should have enough of a sense of humor to laugh at themselves. Now what does laughing at oneself have to do with laughing at a Down Syndrome child? I suspect that an especially warm place exists in Hell for people who do that.

By Betty

You are an adult, you can decide to find your condition used as a means for a good laugh. Govenor Palin's son is a baby, he doesn't have that choice yet.

Saturday 20 February

By hijacks

Oh stop it!!!
You know very well that people despise Sarah...and that was
just another example of sticking it to her...AND YOU KNOW IT!!!

By reena.shimkus@yahoo.com

to Olba - are you really sarah palin??? your similarities are unbelievable!! you're both f*ckn idiots.

By Bonbon

I feel sorry for her if her mom did not carry her...that's sad, I am assuming Sarah is carrying Trig because he's not old enough to walk yet. Maybe her Mom didn't carry her, but she obviously instilled rudeness in her. Shame on her, she is sounding like a loony lib!!!

By Jessica

Bonbon, She is not saying her mother never carried her. She is saying her mother never carried her THE WAY Sarah Palin carries her son under her arm like a loaf of bread.

By Frank

She didn't say she wasn't carried, she said she wasn't carried like a loaf of French bread. So, please don't feel sorry for her!

By irateredhead

She said her mom didn't carry her around under her arm like a loaf of French bread...not that her mom never carried her. It's like you people just pick and choose what you want to take away from the article in order to justify your point of view.
Why is she rude in your opinion? She simply stated her OPINION. It may be different from yours, but that doesn't make it rude.

By wendyleedakin

As a parent of a Downs Syndrome child (now 11), I can honestly say, it takes some processing...she probably needs to hold him and be with him. It probably gives her strength. After all, she seems to be America's favorite target...I held my son and carried him and protected him for at least the first two years. I think she is a wonderful mother and a wonderful person.

By Carla

Carrying an outward facing baby under your arm does not make a bad mother. Damned if you do, damned if you don't! Please she doesn't spend enough time one minute, then she's using him as a pawn the next!Please people, we understand you do not like her don't trash her as a mother. You don't know what is behind her public image. It's so easy to judge, I would like to see what goes on in some of your lives. I bet you're not all perfect. I think if I had a child with downs syndrome I would be a little offended by the show also. The lady on the show was not there as a character representing a person with DS, she was put there to make fun of the Palin's through their child. I think that's a little low.

By Corey

you are fool

By butch

She DID NOT say that her Mom didn't carry her. She SAID that her Mom didn't carry her like a loaf of bread.....as a prop. Palin's an idiot.

By fymayawf

Get bent...

By Rick

She said her mom never carried her under her arm like a loaf of french bread, not that her mom never carried her. Did your mom perhaps drop you on your head

By Bebe

She is not saying that her Mother did not carry her, she said her mother did not carry around like a loaf of bread thinking that voters would have empathy for her thinking that would win her some votes. At that age, that poor child should have been somewhere sleep.

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