'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 Cara

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Your statement is exactly what I would expect from a low-class individual who is mentally challenged by choice.

By kdsnxdor

remember Married with children? some lady didnt like it and started to talk garbage about the show? what happen ? The show became popular ! ha ha

By wendyleedakin

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You really need some help..someone must have hurt you terribly in your past? Let me guess, alcoholic Dad, beat you...never got any attention as a child...get some help for your hatred issues...

By MAC

UM, DID THE THOUGHT CROSS HER MIND THAT THE MEDIA ATTENTION WAS GOING TO GET HEAVY AND HIGHLIGHT ANY EXISTANT FAMILY ISSUES? AND DID MS. PALIN EVER PONDER THE WORD, NO? NO I CAN'T RUN BECAUSE MY FAMILY IS DYSFUNCTIONAL, MY DAUGHTER IS KNOCKED UP BECAUSE SHE'S A MORON, MY HUSBAND IS A DOUCHE BAG AND I CAN SEE ALASKA FROM MY PORCH??? WANNA SEE THE BRIDGE I WANNA BUILD TO NO WHERE???

By jjjmks

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Typical male response. Blame it on the girl who must be a moron for getting pregnant. What about that 'fine' young man who got her pregnant. For heaven sakes, not everyone who gets pregnant out of wedlock is a moron. And no, I had been married many years before I had children and I am not a Sarah Palin fan.

Saturday 20 February

By j-james138

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I find it funny that everyone is making i big deal out of all of this and the only reason is because its sarah palin if it was any one else i bet you all of the mindless drones out there who hate family guy and any show that has the guts to do what they do it is called humor folks we all get offended by a bunch of bs heck i was offended by the athiest crap in the show but i still watch it and besides i think south park is far worse that family guy

By bob

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So this girl was not offended-lets keep in mind she was getting PAID to say the line! You can spin this anyway you want-it was a direct insult to the Palin family-but as we know-the rules are very much different for Sarah Palin-when another candidate brings a child out to an event it's ok-when she hold's her baby-somehow it's calculated. Why does this woman scare you people so much?

By Gurbs

She doesn't scare anybody. If she does, it is because she is an idiot. She is just not liked. That does not equate to being scared. She is a fraud and everybody can see right through her. Well, apparently not everybody, just everybody with a brain.

By Matt

She doesn't us at all. Are you scared when a cocakroach scurries across your floor. We aren't scared or intimidated because that is what Palin is a coakroach. We want her to shut up and go away because she is annoying as hell.

Carol, not to many. but how many do you know quit as governor? yet she says shes not a quitter! ha ha

By janenellams

I've been a fan of Andrea Fay Friedman since her role on Life Goes On. Now, I'm a bigger fan. You go, girl!

By tony

all you people have to do is TURN CHANNELS HELLO

By J

Women can be the most hateful vindictive creatures in all of Gods creation . Just put all the men in prison and give the money to the women . I am sure that would make them happy . I rarely see the woman who doesnt grab the opportunity to kick a man real hard when he is down . Morel of story . I think you know the answer to that

By j

Moral of story , sheesh

By morgantherrell

I agree with the Palin family. I would of thought that someone with down syndrome would know better then to make fun of someone else with it, and anyone can say what they want that is what they were doing. I dont understand why she was even brought up in this tv show! Everyone always wants to run there mouth about Sara "she only wants headlines" when she ISNT the one making fun of anyone on a TV show. This is all from a bunch of libs who are scared to death of Sara Palin!! She has showed alot of class through all of this. Shes only defending herself and her down syndrome son from RUDE, UNCARING idiots! I am willing to bet if it was Sara who went on a show making fun of someone with down syndrome it wouldnt be funny to this Friedman girl and the rest of the world wouldnt think it was funny either and its all because shes a republican! anything is okay as long as its a liberal doing it!

By Heartbreak Kid

You're a jackass. Anyone who has a handicap and doesn't go around feeling sorry for themselves is OK with me. Remember also, she is an ACTRESS; that why she gets paid to say those lines. If she were offended by the show, she wouldn't have accepted the part. You, like the rest of the country, need to stop being so friggin' sensitive about EVERYTHING; like Stewie said in that episode (if you saw it, which you probably didn't),"THIS IS WHY THE OTHER COUNTRIES ARE BEATING US!!!"

By just4you

S Palin will do anything to saty in the news, even use her retard kid ...Go away go away

By renee

well thank you.... at least someone gets it...

By StopWhining

What does Sarah Stupid do when she is not constantly whining or blaming everyone for what a stupid woman, joke and hypocrite she is. Screech, whine, blame and lie. Can she do anything else? Oh, yeah - write her "beliefs" on her hand!!!! WTF is wrong with her. She is retarded!

By mizmozno1

Palin seeks the media attention!! She's just as good at hurling insults at HER targets as those directed at her. If she can't take it, maybe she should stay out of the spotlight!

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