Actor Who Played Down Syndrome Character Slams Palin
There seems to be an interesting next chapter in the Sarah Palin vs. Family Guy kerfuffle. While Sarah Palin and daughter Bristol were busy feeling like they’ve been “kicked in the gut” and calling out the show’s producers as “heartless jerks” for supposedly mocking young Trig Palin, there’s one player in all this that got left out. Her name is Andrea Friedman and she is the actress who played the character in Family Guy that all the fuss is about.
~Andrea Friedman
The character was a rather obnoxious young woman out on a date in a restaurant. She has Down Syndrome, and described her mother as being “the former governor of Alaska.” Well, that didn’t play too well in Wasilla as you can imagine. Although, if you look at this through the lens of Palin being able to play the victim card yet again, and rally her troops in moral outrage which she seems to enjoy, you could say it was just par for the course in the Palin narrative. We can just add Family Guy and “Fox Hollywood” to the growing list of “haters” that includes David Letterman, Newsweek Magazine, Tina Fey, Katie Couric, Charlie Gibson, Ashley Judd, bloggers in general, Rahm Emmanuel and a host of others.
Ms. Friedman, an actor and lecturer who works in a law firm and has Down Syndrome herself, after hearing about the Palins’ reaction decided to write a letter to the New York Times.
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.
Ouch.
Interestingly, The New York Times does not seem to have included the french bread analogy in their article which includes the interview.
Q.Did they specifically tell you that the character you were going to play also had Down syndrome?
A.Yeah, they told me I was playing Ellen, who was Miss Bossy. I didn’t want to be bossy, but since they want me to be bossy, I just had to be as the character. I had to be bossy, as part of my process. That’s the only way to transform the real me to an animated person. So I had to do what an actor does. I just wing it and have fun with it.
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.
Can we expect a Facebook post blasting Ms. Friedman? If it were Ashley Judd or David Letterman who said that Trig was being used as a prop to get sympathy, and lugged around like a loaf of bread by his humorless mother, you can bet we’d hear something. But I have a feeling that Ms. Friedman, someone with Down Syndrome herself who is obviously accomplished, successful AND endowed with a sense of humor, may be immune from such criticism.
Well played.
Bristol said “heartless jerks”! Hmmm…isn’t that NAME CALLING???
I get the feeling that Palin has spread herself too thin now and is not able to battle all of the fights that she has picked.
It seems to me that Palin does not have a clue when it comes to who she is politically or personally and she just runs around like a chicken with the head chopped off, reacting, rather than thinking.
I applaud this wonderful young woman and actress! I had a good friend who worked for many years for an organization that was an assistance group for adult retarded citizens. She constantly advocated for her clients and maintained that they were independent human beings who had the right to live their lives as they chose.
Palin’s failure to give Trigg the developmental help he needs to grow and become an independent adult someday is a damnable piece of evidence of her lack of sincerity.
AKM….who is that wonderful young Down Syndrome man who is quite the artist in the Anchorage area? It’s been years since I have been to Anchorage, but his works were incrediable and his story very impressive. There were two local artists shops that both had his work displayed along with his picture and his story. He is so amazingly talented. Maybe if you know about his work and his story, it might be nice to share it with your readers here?
Those poor kids in the Palin household. They will be forever limited by those that surround them…which are their family members and their parents. Poor little sweet Trig. Heartbreaking.
My hat is off to Andrea and her loving family. They truely are real Americans.
My mother’s youngest brother had a high fever when he was two it caused damage to his brain. In those days late in the thirty’s they were told he would be retarded, not able to live to be an adult. He has out lived all his siblings. He got schooling but not the advanced skills now available. Mom always told us that we were so lucky to have been chosen for Uncle Donnie to be placed with. She was right, he sees the humor in any situation and he has more love than anyone I have ever known. He is non judgemental and not at all critical of people, takes them as they come. I have truely been blessed with him in my life. I am sure all family’s blessed with a family member who has challenges feels this way.
and why doesn’t anybody come down hard on palin for neglecting her son/grandson? by not providing him with the proper schooling, eyecare, and socialization that he deserves as a “sponge” craving to learn??? the example she set with her older kids speaks volumes.
Game over, Sarah.
The half-governor won’t be able to help herself…there will be some sort of reply…what form that will take, time will tell.
How many people wanted to call out $SP for using not only Trig but all her kids as props in her lust for fame?
Andrea’s ‘shout out’ is even more poignant then any of us could ever accomplish.
This will sting for a long time…yippee!
doesn’t AK have CPS or a truancy court? how many days has Piper missed? and how come Trig doesn’t wear glasses or have speech therapy or whatever it is he needs to have.
I had a feeling this young lady would have something relevant to say. It is obvious that it was a poke at Sarah and a joke – sarcasm and satire – hum…. isn’t that supposed to be OK??
I said this on another thread, but it bears repeating. I’ve heard Andrea speak. She’s very interesting to listen to. Not because she has DS, but because she has a message and relates it in an interesting way. She could give others pointers.
Too bad the Times cut the oaf of bread part. It’s time that someone called her out on her treatment of her child, and Andrea is in an excellent place to do that. In my work, I’ve seen so many kids whose parents might not fall under the legal term “child neglect,” but were neglectful nonetheless. It’s always sad to see someone’s potential not being reached because of a lack of encouragement from home.
Oh, and did you notice she answered what appear to be unscripted questions without repeating phrases, resorting to talking points, or using word salad??? I’m guessing she wasn’t using a palm-o-promptor, either. Obviously a person who paid attention in class.
Any chance that the Joke writers on the Letterman Show somehow miss this story…? NOT a CHANCE!!!
What can S’error do….?… Call her a ” tiny Hollywood starlet ” … also,too?
Andrea’s response would be ” Thank You ”
Over on the Huff Po the Paliban are claiming that ….Andrea “didn’t write this”
and that “she’s being manipulated”.
ROFLMAO!!
Just like Bristol didn’t write what $arah claimed she did and……..gee…isn’t THAT
“manipulating” of $arah??
Can’t let the truth get between them and their idolatry of Queen Esther…..
Game, set, and match to Andrea Friedman!
I still remember watching Andrea on an episode of “Law and Order” a while back. Very impressive acting. It was a moving and powerful episode which showed that people with mental disabilities have the same needs for love, intimacy, and children.
Well played, indeed, Andrea! Break those cloying stereotypes that people like Palin would chain you down with!
@ 14 Martha
“Over on the Huff Po the Paliban are claiming that ….Andrea “didn’t write this”
and that “she’s being manipulated”.
—————————————-
The Palinbots are going to have to do better than that weak malarkey if they want to explain away her interview.
The ‘bots are so pathologic in their cult-like behavior toward Sarah that they would rather denigrate the success of an amazing woman of achievement like Ms. Friedman than admit that their idol made a mistake.
Wow, just wow to Andrea and her family too. I am so tired of Sarah portraying herself as a victim and using Trig in such a negative way. The joke is on Sarah, but she couldn’t handle that and had to make it about Trig. How disgusting is that.
I think we all should do everything we can to get the FULL TEXT of Andrea Friedman’s message published. What a wonderful, accomplished lady. I for one will be sending it in to my city paper…they are very good about listening to their readers. The paper has a readership of 2,000,000 – yes, two million, three million on Sunday (L.A.). Andrea’s last paragraph, with the “loaf of french bread” comment cuts deep because it’s so totally true. Take that “gut punch”, SSarah!!! What do you bet $P doesn’t utter a peep about this, unless of course she decides to take the victim road again?
SSarah’s poor little brain gears, if ever there in the first place, will have to slog long and hard to figure out a way to turn Andrea Friedman’s comments to her own publicity advantage. And $P’s financial gain, but of course.
Haven’t we all been screaming for months about how Palin “pimps” her kids? I’m just waiting for SSarah to come out with some bs about how Piper is ‘home-schooled’, which would be great if in fact it’s true. Is it? If so, when? By whom? And if not, why the hell isn’t she in school every day? I don’t even have kids, and this all makes me sick. Every hour of every day that goes by with little Trig not being properly cared for is child neglect. Where are the authorities?
Yes…. the Bots are ‘ trying ‘ to find an excuse for S’error….. ANY excuse will do at this point. The FACT that she said she has worked for a Law office for ‘ 20 years ‘ I think speaks for itself. S’error just starts her jobs… then QUITS!
Of course She would be jealous of this accomplished Woman…. because she stays on a job. Kind of makes HER look bad.
I also liked this comment from that Huffpo thread.
—————–
(Overheard at Subway tomorrow)
“I’d like a 12″ ham & cheese on Palin, please.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/18/family-guy-actress-respon_n_468331.html
I’m willing to bet there’ll be nothing…nada…zip…bupkiss…*further* from PalinWorld in reference to the Family Guy episode.
That’s SPs MO ~~ She gets all huffy and puffy and snarky and harridan-y, lets it fly on FB or in an SP-friendly interview, and then promptly drops it while everyone *else* 1) hashes it out, and/or 2) scratches their heads trying to figure out WTF she was being so hypocritical (and/or hyper-sensitive) about. Once she’s spewed it, it’s no longer a part of *her* world.
Truly, she’s like a mangy dog who comes into the room, squats, leaves a gigantic pile, and then skips happily off to scout other places to ‘squat’…while someone *else* is left having to get rid of the mess. And, like a mangy dog’s, her “stop, dump, skip off” routine is repeated again and again and again without a thought in the world about any *consequences* or her taking *any* responsibility for what’s been ‘dumped’. [no offense to mangy dogs meant - I know they can be helped with medications...I'm not sure SP would be amenable to needed interventions/treatments.]
She’s got it ["stop, dump, skip off"] down to a science. So, no, I don’t think we’ll hear anything more from her about FG. It wouldn’t stoke the ‘pity me, I’m a martyr, send me money’ role she’s so carefully cultivated. And she *sure* as hell could *never* admit she’d made an [gasp!] error…specially about something so near and dear to her heart, something on which she is the foremost expert in the US — no, not energy, J. McCain — “special needs children”. Riiiiiiiiiight. What a fake and a fraud. beth.
When my older daughter was in high school and on the swim team, one of her team mates was a girl with Down Syndrome named Jenny. Jenny’s parents and siblings were devoted to maximizing her potential. Jenny didn’t win any races but she always got some of the loudest applause at the meets.
When Jenny was a senior in high school, she was voted the Homecoming Queen by the school body. She looked beautiful in her homecoming gown with a 1000 watt smile. I wasn’t there but I saw her photo in the newspaper. Andrea reminds me so much of Jenny……
When the Princess was in Texas on that stupid book tour she would be carring that poor kid around in cold weather with no hat, no shoes, just like a loaf of bread. Congrats to Andrea for bringing this up. And the jokes? They write themselves!
frankly, i am empassioned by this fine actress and young woman. bless her heart for taking time to speak the words we humbly try to say every day.
choosing life isn’t politics – it is life and all the challenges and achievements that go with that………a lifetime of parenting as champions for our children.
no more loaves of french bread please. what a picture !!
Oh you guys just watch…. Andrea Friedman is going to be invited on every talk show in America!
First appearance? Letterman.
Anybody wanna bet?
You betcha!
Coup de grace.
Palin has been speaking FOR special needs people and families since Trig was born. It’s nice to hear a member of that community speak for HERSELF. Palin does not own that group. It is made up of individual people who don’t need her putting words in their mouths. Her vapid empty rhetoric about special needs children drives me crazy. What has she DONE? Show me something she’s done that actually measures up to the potential of what she could be doing.
It’s like the people in Western Alaska. She blathered on and on about how Todd and her kids are Native. But what did she DO for Alaska Native people?
Ugh.
They asked this young woman if she felt uncomfortable playing a character with the same condition she has? Would you ask an Irish person if they feel uncomfortable playing someone from Ireland, you egregious assholes?
It’s no bloody wonder the print media is in a death spiral.
What really burns my cookies is that, from the Palins quick and vehement response, it’s obvious they didn’t see either the show or the clip, prior to passing judgement.
Sarah, Bristol and the NYT can all go to hell.
Hats off to Andrea and her loving family. What an inspiration she is!
BTW I’ve just joined the Facebook group ‘Andrea Fay Friedman for President!’ Here’s the link:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=357079929745
This was the greatest thing I heard all day.
26 JCos Says:
February 19th, 2010 at 12:01 AM
“What really burns my cookies is that, from the Palins quick and vehement response, it’s obvious they didn’t see either the show or the clip, prior to passing judgement”
——————————————————————————–
Yeah. It makes you wonder if some of her nasty attack dogs from you-know-where passed on the information with some unwarranted hyperbole of the “sin.” S’error most likely didn’t even bother to research the issue before she came charging out like a rabid dog slinging saliva everywhere.
It’s likely that Palin’s measly $1,000 donation from her SarahPac to a Down Syndrome charity at the stroke of midnight of the 2009 tax year won’t make up for this bone headed miscalculation.
Hey, Sarah! How’s that dopey, blamey stuff workin’ for ya?
http://www.disabilityworld.org/06-08_03/il/down.shtml Read this interview with Pablo Pineda.
“Pablo Pineda is the first person with Down Syndrome to obtain a major degree from a regular university on Spain. Not quite satisfied with such an achievement, he is currently studying educational psychology, while working at the municipality of Málaga, Spain. ”
If you need more evidence of his smarts, google his interviews on Youtube and promotion of the film about his life Yo Tambien. Knocked down a lot of my preconceptions on the day I saw his graduation speech on Spanish TV by pure chance some years ago.
I liked Friedman’s comment that her role required her to be “bossy.” Maybe it was a natural requirement of the character if her fictional mother/teacher was Ms. Sit Down and Shut Up.
The irony is stunning:
Palin gets slammed by an agent of the very “cause” she has been cynically using to build her pro-life/conservative sainthood credentials with…..
No other voice could have responded to Palin’s “outrage” better than Andrea.
From what I’ve been reading all over the internet, there are many people like Andrea and her father who feel like Palin is not helping DS folks….and just want her to shut up.
http://www.yotambienlapelicula.com/metoo/videoclip.html Here the trailer to the movie. It´s not really about his life I realize, but niiiiice and great music too.
Pablo Pineda
palin could really score some points if she would just admit she was wrong. in all the time i’ve studied her i’ve NEVER heard her admit to a mistake, a failing, a lapse in judgment. she got a D in college?? geez. we’re all human but she appears to think she can pretend otherwise. what really astounds me is how her diehard fans buy into her supposed deification. her team must be really scrambling now to try and find the spin that will make her come out smelling like a rose on this one. sorry people she smells like what she is. consider toilet paper.
Her followers continue to bury their heads in the, um, let’s say sand. Ms. Friedman could not have written the email because she has DS. She needs to be protected (as in denied the right to make her own choices) rather than be “used” by others. (Others being her parents who did everything possible to ensure that their daughter live the life she chose for herself.)
The ‘bots don’t even realize that they are insulting people with DS with their sorry attempts to protect themselves and their cult leader from reality.
Well said Andrea!
I truly believe that Andrea Fay Friedman’s honest statement will cause the ultimate shutdown of the Palin publicity machine. How much more open and forthright can you get than she was? What a remarkable young lady, far more accomplished than I could ever have the guts to be. It was her supportive family, providing the love of exploration and humor and hope which guided her way, and produced this well-grounded lady.
I’m sure I’ve never met the likes of the cold-hearted Palin family, thank God. WHAT are they doing about getting 24/7 care for little Trig? Are they developing his every positive? HELL, NO. These are formative minutes ticking away, for crissake! Am I furious? YES I AM. Every second SSarah threw him on her hip, unshod and ill-dressed, using him as a money-making, pity-engendering prop, was another second stolen from him on his march toward normal personhood.
I can attack Palin every which way but loose, but the kid-pimping is it for me. Please, let us all PROMOTE the full text of Andrea Friedman’s email to the New York Times, and get this out to the mainstream media. Most definitely including the ‘french bread’ image. SSarah has met her match, in perhaps this unlikely arena. Rush Limbaugh may not even have the huevos to touch this one.
Dear readers, writers, mudpups, and all…haven’t we been waiting for the excrement to hit the proverbial fan? This COULD/SHOULD be it! Bravo, Ms. Andrea…you are a beacon, as well as your parents, family, and co-workers. I, for one among many, applaud your crystal clear statement.
Fantastic Andrea! Thanks AKM!
……..carried Trig around like a loaf of bread!
Wow…..BaZinga! Well said.
Oh, that’s excellent! Now we’ll find out if Palin really does have the sense to just shut up for once.
I thought I recognized the actress’s voice. I’ve seen her in a number of things and she is quite good. I’m so glad that she spoke out and put Palin in her place. Coming from anyone else would have just given Sarah and Bristol more excuses for whining.
But something I thought about was that Sarah doesn’t seem to really understand how to raise a Down Syndrome child (not surprising, since she’s not doing too well with any of the other children either). But seriously, from her remarks, it sounds to me like she needs some guidance in how to work with Trig and what to expect from him. She needs to learn that soon and she also needs to learn how to be his best advocate in school and everywhere else. But I don’t think that she really thinks of him as a person. And that’s all very sad for Trig. If she continues to treat him the way we’ve seen, then Trig’s potential for a full life will be lost.
I really hope that Ms. Freidman will consent to on-air interviews…perhaps with Rachel Maddow. Aside from telling Palin (and Bristol) to sit down and shut up, it would provide a beautiful platform for people with DS.
Over on the Huff Po the Paliban are claiming that ….Andrea “didn’t write this”
and that “she’s being manipulated”.
______
Once again, Palin and her rabid fans discount people with DS. By saying she didn’t write this and that she is being manipulated, they are saying that people with DS don’t have a mind of their own and are unable to give thoughtful interviews. They insult people with DS more than “Family Guy” ever could.
“Ouch” is right!
When it comes to $arah, talk is cheap.
Pulp fiction.
Word salad.
Signifying nothing…
but it still riles up her “base.” (Can they be any baser? Wait…Don’t answer that!)
Our Andrea is a fine antidote for all things $arah.
When it comes to Andrea Fay Friedman, actions speak louder than words.
Strong. Smart. Self -sufficient. Gainfully employed. Witty. Thoughtful. Well-spoken.
Signifying Dignity, signifying Hope.
Dignity and Hope on Friday morning.
Life is good.
IIRC Palin said that she didn’t bother to tell the other children that Trig would have DS. Betcha that Andrea’s family didn’t do that.
#24- I was thinking the same thing, a nice round of interviews where she can advocate for people with DS while assuring the world Palin has NO idea what it is of which she speaks. Bill’O is sure to ask her about it… sputter, sputter, word salad. ‘Spalin this’n S’carah.
“I’m not Trig. This is my life.” I was making fun of Sarah Palin, but not her son.
Swat! Smack! Pow! LOL!
Over at huffpo, Palin’s fans don’t have the same opinion of people with DS as they did a week ago. The hypocrisy is astounding!
Oh, how perfect! Thanks Andrea.
Andrea should become a writer for The Family Guy:
her line:
“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.”
was even funnier than the original “my mother is the ex-governor of Alaska.”
Lee232: The pittance she gave from her PAC was OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY. The thing she claimed that DEMs are addicted to.
When SHE gets off her ass and does something, she can talk.
Here is another fine piece of work by the lovely and talented Bea.
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn109/beac_bucket/palinloafcopy.jpg
..and how many of these Palinbots have people with DS in their lives ? or for that matter, relatives/family members with any sort of medical challenges ?? I’ve seen for YEARS, that those without these sort of challenges in their lives, on a day to day basis, have little empathy for those struggling against the odds to have a “normal” life..who are those that typically do cancer walks- people with a close relative or friend that have cancer..When AIDS was the BIG boogie Bear in America, who were the people advocating medical and social acceptance of AIDS Patients ? Mothers and fathers, brothers, sisters and partners of those with AIDS. Even today, who are those who are Advocates of Healthcare reform..those who have first hand experienced the absolute horror of having procedures denied a loved one by an insurance hack, or fretted about a delay in treatment because of paperwork, or had to consider selling everything you’ve worked for in your life, to give a loved one a chance for a few more years of life. Failure to understand what is going on around you , what is happening to others and NOT doing anything – even if it’s just being objectively informed- because it’s not in YOUR life, is the road to ignorance and apathy..and a closed society. Andrea did well to speak up, and her parents have done , and continue to do, a fine job in meeting the special challenges life has given them. It’s a never-ending life event for them, and the thousands of people who are faced with extraordinary circumstances.. quietly and constantly doing the best they can to get thru everyday , and knowing that tomorrow is more of the same, yet gratful that one more day’s challenges have been successfully overcome…
ahhhhh .I’ll shut up now…
Excerpt from interview with snowboarder Kevin Pearce:
EB: You say “our” trophies. Isn’t your brother David a well-regarded Special Olympian?
KP: Yep, David does it all: Bowling skiing, running … He does great in all the sports. And he’s so unhappy at second and third. He hates to lose … just like me!
EB: How was it growing up with a brother with Down Syndrome?
KP: David’s a very unique kid in that he’s aware that he has down syndrome. So from a very young age, my parents put a twist on it. We called it “Up Syndrome.” It was their way of keeping it positive. Even when he was younger, if someone said “Down Syndrome,” David would immediately correct you … “Nope, Up Syndrome.” Growing up with David has taught me patience. I can travel and see the world, and then spend time with David — and it’s so real. I can see how life is so difficult for him, but also see how he can have so much fun and give so much to people.
Miss Wasilla 1984 could learn a few things from this kid!
Good for Andrea! Clearly a person of wit, intelligence and dignity!
It would be interesting to know to what extent Rahm’s and Rush’s comments outraged her. Does it upset her that Sarah seems to have appointed herself as “Keeper of the Outrage” for persons with DS?
I was having a masochistic moment yesterday and visited The Site That Must Not Be Named. They were actually calling on people to write advertisers to tell them they were boycotting their products over Family Guy’s tasteless humor. I busted a gut laughing. How culturally illiterate can you be? Family Guy’s been around for ten years and they’re just NOW figuring out the show is full of tasteless and offensive humor?
Word to the Wise: the advertisers already know. I don’t think this boycott is going to worry them.
Ms. Friedman is an accomplished actress, as well as articulate and mature, and she sounds like she can even tell the difference between satire and maliciousness. When she says “My parents raised me to have a sense of humor and live a normal life,” I find myself wondering who in the Palin family is doing that for Trig.
benlomond2 -
Thank you for your post. Last nite I posted the following picture of Eunice Shriver. Here is a woman who could have sat on her ass and spent the family fortune on frivolous trips and geegaws. She chose instead to help and serve and started the Special Olympics.
http://i.imgur.com/REIEO.jpg
And let’s not forget this from Levi’s Early Show interview:
Levi said Sarah Palin joked about her son Trig’s Down Syndrome and called him her “retarded baby.”
“I was just in shock the first time I heard it,” he said, when host Maggie Rodriguez expressed disbelief.
I love that the Creeps4Piddle crowd is going to boycott FOX’s advertisers.
Kinda hard to pay Quitty’s salary when your base is going all pitchforks and torches on your revenue source, eh Rupert?
Too, too delicious!
Bea Says:
I love that the Creeps4Piddle crowd is going to boycott FOX’s advertisers.
**********************************************************************
Can you say “circular firing squad” ??
Word to the Wise: the advertisers already know. I don’t think this boycott is going to worry them.
_____________
Look how they destroyed Letterman… oh wait. Forget it.
benlomond2 you are so right and i’m as guilty as anyone. i remember a march against violence about 5-6 years ago in LA. virtually every person taking part had lost a loved one to homicide. i remember looking around and feeling quite discouraged, and saying, “we’re preaching to the choir…” but i would be lying if i did not admit that i would not have found myself on that march had i not lost my own daughter to homicide. the only exception for me is war. i’ll march against war even though i don’t personally know anyone serving currently. i make a conscious effort to keep the wars on my mind.
It would be SO funny if Tina did this as her SNL skit in April. OMG, I cannot even imagine what SNL would come up with… (Fingers crossed).
I haven’t laughed this loud in awhile. Masterful!!
Palin, you gotta avoid people whose name contains Fay or Fey! They’ll b**chslap you every time.
Family Guy set this up good, knowing only an utter fool like Palin, who chomps at any bait, would go after it without thinking or blinking. What makes this even more hilarious is picturing McCain’s face right now!
Andrea Fay Friedman sounds like a wonderful, intelligent person. She’s far more insightful than Palin, and by far a better speaker. I hope her character becomes a regular on Family Guy.
And Palinbots! How stupid can they get? Don’t they know hurting Family Guy hurts FOX, which hurts Murdoch, which hurts the gravy train Palin’s riding??
I don’t like to gloat this much, but this is too much fun. Good lord, Palin’s such an easy mark!
“The Internet is rife with parts of the letter the Times reportedly chose not to print.
In one section, Friedman reportedly wrote “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.”
http://cbs2.com/local/humor.new.york.2.1504873.html
I really laughed when reading comments on gawker, one simply said
Timmmmmeeeee!
LOL!
It is going viral. Oh how I love it.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/entertainment/post/2010/02/family-guy-actress-says-sarah-palin-has-no-sense-of-humor/1
Irishgirl @65 -
I read the article you linked to and checked out the comments. There weren’t many but one caught my eye. Clearly this person is angry and has NOT read the article very carefully since he/she apparently missed the sentence that says Andrea has DS herself. Take a nice calming breath there, sparky!
“Andrea Fay Friedman is a loser. I hope she has a child with Down’s. Let’s see where her sense of humor is then. LOSER”
Irishgirl: The comments there are horrid!
Remember, everyone: Sarah has a habit of fabricating face-saving ‘reasons’ to quit her jobs, AND setting up smoke-screeny distractions when she’s up to something underhanded!
Should we be looking harder at something else?
Found this on Huff Po……so funny…..done to “A Whiter Shade of Pale” (if you’re old enough to remember)
KewlJoJo Unfan 253 fans permalink
Here’s a little ditty I wrote last nite. Seems appropriate.
A Dummer Shade of Dumm
To be the Queen of TeaBaggers
Was Serrahs Master Plan
So she found some words of Wisdom
And wrote them on her hand.
The TeaBaggers all loved it
And paid her MegaBucks
For a speech she found on stickers
On the bumpers of their trucks.
And the TeaBaggers all chanted
They said Run Queen Serrah Run
So some folks at first just st00pid
Turned a dummer shade of dumm
Mona.. I think you’re correct… and interesting that it was Bristol that supposedly made the comment, at the same time that the Levi bit is heating up again… the old sleight of hand bit.. look at this drama her, while I slip a quickie over there…
benlomond2 -
Kinda like the old shell game , eh ??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzEvcS01Cl0
This is GOOD:
Girlfriends’ Guide: Sarah Palin Is So Bitter!
Does Sarah wake up every day, reach for her specs, slip in her “Bumpit” and begin snorting around the media outlets like a truffle pig in search of the juicy fungus of persecution?
It’s like an itch that she scratches so often it has become a tic.
Every slight is personal in the All About Me Universe of Alaska’s Governor, Interrupted.
Nothing is too random or private or just plain irrelevant for her to rush to Facebook with her righteous censure.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vicki-iovine/girlfriends-guide-sarah-p_b_467858.html
The awesome part about all this is that it exposes Palin’s real views on people with DS – that they are “disabled” and should be coddled and pitied for being “less fortunate”. This is great! I hope she continues her “righteous” crusade because every time she does, she shows the truth about herself.
People with DS are just like everyone else – we all have challenges in certain areas. My husband and sister are math and science whizzes, I am a total dunce at both. I am much better at literature and economics than my husband & sister who both struggle with those areas. Everyone has difficulties, some more than others, but in the end we all have to deal with it.
I personally am loving all this. The more Palin uses Trig, the more she alienates herself from the people she is trying to garner “sympathy and votes” from, as Andrea has succinctly pointed out.
Leenie and Paula, I hadn’t read the comments when I linked. Yes, they are awful!
…..I’m really begining to think Palin is going thru severe menupause..and needs to get on hormone treatment… the outright sensitivity and ability to take offense at items that have to be twisted hard to be percieved as slights…I know I’m gonna catch some flak from women on this,,, but having been on the recieving end of a woman’s mood swings…. I STILL laugh over the Ray Romano show where he tapes the wife during PMS, and tries to get her to take PMS pills….
I also love how the Palinbots are saying that Andrea didn’t write this. Geez these people are pieces of work. Running around crying bleeding heart about DS people then when those very same people actually show they are independent and can take care of themselves just fine, then it’s “Oh well, Andrea can’t possibly have writtent that!”
So here is my question to Palin’s supporters:
Why Palinbots? Cuz secretly you think she’s….”retarded”? As in “simple”? As in “stupid”? If you don’t secretly see DS people as damaged then why is it so hard to believe that Andrea drafted a strong, clever and articulate response ON HER OWN? Without help, or coaching from commie libruls or manipulation? Your comments expose you for who you really are – frauds.
Actually wonder how long before the ghostwriter starts to see the charlatan she/he is writing for. When one defends Sarah, it must be a frightening feeling when they realize for the first time that she’s hell-bent on hate, verbal destruction, and self-pity. The person who stands, supports, SP is a person with many insecurities themselves. They need a father/mother/spiritual figure in their lives, transfer that need into one person (SP); forgetting she’s mortal, human, flawed, just like everyone else.
SP languishes behind the facebook skirt, peeks out once in a while, hurls her attacks, waits for the bots supporting comments to come pouring in. If a supposed ghostwriter is true to her/his self, why would they continue being used this way? Now, an assertive young woman with DS stands up to Sarah, and the bots still only care about Sarah’s feelings. It’s scary to see the blind bots rally to Sarah’s defense, making excuses for her, blaming Andrea Friedman for this kerfuffle. When does a ghostwriter say, “enough is enough”?
Well said young lady! I’m proud to have you as a fellow American.
Just FYI, for everyone who reads the NY Times online (as opposed to in print), there are pages of comments, and at least a quarter of them either link to Andrea’s comments on Palingates, or quote her in full (the French bread comment). Others excoriate the Times for NOT printing the full quote, and accuse it of fear of Sarah (or her fans, which is hilarious, since they’d never be caught dead reading it or any other paper that doesn’t praise their deity).
Health and peace.
Kick in the A$$
Andrea was too kind: it’s more like a sack of potatoes than a loaf of French bread!
“My father is an accountant and my mother the former Gov. of Alaska.” Could this be the sting to Palin’s sensitive area as her alleged former flirtation with a BA in finance and a MBA? Or only that The Dude is in the counting house, the new addition, counting up her speaking fees and book sales checks?
Got a big laugh at the gum smacking Sarah at the finish of the IronDog. I think the video was from 1995. She mentioned Valley Polaris. That clip with the gum would be great used in a negative campaign ad.
I seemed to me that perimenopause really intensified my emotions and really just speeded things up, running in circles so to speak. If the hormone wars are hittting Sarah hard now, this could account for some of the wackiness. Hope she is getting hormone therapy with her eyelifts and botox…
35 Lani Says:
February 19th, 2010 at 2:07 AM
Her followers continue to bury their heads in the, um, let’s say sand. Ms. Friedman could not have written the email because she has DS. She needs to be protected (as in denied the right to make her own choices) rather than be “used” by others. (Others being her parents who did everything possible to ensure that their daughter live the life she chose for herself.)
The ‘bots don’t even realize that they are insulting people with DS with their sorry attempts to protect themselves and their cult leader from reality.
****************************
I see someting *very* strange going on, now, over the issue of DS folks.
On the one hand, we’ve got Palinbots insisting Andrea could not *possibly* have written the email ‘because she has DS’; on the other, we have *non*-Palinbots insisting a DS person can do *anything*! (as evidenced by the articulate email, Andrea having gainful employment, and other ‘signs’ of her ‘normalcy.’)
I think *both* ‘camps’ do a great disservice to ALL folks with disabilities, and, in this case, to DS folks in particular. Degrees, gang, *degrees! [The following is NOT, in any way, a *direct* comparison; since eyesight is something we can all 'relate' to, it's used as a 'for example' illustration.]
Spouse has always had excellent eyesight. He now needs ‘readers’ for small print. I’ve worn glasses/contacts to correct my 20/400+ vision for over 55 years; it is ‘correctable’ to about 20/40 (‘normal’ being 20/20.) Our friend, R, was born blind. All 3 of us (Spouse, myself, and R) have availed ourselves of available technologies/services to get *as close to* ‘normal’ as possible. 6-years ago, Spouse developed cataracts in both eyes – the cataracts were surgically removed and his eyesight returned to ‘excellent.’ Surgery is not an option for either me or R. My eyesight can only be corrected by glasses/contacts, R’s eyesight can never be corrected…she is, was, and will always be, blind. We all *started* with different degrees of eyesight capabilities, and since there is only so much that can be done to make our vision ‘normal,’ we all do what we can with what we’ve got.
Just as there are ‘degrees’ of vision acuity and interventions/’remedies’ for said, there are degrees of DS. It is wrong, wrong, wrong! to point to Spouse and say “See, he had surgery to get his eyesight to ‘excellent’, therefore R should have the same, and Rs eyesight will be ‘excellent, too.” It is equally wrong, wrong, wrong! to point to Andrea and say “See, she had/has a loving, supportive family, and look what *she* has accomplished; if all DS folks had the same, they’d *all* be as ‘normal’ as she is.” It just doesn’t work that way!
Yes, ALL folks with DS (and/or *any* disability) should have EVERY possible intervention, training, assist to help them realize a life as *as close to* ‘normal’ as *they* can get, but to assume that there is a one-size-fits-all ‘cure’ (or a ‘cure-all’) *for* DS (and/or *any* disability, is wrong. To even assume there IS a ‘cure’ for ALL instances, is wrong. On the flip side of that, it is also wrong to assume that since the DS person will never realize 100% ‘normalcy’, there is no point in any aggressive, *continual* ‘help’ for them. [SP, from what I've seen, sadly, seems to be following this line of thought.]
Not every DS will be (turn out as) an ‘Andrea’; I think I see too many *non*-Palinbots ignoring that simple, but profound, fact…just as I see too many Palinbots denying that DS *can* ever be high-functioning. *Degrees* ~ it’s the *starting point* that, ultimately, determines the final result.
Yes, I see someting *very* strange going on, now, over the issue of DS folks….perhaps it was ever thus. beth.
Unless the Palinbots are claiming the NYT was dishonest in quoting Ms. Friedman in their interview, her comments there are entirely consistent with the writing in the statement. In fact, her interview comments are even more complex and well stated. Need I compare and contrast Ms. Friedman’s interview statements with the “sentences” spewed forth by $arah? Not even close as to who has the superior intellect.
Beth.. well said… there are degrees to every medical anomaly .. each person’s condition has to be viewed and treated on an individual basis, and treatments vary per person. In defense of the anti-Palinbots, I think it’s the lack of recognizition (darn, I wish I could spell!) by the Palinbots that this woman with special circumstances can and does contribute to society, and does not allow her limitations prevent her from thinking and expressing her own opinions.. that is driving them nuts about the palinbots comments. She doesn’t “FIT” into the box that they (and Palin) have put people like her into , to make themselves more comfortable and able to ignore the possibilties that “The Retard” just might have more on the ball than they do !
@ beth: Very well said. I was seeing some of the same thing. I think the problem is that most people don’t really understand all the aspects of Down syndrome or what a person with DS is or might be capable of doing. There are some other DS actors who are out there and it’s an awareness raiser when they are in a movie or on TV. But there are many with DS who would never be able to be actors or to speak out as Andrea did. So it’s wonderful that those who can be a voice and an advocate are doing so.
In your use of visual acuity I was reminded of a girl in my home town. She was born legally blind because her mother had the measles while she was pregnant. But the family determined they would treat her as normally as possible and never told her “You can’t do that, because you are blind.” She rode her bike in the neighborhood but always rode with another family member. She also rode horses and competed. She won more than once in the barrel racing events and things like that. I’ve no idea how she managed that. And she was an excellent student, though she needed an interpreter with her in class.
The danger with any disability (I hate that word, btw), is that those who don’t have that particular challenge don’t understand it or know what to do with it. So we tend to lump everyone into the same category. And people just aren’t like that. No matter what our challenges, we are all unique and different. Now we need to learn to appreciate each other for who we are.
Here’s Andrea’s resume: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0295141/resume
speaking of people who didn’t write what someone said they wrote…
gryphen remarked that he knows someone who told him that BRISTOL did not write mommy’s farcebook post. just $arah using another kid as a shield.
benlomand2@86: Agree fully with your assessment. I caution, however, against the *non*-Palinbot’s (seeming) declarations of: “A is *not* D, therefore ALL A (-type folks) *must* be equally, C [as is A].” (IOW: Andrea is a ‘high-functioning’ DS, therefore *all* DS, if given the chance, *will be* equally high-functioning.) To me, pointing to Andrea as *the* ‘icon’ of what will be achieved -across the board- by DS folks, is even worse (if that’s possible) than the outright dismissal of DS folks’ abilities/potentials. Does that make sense? beth.
“Cause its all in my head
I think about it over and over again
And it hurts so bad, yeah
Cause it’s all in my head
I think about it over and over again
I replay it over and over again
And I can’t take it yeah I can’t shake it
Nooo”
Sarah doesn’t do her homework, doesn’t get the context, the whole quote, the background. She just flies off at the mouth. She is incapable of seeing the potential consequences of her acts.
A Friend of mine referring to someone else said thoughts go straight from her ears to her mouth bypassing her brain.
Personally I think she is intentionally depriving Trig of the special care, like glasses, hearing aids, physical therapy etc on purpose becasue he is now the largest part of her self delusion of being a great mother, as well as being the cross bar of the martyr’s cross that she has to bare.
Its hideous enough to do that to Trig, but she is doing the same thing to Piper by keeping her out of school and the socializing and friend ships that are part of growing up in a peer group. And the mental stimulus that both these youngsters need.
84 beth Says:
February 19th, 2010 at 8:42 AM
35 Lani Says:
You are so correct….And I have seen many degrees myself.
I have friends and family that have DS children and my former sister-in-law
( a psychiatric nurse)worked with them in a care facility.
You have never truly been loved until you are mob hugged by 20-30 DS kids at once!!….lol
I quite often took my eldest son, a 2 year old, to pick her up from work.
The first time it happened it was startling to say the least.
They were boarded through the week and all went home on weekend.
Often times she would bring one home herself, if their family sadly didn’t want them for weekend, or they were on holiday without them.
Naturally she would bring them over, not all were DS either.
One sticks out in my mind, his name was “Back Alley Johnny”, he came home often.
The facility had at one time been an orphanage, so occasionally babies were abandoned there, as was he.
He could sign and read braille faster the lightening.
There was nothing “wrong” with him, other than having been raised in this institution. ( you can imagine )
When he was 13 they FINALLY found his family, so he went to live on his native reserve in the Fraser Valley, where he had a very large family indeed.
This was during the mid 70′s, we HAVE come a long way since then Beth.
My mother worked at the same facility as a nurses aide, pre WW2, in the days before antibiotics, mainly penicillin.
The DS children had a life expectancy of approx. 13 years, many died much younger, due to their susceptibility for respiratory infection that would turn into pneumonia.
Children born with syphilis lived out their short lives there as well .
These last are the ones that broke her heart and she became a “stenographer” after that
Parents were urged not to become attached to AND to institutionalize these children because of their disabilities combined with short life expectancy.
We have come a very long way since then Beth, a VERY long way.
Unless a person has had involvement with DS /challenged children they cannot possibly understand any of the “degrees” of challenge and just how individual they are.
This news is finally making the MSM…CBS has even included the ‘french bread’ line from the email:
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2010/02/19/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry6223381.shtml
What it comes down to is that children with DS face complex choices about treatment, therapy and educational assistance. What it also shows is that Sarah Palin is glaringly lacking in providing Trig the time, the resources and the attention he needs from his mother, his family and his community to develop HIS full potential, to whatever degree that may be. She’d rather be on TV, on stage or on Facebook fame-whoring.
This woman is a sorry excuse for a mother.
85 Texas Mom Says:
February 19th, 2010 at 8:59 AM
Unless the Palinbots are claiming the NYT was dishonest in quoting Ms. Friedman in their interview, her comments there are entirely consistent with the writing in the statement. In fact, her interview comments are even more complex and well stated. Need I compare and contrast Ms. Friedman’s interview statements with the “sentences” spewed forth by $arah? Not even close as to who has the superior intellect.
It is pretty characteristic that people “who are wired differently” tend to speak directly and literally. They don’t play with words and use double speak like many of us do. I found the quote from Ms Friedman to be consistent with that type of speech.
She knew exactly what she wanted to say and said it in short direct sentences.
Maybe she could give Sarah speech lessons. After all Ms. Friedman is a college graduate and a trained actress. There is a true cognitive dissonance in Sarah’s way of expressing herself.
Beth 89.. agree.. Andrea is an exceptional woman, but should NOT be held up as an icon or as a goal for others to achieve (wish I could be an actor !) Each person has their own potential, weither it is someone with physical/mental limitiations or not.. Andrea has reached, with the help and determination of her parents , and accomplished , to a level that many “normal” people do not. What could be held up as an example for others, would be the love, sacrifices and determination of her parents to make sure that she was given the opportunties and treatments ( don’t like using that word) to be all that she COULD be..
You’d think that Palin would be calling the father to get the name of the teacher/therapist that helped Andrea when she was young. This will be interesting to see how Palin’s authors address this in her little twittering.
All I can say is ‘Way to go young lady!!”.
If we, as families and a society, could assist all persons with a ‘challenge’ to achieve to their fullest potential, what a better place this would be!!
AKM, thank you for bring this bright, wonderful and talented young lady to our attention.
I hope we all keep her in mind the next time we interact with someone who is challenged!!
84 beth Says:
February 19th, 2010 at 8:42 AM
35 Lani Says:
The ‘bots don’t even realize that they are insulting people with DS with their sorry attempts to protect themselves and their cult leader from reality.
Exactly, they are doing what Sarah said was a kick her her gut. You gotta love it.
(Sopa opera organ music)
Will Sarah demand and appology from them or defriend or ban them? After all Sarah got mad at a cartoon, Ms Friedman is a real human being.
Incidently, Fox is saying yesterday’s domestic terrorist attack in Austin isn’t a “terrorist” incident. Palin said Obama was “palin’ aroun’ with terrorists” becasue he was in the same room with some one who (did not kill anyone) planned to bomb a fed building.
Somebody please please please ask Sarah if yesterday’s act was terrorism
or just “satire.”
It is all over the internet and everyone has noted that the NYT’s omitted Andrea’s very damning statement about the *french bread.*
Now on Andrew Sullivan:
“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,” – Andrea Fay Friedman, the actress with Down Syndrome who voiced the fictional character on Family Guy that prompted another explosion from the Alaskan fraud, Sarah Palin.”
Gotta love it: “…from the Alaskan fraud, Sarah Palin.”
1 sueinak Says:
February 18th, 2010 at 9:54 PM
Bristol said “heartless jerks”! Hmmm…isn’t that NAME CALLING???
Plus she just called a DS actress a heartless jerk. So by Palin logic she just called trig a HJ..
Oooooooooo watch out for karma Bristol. It can get you comin’ an’ goin’.
Nice try Andrea, but I’m still outraged by the show’s suggestion that it is common for someone with Down syndrome to have a mentally challenged ex-governor for a mother.
Beth (84-ish) said in part:
“Not every DS will be (turn out as) an ‘Andrea’; I think I see too many *non*-Palinbots ignoring that simple, but profound, fact…just as I see too many Palinbots denying that DS *can* ever be high-functioning. *Degrees* ~ it’s the *starting point* that, ultimately, determines the final result.”
____________
Exactly! And others have also made the point that each individual is just that – individual.
The thing about a “starting point” is that one must actually, y’know, start. However fully he may be able to live his life eventually will depend in large part on the nurturing – of ALL aspects of life and living – and on how soon it is begun and how consistently it is done.
Surely, as proud as she is of her mother-skills (oy) there would be some mention of that if it was going on. But to my knowledge, there has been no mention of anyone’s stating or witnessing anything about therapy, exercise(s) for vision or muscle tone or anything else. And as often as it seems she reacts to the blogs, this is one thing she has never paid any heed to or had any reaction to whatsoever.
As far as I can tell, there is no interest, no inclination, no value placed on that whole concept of nurture beyond the keepin’ ‘em fed and (sometimes, sorta) clothed.
Ya gotta START, dangit!
She does not seem to realize that every time she opens her mouth it backfires on her.
The whole “retarded” debacle with Rahm and Rushbo, now the frenchbread comment.
The Teleprompter and the Palm Pilot.
I have to think she has a self destructive aspect to her personality. She’s making it so bad that she’ll have an excuse not to run for president. Why doesn’t she learn that the less she opens her pitbull snout the better off she is?
Any psychiatrists in the house?
“heartless jerks” sounds a lot more like a pushing 50 year would say. Not the words a teenager would have on the tip of her tongue. Any of you with teens at home……how many times have you heard them say “jerk” lately?
I agree with you Nan. And how deliciously ironic that Andrea points this out to Granny Paylin.
It just struck me that Andrea accomplished what she set out to do attending……..ONE…..college………and she has had far more speaking engagements and guest appearances than $arah and Bristol put together!
Andrea is far more qualified than $arah is for president!
Check out her impressive resume:
http://standupforournation.blogspot.com/2010/02/actress-from-family-guy-fires-back-at.html
I suspect Missy Quittypants will keep her mouth shut and not respond to Andrea’s comment. But in a way I would love for her to comment, then she would truly get blasted by everyone.
Brava Andrea for calling out Missy QP
I wondered about using the word “jerk” too! If you are trying to make an intelligent point and I am sure reading and re-reading what you want to say, why use such a unsophisticated word when you know thousands of people will read it. My teenage son would never use that word when writing something important or even just a text message to a friend. These people are really pretty uneducated. Oops, I forgot uneducated is a good thing, right Sarah?
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/02/19/2010-02-19_sarah_palin_lacks_a_sense_of_humor_actress_on_family_guy_andrea_fay_friedman_say.html?r=news&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%253A+nydnrss%252Fnews+%2528News%2529
Compare and contrast the photos. Andrea shines…Paylin, not so much.
Good on you Andrea..
Hey$carah …get a clue…
USA Today article comment…how true!
rabid_lassie (1 friends, send message) wrote: 4h 24m ago
The girl would have been more accurate if she left off the words (of humor) in the comment ” Sarah Palin has no sense of humor”.
Hmm,, just noticed something about the two major thorns in S’error’s hide.
Andree…ethics.
Andrea….common sense and reality.
Give both ladies an A++++++++++++++.
thatcrowwoman Says:
February 19th, 2010 at 4:28 AM
Strong. Smart. Self -sufficient. Gainfully employed. Witty. Thoughtful.Well-spoken.
Signifying Dignity, signifying Hope.
****************************************************************************
nicely said.
95 benlomond2:
“Andrea is an exceptional woman, but should NOT be held up as an icon or as a goal for others to achieve (wish I could be an actor !) Each person has their own potential, weither it is someone with physical/mental limitiations or not.. Andrea has reached, with the help and determination of her parents , and accomplished , to a level that many “normal” people do not. What could be held up as an example for others, would be the love, sacrifices and determination of her parents to make sure that she was given the opportunties and treatments ( don’t like using that word) to be all that she COULD be..”
—————-
The fork in the road you took to not hold Andrea up as an icon or goal for others – is somewhat wrong. Yes, DS has varying degrees of challenges and levels to each person. A number will never reach the function she has but they do have to see someone “like them”.
This is a lady who can be seen by those with the same challenges of DS no matter the varying degrees, that with work and practice, things could get better. It is not often in the public arena that these kids/adults have someone they see who lives the life they do. All too often the only comparison is a ‘non-challenged person’ which is apples to oranges. Andrea to a challenged person is oranges to oranges.
In the non-challenged world – we do that all the time. “Johnny can do it, so can you’. DS is no different. It does not have to be as specific as to be an actress whether challenged or non-challeneged. It can mean to show kids/adults that they too can achieve in school as DS kids/adults do. They may be in a special class for some subjects but achieve to be placed in regular classes for other subjects. Andrea being a successful actress – a DS youth/adult can succeed in working in a pet store as they have a passion for pets. Someone else can assist in a daycare or a teacher assistant. I line up in a specific line at a Walmart store where the young DS man is the cashier. He loves his job! In fact, Walmart is one of the leading employers of DS people.
In the non-challenged world, we too have all levels – no different than DS. A simple comparison – the education of Obama as compared to the education of Palin. We all have different IQ’s. To look at the DS world so differently and compartmentalized to different degrees, you truly have to look at the non-challenged world first to see how differing we all are.
“Andrea has reached, with the help and determination of her parents” — so have many of us as non-challenged.
“What could be held up as an example for others, would be the love, sacrifices and determination of her parents to make sure that she was given the opportunities and treatments ( don’t like using that word) to be all that she COULD be..”. That actually is a disservice in that you are telling them that they are not achieving goals themselves for which they truly work harder for and can achieve at different levels. You have to give them credit for their achievements. Parents are the assists like in scoring a hockey goal.
Parents of DS kids are well aware — well most are — of what could possibly be limitations and they work with that. Parents do not or should not set their kids up for failure knowing the limitations but these kids too cannot be coddled. They don’t break. but to set it up as love and sacrifices — is not correct. These kids would carry that thought of their parents ‘sacrificed’ for them and they would be more hurt by that as DS take so much of what you say to them to heart whereas non-challenged brush it off and quite often just ignore it. Love is unconditional and isn’t a link to DS.
These kids don’t want to be treated as special, or be pitied. They see all to often how they are treated differently from their brothers and sisters. They don’t want to be treated differently. In their eyes you don’t treat them differently. You teach them manners. You teach them to interact with people. In ways that it doesn’t appear ‘different’ to them, you teach them other things but as the parent you learn how to juggle that ‘art’ and continue what they perceive as ‘normal’. They just have to practice things more often and be reminded more often too!!!
As many non-challenged kids see say the gold medal winner in the olympics as an “icon”, the DS kid community too can see Andrea — “She’s like us”.
99 Irishgirl Says:
February 19th, 2010 at 10:45 AM
It is all over the internet and everyone has noted that the NYT’s omitted Andrea’s very damning statement about the *french bread.*
*********
French bread: One MORE ‘reason’ for all “real Americans”, real *PATRIOTS*, to HAAAAAAAAAATE the French!
The French have socialized medicine [ptui!] and Obamanation is getting ideas about so-called [air quote] health care [/air quote] from them; they did not lift a finger in The Ws “War on Terrorism” (TM) and the Muslins [sic] keep threatening us. Also, too, the French eat snails and don’t even speak English good…
But the libruls, these so-called “Americans”, all adore the French; now they (teh libruls) are even callously, kick-in-the-gut-ingly, comparing SPs youngest son to a loaf of their bread. See how horrible the French are? See how evil everything about them and their so-called ‘culture’, is? The French’ve done *nothing* but cause even *more* heartache and pain for darling, dear, “America FIRST”, wonder-mother of unparalleled proportions, and DS advocate (ahem: a DS advocate par excellence, if you will), Alasssska Governor, SP.
I say we ALL boycott any store selling such unPatriotic bread. Also boycott any restaurant that has their bread on the menu; and remembering, also, too, french fries, at ALL costs, also, too, have to be boycotted, still. That’ll show teh libruls. And the damn French. It’s the least we can do to show our solidarity with, and adoration of, SP and the PalinNation.
[Shakes head with great determination to rid it of such whacko thoughts/Palinbot channeling...] I shall now resume some semblance of intelligent, rational, sane, thought processes. I think. beth.
May have been said already, but to me the most shameful outcome of this whole episode is that the fans of Sarah are actually bashing Andrea.
Yes. Anyone who says anything against her is fair game. I am so sick of her re.. fans.
Hows that Facebookie heartless jerky thing goin’ for ya’ Sarah?
It’s actually humorous to watch sister implode on herself and her self-righteous Klan that she has to keep locked up in her compound so that the rest of REALITY can’t get in and infect them with a ‘thought’..ANY thought. She and her gang of tools are getting to the point of being just plain boring since everything they do is perfectly predictable and follows the neo-nut script that has been written for her……
Good one Paula “Facebookie heartless jerky thing”ie…. Meg may actually have to think about this one…
During a FOX interview, FOX talking head Sarah Palin told FOX talking head Bill Oh Really that she was offended by FOX TV show “Family Guy” broadcast on FOX TV (I thought she was too FOXy). Between her saying “f-ing retard” twice, she twice accused the President of the United States of America of “teasing” and “mocking” “Special Olympiads”. I cannot find any reference to any quote that would verify this extremely serious matter. I find it hard to believe that a man who carries himself and his office with such dignity and grace, would stoop to these kind of Palin tactics. The Special Olympics was created by the Kennedy family to atone for the treatment of a special needs Kennedy family member. If it is true, then the world has been wrong about your President. If it is false, then the world has been right about that lipstick wearing pig.
Palin says Andrea Friedman did not write that e-mail and is being used as a pawn by her parents.
Gee, I wonder where Palin would ever get an idea like that.
If you really want a hoot, go over to Huffington Post and click on the Living section. You’ll see a big picture of Disney’s Alice in Wonderland’s Red Queen with a “Girlfriend’s Guide: Sarah Palin is so Bitter” title. Click on it. The article is just hilarious. Bumpits, Governor interrupted. It just keeps getting better.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/living/
Palin says Andrea Friedman did not write that e-mail and is being used as a pawn by her parents.
_________
I know the Palinbots are saying that -but did SHE say it? One could only hope…
Round II
Sarah Palin is a total, absolute and complete FRAUD
It’s true
Todd
meede 115
good comments… I could have expressed the parents stuff differently, which you did quite well..
unfortunately – and this is NOT to critisize.. Love is not always unconditional for all parents..(personal story) so to me, Giving unconditional Love is a big deal to be appaluaded.. and more so when the child does not fit “the Norm”, the same can be said for the sacrifices to some degree by the parents,,, I learned that many marriages fail due to the stress of dealing with a child with long term severe medical issues ; It’s REALLY learning about what is important and what isn’t…( 30 yrs and still going here) , our doctors told us only one in ten marriages survive…
I do agree wholeheartedly about not treating the child differently than the others… it’s something that should be applied to all siblings, irregardless, but the point is well taken that children with challenges are more sensitive to it..
It was s a set-up from the beginning. You have to watch that Seth guy. He knew $P would take the bait!
Andree…(the Falafel Lady) ethics.
Andrea…(the retarded one) common sense and reality.
And let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
Seagull #17 wrote—”May have been said already, but to me the most shameful outcome of this whole episode is that the fans of Sarah are actually bashing Andrea”
All I can say is —–Where is Imanuel when you need him?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Republicans live very sheltered and mostly charmed lives. They have very little experience about what goes on in the real world and that is why the simplest things dumbfound them. My Republican brother-in-law looked me straight in the eye one time and said and I quote “This must be a good time to be fat with AIDS and everything going around”. I kid you NOT. Now I’m on the heavy side but how can anyone be so ignorant to think fat people don’t have sex. I just looked at him and rolled my eyes. Like they say “You can’t fix stupid” even with two college degrees.
Her selective outrage is getting old. So is the poor me act. She complains about the media picking on her kids, but she sends them to do her dirty work. If she cared about her kids she would stop using them as props and give them the education and things that they need. But it is all about Sarah. She only cares about what she can get now and how it will benefit her. Unfortunately her and her followers don’t see that.
Hey- Palin’s comment that “Andrea Friedman did not write that e-mail and is being used as a pawn by her parents.” suggests that she does not believe that her son and others with DS can be that smart- or have a career. I think she is so bitter because, for some reason she doesn’t understand, God chose to curse her with a handicapped child. So she uses her son and God to advance her endeavors. She is deeply confused and thrashes out at anything that she sees as a threat.
I had an epiphany about this a little while ago…
Andrea’s character in FG is a smart, bossy, snooty sort of girl. During the date, icky Chris is badgering her for details of her family.
So in the spirit of “my family is better than YOUR family…” Ellen replies, “my father is an accountant and my mother is former governor of Alaska.” (unsaid Ellen snark is “and who are YOUR parents???”)
It is of note that Ms. Friedman had a mother who actually paid attention to her, believed in her and spent quality time raising her- rather than using her as a prop. Maybe if Sarah did the same, her son Trig would hold down a job with much greater success than SHE ever has.
This one has me shaking my head. It rises to a whole new level of obnoxious, hollow and shallow.
oops…hit “submit” too soon….need to add this bit:
my scenario actually makes $arah look good…but she and her fan club are so deluded that they only see DS kids as needy of protection, as opposed to people who can potentially be even more intelligent and productive than they can be
Oh please go away Sarah. Really.
http://www.theinsider.com/news/3204244__Family_Guy_Actress_Says_Sarah_Palin_is_Chasing_Votes
Please watch this.
From Palingates, video of Ms. Friedman’s response to the meangirls of Wasilla.
http://tinyurl.com/y9aknh5
Irishgirl, GMTA
I think Bible Spice just enjoys being ‘ironic’……………………………oh wait, I spelled that wrong………………idiotic.
I shot an email to Wolf Blitzer today to complain. He reported on this on his show, The Situation Room. He barely covered the part that talked about sense of humor and that was that. WTF?!!? I made him aware how biased that was and if he added another 10 seconds, he could have read the entire letter.
I watched the video 3 times and still can’t see where the palins should be offended.The person was not making fun of either of the palins IMO.They should have felt proud that someone would think they were capable of bringing up such a self sufficient you woman.Although it was funny when she said she was palins daughter.
@beth — You are of course right to point out that all medical conditions span a range of degree of severity. And it is equally incorrect to say “Andrea is high-functioning, therefore all DS persons can be high-functioning” as it is to say “Andrea has DS, therefore she can not be speaking her own words.”
However, I have not seen many examples of the former proposition (admittedly, most of my reading on this topic has been on the Mudflats); whereas it appears that the latter proposition is advanced quite frequently on certain sites. I guess I don’t think there is any real danger that a large number of people are going to conclude from this episode that all DS persons can now be expected to become successful actors or actresses. I hope that some people will conclude that some DS persons can, in fact, be completely successful in “normal” society.
The thing that is hilarious about the palindrome comments dissing Ms. Friedman is not that they are stupid, but that they are delivering an insult to all DS people (aka “retards”), whereas the FG episode did not appear to be insulting — it showed a person with DS functioning successfully in general society. When Txxx gets a little older, they may want to show him that episode as a role model.
I won’t be holding my breath until Quatty lashes out at her followers for another punch in the gut.
@117 beth — Ah, but there is a trade balance issue here. We ship snails to France, because they ate all theirs (more or less true).
@126 anadventurer: Worked too, didn’t it. SNAP.
@132 justa: You’re right, of course, but that was also the bait.
{{{strangelet}}}
ya got my drift!
It is such a shame that SP never realized that she had a golden opportunity to promote the positive aspects of Down syndrome. She had the audience but only talked about her choosing life.
She could have shared the daily life of meeting the needs of a special needs child and what potentials others have realized.
She could have done this selfishly, and reaped a great harvest. Remember McCain touted her as being an expert on “special needs.”
All I can think of is that interview on the bus when she was engrossed in an interview and Trig was trying to read a book. That clip should be played over and over again. She did not care.
There has been a benefit in all of this. I think we are all more aware of individuals with special needs. Certainly we have all probably thought back to contacts we have had with persons with Down syndrome.
Hoping we have advanced. Unfortunately, I do not think Trig has benefitted.
I think that I’d like to see a Friedman/Palin debate. I have no doubt that Ms. Friedman would rhetorically eviscerate Palin.
Between those two, I think that it is abundantly clear who actually possess the real intellectual disability.
Sandra 146
McCain mis-spoke,,,Sarah is an ExpOrter of special needs…
Bill Maher tonight covers a LOT of bases and is very funny. He covers the Family Guy episode as well as the Tea Baggers at the end calling them a Cult… and as part of that bit he shows that well known Family pic of the Palins posing at X-mas.
Seth McFarlane is on the panel as well as Eliot Spitzer and Norah O’Donnel.
The special Guest is Wanda Sykes. They were having FUN!!
Best line from Seth Mcfarlane. He said he held off on giving any interviews all week about the Family Guy kerfuffle knowing he would be on Bills Show tonight.
His quote… ” I saved my Sarah Palin Virginity for you ”
I’m sure Gryphen will find clips of the HBO show… THIS was good.
sandra in oregon @146 -
You are absolutely right about Sarah missing the perfect opportunity to really have an impact on the lives of people with DS, their families and communities. It makes me so angry that, while proclaiming her devotion to her son and the ’cause’, she’s done NOTHING beyond giving a measly $1,000 of other people’s money. With her public forum, she could have easily become a major force in promoting accurate information about DS and raising funds for research, programs and services. Instead, she’s used Trig’s DS as just another excuse to play the martyr and spew her venom at others.
As many have said, she’s also failed miserably at providing her son with the support, education and therapy he needs to reach his potential, whatever that may be.
(With apologies to Jane Austen) Badly done, Sarah, badly done, indeed!
Chris the teenaged boy on Family Guy is often portrayed as being “simple”. His big date night was with the Down girl Ellen. Ellen trumped Chris in the smarts department.
Chris is on Family Guy each week playing the dummy to his infant brother Stewie. No one complains about that. Thus, there should be no complaint from anyone regarding Chris Griffen having a dinner date with Ellen. Chris is presented as basically being “retarded” as is his father Peter.
If the Palin family were truly Family Guy watchers they would have taken offense at the father and the son being portrayed as “mentally challenged” for laughs. Yet, they just picked up on the Down Syndrome girl being presented as, well a Down Syndrome girl that had more mental acuity than either the father or the teenaged son on that same show.
Seth McFarlane cast his bait and the Palin’s ate it, hook line and sinker. They then called their Facebook people and had them issue a statement.
As the Family Guy creator had to say on Bill Maher tonight, that episode was written many months ago and is only coincidentally airing when Palin was complaining to Emanuel and O’Reilly about the “retarded thing”.
And now Andrea is having to defend herself from attacks on in an interview on The Insider.