Did you guys catch the last episode of Family Guy? If not, check out the clip above. It’s a scene where Chris goes on a date with a mentally retarded girl, who uhhhh, kinda sorta happens to be the daughter of a former Alaskan governor? While Sarah Palin’s name is never mentioned, an animated retarded girl claiming that her mother is a former Alaskan governor is a pretty clear jab.
The subject of Sarah’s son Trig’s downs syndrome has been in the news quite a bit. It’s unfortunate that Sarah Palin is so disliked, and I say that only because her mentally handicapped child is a target of meanies and people with grade-school senses of humor. Don’t get me wrong, I hate that woman too, but as if we really needed to give people another reason to use the word “retarded” as a pejorative, right? I can’t say I’m guilt-free, I occasionally use the word myself (I blame my suburban Massachusetts upbringing, sad to say. I heard the words “wicked retarded” far too many times as a youngster), but I know it’s wrong and feel incredible guilt when I do use the word. Normally I think Family Guy can be pretty spot-on with their topical humor (or at least gut-bustingly funny in a slightly cheap way), but this feels like it’s going a bit too far and perhaps pandering to the wrong audience. What do you think?
There’s no such thing as too far.
No such thing as the wrong audience, either.
True. So True.
Am not American. Therefore not deemed worthy to watch this clip.
distasteful.
I can’t stand SP but making fun of a child’s disability (he cannot help) is the same as making a racial slur about someone’s child.
it’s beyond wrong and I hope they get told that and have to apologize for being jackasses.
How are they making fun of Trig’s disability? The cartoon depicts a young person with Down Syndrome who actually has a personality, a sense of humor, and an existence beyond her DS.
Get it right. Family Guy isn’t making fun of Trig, it’s making fun of Sarah Palin.
damn straight. also, how the hell is retarded supposed to be used “not as a pejorative”? It’s hardly a compliment. It’s not “differently abled” or like a blind person who can see with their hands. It is a negative thing to be retarded. Same way it is n
ot a good thing to be late for work or the last person to get a joke. But as long as we’re not taking cheap shots and laughing at someone for being retarded, I don’t see why we can’t laugh at someone who is retarded as long as the subject is something other than their mental ability? I reckon you have to use the “everything’s funny” rule with FG. It’s hypocritical to one week laugh at joe’s handicapped capers (handicapers?) and all the “dead below the legs” stuff as well as Peter’s retardation and then another week think it’s offensive to feature a retarded person. Anyway family guy hasn’t been funny since season 1, so I don’t really care anyway… but seriously evil beet can you pick up on a topic that really makes sense instead of just reporting every time some whinebag thinks the word blackberry is racist or whatever… and quit calling everyone “homegirl” or “homeboy” it sounds stupid and lazy.
The actress who played Chris’s date actually has down syndrome so it is possible the writers of family guy weren’t being too insensitive
GAWD, this site might as well be Butt Hurt Beet.
And Family Guy hasn’t been funny in years.
Move on then.
I happen to find the on-point satire of current events rather funny most of the time, however Family Guy regularly pushes the boundaries.
Why even read and comment if you don’t like the site?
Pushing the boundaries is for big ol’ wussies.
CROSS THAT LINE!!
Well, I believe I am older than the average Evil Beet reader, but when I was young, kids would say “You’re a reeetard. No, wait, you’re so good at being retarded, you’re a protard. Protard!” I was not one of those kids (nor was I one of the kids calling other kids A-rabs). At the time I remember thinking it was far, far better to be of limited intelligence than to be a flat out idiot or asshole, but I kept such thoughts to myself.
I would say this is crossing the line, but after Palin herself defended Rush Limbaugh for using the word (IT’S SATIRE, YOU GUYS), I really don’t feel bad for her.
That’s what I was thinking too. That they were just doing it to be like “Well Sarah, you have to give us a pass because you gave Rush a pass since he was obviously using it as satire and that is so much better than being serious about it”
I bet Palins retarded son would love this episode. Of course, he’d also love staring at the sun until he went blind, but still, I think he’d just love it.
I’m not Sarah Palin fan but it funny watching how obsessed the left is and how much HATE they have toward this woman. Think about it.. what in the hell has she done thats so freakin’ evil? I know people on the right who sit back and laugh like hell at all the people on the left that can’t stop talking about this woman. I think Sarah is laughing too…….
She doesn’t have cankles. That’s enough for the womens movement to want her dead. Caustic looking hags, all of them.
She hasn’t done anything that’s evil – the left is scared of her because they know she’s bringing lift back to the right and firing people up! I’m not a fan either, I don’t think she’s presidential material in the least but I do think it’s funny how they keep bashing her.
the only thing “lefties” are scared of from palin is that there are people out there who actually buy her bullshit. the fact that people who LOVE her long time have no idea what she stands for (to be fair, she doesn’t either) scares the “lefties”. maybe they have her and trig confused….
You know, for this post you could replace the word “palin” with “Obama”, replace the term “lefties” with “righties, delete the last sentence, and that would also be pretty much the truth as well. Ignorance in America reigns either way you look at it.
That was quite the zinger.
Good job.
yes, quite the zinger. jeez, now what will i do with my time? you’ve shed light on my views. thank you. without you in my life, i would be lost.
Just as I might have suspected.
I know. It’s not like she stuck a cigar up a woman’s pie hole.
clinton stuck a cigar up a woman’s pie hole? isn’t a pie hole a mouth? please explain soon, because i just told my mother in law to “shut her pie hole” about 30 minutes ago.
I’ve never watched this show, but in this clip, Chris seems to be the retarded one. She had to tell him how to behave on a date.
Yeah, disabled children are off limits whether Sarah defended Rush or not. You can’t really use that argument if you think she’s an idiot, right?
Wrong to jab at Palin’s kid like that. If she was a liberal; don’t think this would happen, she’d be portrayed like Wonder Woman with a disadvantaged child, or maybe like Michelle Obama.
Hilarious.
If Palin continually works to keep a spotlight on herself, then she should expect attention, positive or negative.
I grow tired of public figures whining about how they’re portrayed in the media or satirized on television. It’s all part of the territory, and if she believed that she or her family wouldn’t be satirized as a result of her public behavior, she’s more delusional than anyone thought.
Hilarious? Hopefully God doesn’t read this blog. I hear he loves cursing those who laugh at the weak and downtrodden. Sorry to hear about your impending misfortune.
Let’s hope he get those who attacked, Chelsea, too.
NO, God hates Chelsea and from what I can tell, the fat Obama kid too.
Her mentally handicapped son isn’t a “public figure whining about how they’re portrayed in the media.” Kids are off limits. Especially mentally disabled kids. They are never part of the “territory.”
Would you think it was hilarious if they were bashing the Obama girls for being “fat”? I don’t think they are, for the record, but Michelle pretty much said that their ped told her they were getting fat and needed to diet. Would you think that was funny?
Let’s be clear, only the young Obama girl is fat by her mommas standards. The mother just threw the older one under the bus so she wouldn’t totally destroy the little ones self confidence, which is so transparent. Michelle obviously doesn’t like the fat one as much as the skinny one.
neither one of the obamas use their kids the way palin does.
that’s total bullshit and you know it. they pull them out of the closet whenever they need a photo-op.
Or how about ripping on the Obama kids for being black? Because, like, they can totally control that. Just like having Down’s…
Yeah, I’m waiting for the Family Guy episode making fun of Obamas black kids! Maybe they can have them going to the zoo?
stop whoring the kid out and making him an example and using him as your “everything card” (oh, well, see, my son’s got DS, so…. you know…. i don’t think i’ll be able to go know anything about international policy….). anytime anyone brings up anything to her, she brings up her son. so, why is it ok for her to whore him out, but then no one can say shit about mentally handicapped people period bc she’s got her panties in a twist that you want to say anything that doesn’t wholeheartedly agree w her? bc, you know, her son is retarded. and rush is god. and bc he’s god, he can say whatever he likes, even if he’s in TOTAL agreement w not only the word, but the use of the word to literally describe people w mental handicaps? rahm was wrong, but rush, well,…. shit. do i need to spell it out for you? what, are you retarded?
You actually show pretty good reasoning skills. For a fucking retard.
thank you. i’ve worked hard to stoop to your level.
You’re so right, ecotorium. She should totally lock up her kid in an instituition and stop showing him to the world. Because no one needs to see other people have kids with disabilities, too. They should be hidden right?
Idiot.
yes, thats exactly what i was trying to say, but just didnt have the wherewithal. i’m glad you not only know how to read, but type a relevant response… to something i wasn’t even saying. she uses him as a pawn. for any “talking point” she has, it involves her mentally handicapped son. by the way, did you know her son is mentally handicapped? glad you all are anonymnous, or however the hell you’d like to spell it… hey, are you sarah palins son, trig?
I think it is going a bit too far & that’s why I don’t like Family Guy. Stuff like this isn’t funny to me & I’m just not interested in watching it.
However I think ALOT of people think this kind of thing is funny & that’s why they love this show.
Geez folks, seems that everyone is so sensitive these days. When I was young the phrase ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me’ was taught to us. I didn’t feel the show was making fun of Palin’s son because a female character was used in the skit. I think it was a joke toward Palin. Also, there was no definition of the character being a person with down syndrome. She spoke with a funny dialect but what she said sounded pretty good to me. People assume that a funny dialect equals down syndrome? Cindy Brady spoke this way for several seasons of the Brady Bunch for God’s sake. She sells sea shells down by the sea shore (say it with a lisp).
whatever. her baby SON is retarded. she doesn’t have a teenage daughter that has DS.
and she defended the use of the word retard anyway, so fuck her.
you know what is retarded, Family Guy
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100217/ap_on_en_tv/us_palin_family_guy
has nobody seen the cartoon wars episodes of south park? where family guy is written by a bunch of mannatees and they pick random word balls to write an episode? and if you take one ball out they refuse to work? cause either everything is funny or nothing’s funny? No? well you should. It sorts this out perfectly for any of you whose logic and common sense modules are malfunctioning- ie anyone who still uses the words “left” and “right” to describe politics or anyone who defends sarah palin in a trivial gossip website comment section to collect like palin points or something…hmm palin points they sound collectable