‘Family Guy,’ Palin and the Limits of Laughter
Saturday, February 20th, 2010
‘Family Guy,’ Palin and the Limits of Laughter
This is an excellent piece by New York Times writer Dave Itzkoff.
Andrea Fay Friedman has her act together as does Gail Williamson, executive director of the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles:
“Within ‘Family Guy,’ the character was fully included, well-rounded, dynamic, not dealing with stereotypical Down syndrome issues,” Ms. Williamson said. She added: “Am I a fan of that kind of humor? Eh. It’s beside the point.”
“If we’re asking for full inclusion in the schools and full inclusion in the world,” she said, “ we should appreciate full inclusion with other genres. Even if those genres are not what we appreciate.”
The unfortunate part of this situation is that most people are not clued in to the more nuanced issues here which Gail Williamson speak to. The way Palin speaks of her son Trig and has complained that Family Guy crossed a line isn’t really “PC” (politically correct), it’s knee jerk professional victim/sympathy vote stuff. Friedman speak to this:
“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 the same sense that many thought the country was “post racial” with Obama’s election, it seems that some might think the country is “post disability” as more people with disabilities are fully included. Like the race issue, this issue is complex and has high profile people like Palin who are skilled at playing the victim card for her son and for herself.
I have been traveling so have not followed this – but very well said.
Thanks David, I was hoping you’d weigh in on this and I was pretty sure you’d see this as I do. Frankly, it’s fascinating and depressing at the same time.
It is so unfortunate politicians who merely want to make an “issue” out of something for publicity are given much importance by the common man. If only we dedicated the same amount of time in the media to discuss public issues like healthcare, education reforms we would all be much better off solving problems that we have gotten ourselves into.
Right on Dilip, but, this is the way it is when you have a stupid electorate. Palin knows her audience and plays them like a piano.
It’s looking more and more like Palin will be the leader of the Tea Bag movement in this country and this movement is all about victimhood: all of their problems are caused by big government taxing them, taking their guns away, and making their lives difficult. They say this as they drive on federally funded roads, fly in federally overseen air space, use federally funded police and fire departments, use federally funded healthcare (medicare and medicaid), and collect federally funded unemployment and welfare checks.
A term people use who do this consciously is “bleeding the beast.”
A piece of me would love it if there was a way to have these people, including Palin, have to live with the consequences of their thoughts and actions. If Palin’s house catches on fire, no one will come to put it out.
@Richard: I agree with everything you said but the last statement. There is an extreme religious right. Those people will hose up their blood to put out the fire on palin’s house.
We have many such palin’s in india too, mayawathi is a great example to start with.
Our only option i think is educational reforms now and wait it out for another 15 years (if we are alive to see it then) to see the positive effects of such things.
Dilip: I agree, time and education will do it. You’ll be alive, I’ll be compost.
@Richard: Lets hope im alive. The way we are sitting ducks in India for terrorists to bomb us everyday i have my doubts :-P
I think you’re going to live Dilip. You’re young, tuned in, and alert enough to know what’s going on.