Palin & Family Guy

[The Fallen Serpent]

I agree that she's embarrassing herself. My point is, the fact that it references Palin at all, however obliquely, makes it a pot shot. This wasn't random absurdity, like a lot of their other asides ("Karen Black, what an obscure reference."). This was definitely alluding to Palin because she is currently associated with Down children. She was a convenient target, given the nature of the plot, but the emphasis is on target.

My guess is, the shot was pointing out that Palin has positioned herself as the patron saint of retarded children lately -- acting as their "mothers". I think it was taking aim at her self-righteous behavior. (And obviously not at Trig, who is not a woman at any rate.)

I agree that it was specifically alluding to Palin and her association with Down Syndrome children. I do not agree that she was a target. If instead it said "My father is Corky and my mother an accountant" would that have been targeting Corky? If being associated with a concept you proudly associate yourself with is insulting, especially when that concept is specifically shown to not be negative... The episode had even finished production before the recent "Retarded Incident" involving Rahm's mouth. More than anything that was just a fortunate coincidence for Family Guy.

 

[JoeTheJuggler]

Whatever formula do you mean?

That was hilarious!

 

[Cicero]

Wrong, the character says that her mother is the former governor of Alaska. It's a joke.

MacFarlane was making fun of Alaska? Mothers? Governors? Former governors?

Wrong. It's a concurrent show with suspended age.

The show does flash backs and flash forwards all the time.

Wrong. I got the joke that the character made. You don't or you want to spin it into a 'liberal attack on Palin's family.'

Where does MacFarlane deny that the character was not Trigg?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/19/seth-macfarlane-talks-pal_n_469864.html

MacFarlane definitely understand the nature of Bill Maher's studio audience since he can't resist calling Bush 43 "retarded" which gets applause and chortles.

 

[JFrankA]

Or because Bush 43's daughters were 24 at the time "Robot Chicken" aired and a sitting POTUS wouldn't call attention to a cartoon that made fun of him or his adult daughters when that was already de rigueur in the lame stream media when he was POTUS.

But if you really want an example of a former POTUS being excessively protective of their 27 year-old child how about William Jefferson's demand to have a photo of Chelsea removed from a restaurant window.

"The owner of a New York City restaurant is “heartbroken” over a letter he received from former President Bill Clinton's lawyer asking that a photograph of daughter Chelsea be removed from his eatery -— or face legal action.

The photo, taken of the former first daughter with Osso Buco owner Nino Selimaj, has been on display in the window of the Greenwich Village haunt for about five years, the restaurateur said. It was snapped when Chelsea, now 27, was having dinner there with a group of about 30 friends.

But Selimaj said he was shocked when he received a letter from Clinton’s lawyer Douglas J. Band on Sept. 18 threatening legal action if the photograph of “private citizen” Chelsea was not taken down. The photograph is still on display near the front entrance of the restaurant -— only now, the letter is posted alongside it.

“We ask that you immediately remove that picture and any and all pictures displaying Ms. Clinton,” the letter warns. “We reserve the right to exercise any and all options available to us if you refuse to comply.” ...

Thank you for proving my point.

This isn't a "republican/democratic" or "liberal/conservative" issue as you are so desperately trying to make it.

This is an issue of someone who takes an innocuous joke and exaggerate it into "a cause" only to gain attention to oneself and show off how "moral" they are while standing on the shoulders of the people they are trying to protect.

This is an issue of integrity and humor. Sarah Palin, through her past actions (see my previous posts), has repeatedly shown she has neither.

Now don't go telling me how some democrats are the same. That is NOT the issue here, and I know there are democrats just like that. Don't confuse knocking and dislike a representative of the group of people you side with the same thing as knocking and disliking the entire group.

 

[Cicero]

In the end, it just shows that you can take the girl out of the trailer park, but you can't take the trailer park out of the girl...

A

You must be channeling James Carville.

 

[JoeTheJuggler]

The following all QFT:

Wrong, the character says that her mother is the former governor of Alaska. It's a joke.



Wrong. It's a concurrent show with suspended age.



Wrong. I got the joke that the character made. You don't or you want to spin it into a 'liberal attack on Palin's family.'

That is because I would not confuse Trigg with a teenage girl. The character has as much in common with Bristol Palin as it does with Trigg Palin. The character has more in common with the actress. Also, I do not see how the character is in and of itself insulting even if it was Trigg. "Trigg is a person just like everyone else." Wow, insulting! The whole point of the character was that Down Syndrome was irrelevant to judging the individual. Funny or offensive are of course completely different separate and personal measures. Still, I am not even seeing the perceived insult other than being mentioned.

I've said from the beginning, when I first saw the episode, I actually thought it was fairly monumental in how it treated the character. When was the last time you saw a DS character on TV being the object of a crush of a non-Downs person? I don't think that has ever been done before. Similarly, they treated the character as a real person, and not someone innocent. When has that ever happened with a DS character? This was absolutely groundbreaking in terms of treating DS characters on TV.

 

[Cicero]

Thank you for proving my point.

This isn't a "republican/democratic" or "liberal/conservative" issue as you are so desperately trying to make it.

This is an issue of someone who takes an innocuous joke and exaggerate it into "a cause" only to gain attention to oneself and show off how "moral" they are while standing on the shoulders of the people they are trying to protect.

This is an issue of integrity and humor. Sarah Palin, through her past actions (see my previous posts), has repeatedly shown she has neither.

Now don't go telling me how some democrats are the same. That is NOT the issue here, and I know there are democrats just like that. Don't confuse knocking and dislike a representative of the group of people you side with the same thing as knocking and disliking the entire group.

If your point was that Clinton over reacted to a restaurant owner having a photo of Chelsea in his window, when Chelsea gave the guy permission, and the photo in no way disparaged Chelsea, and how libs didn't go after Clinton for having a thin skin, then you are correct.

 

[tyr_13]

MacFarlane was making fun of Alaska? Mothers? Governors? Former governors?

You still don't get the joke. It's making fun of 'the cause'. Besides that, it's a classic reference joke. The, 'and his/her mother was...' is an old joke.

The show does flash backs and flash forwards all the time.

That sequence was neither a flashback or a flash forward.

Where does MacFarlane deny that the character was not Trigg?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/19/seth-macfarlane-talks-pal_n_469864.html

Why won't Beck deny that he raped and killed that girl in 1990?

MacFarlane definitely understand the nature of Mayer's studio audience since he can't resist calling Bush 43 "retarded" which gets applause and chortles.

Which has nothing to do with what you're arguing.

Support your accusations.

 

[The Fallen Serpent]

The show does flash backs and flash forwards all the time.

That implies that he Chris has remained in high school for the next 15 years or so.

Where does MacFarlane deny that the character was not Trigg?

Where is that question asked in this clip? Where does MacFarlane deny that the character was not Andrea Friedman who bears more resemblance to the character than Trigg Palin does?

MacFarlane definitely understand the nature of Bill Maher's studio audience since he can't resist calling Bush 43 "retarded" which gets applause and chortles.

Yes he does. That was an actual insult too! I could understand George Bush acting like it was.

 

[tyr_13]

That implies that he Chris has remained in high school for the next 15 years or so.

It is Chris though.

 

[JFrankA]

If your point was that Clinton over reacted to a restaurant owner having a photo of Chelsea in his window, when Chelsea gave the guy permission, and the photo in no way disparaged Chelsea, and how libs didn't go after Clinton for having a thin skin, then you are correct.

Cherry picking my post, I see.

Good job.

 

[Cicero]

That implies that he Chris has remained in high school for the next 15 years or so.

That would be in keeping with the character.

Where is that question asked in this clip? Where does MacFarlane deny that the character was not Andrea Friedman who bears more resemblance to the character than Trigg Palin does?

What? This was a golden opportunity for MacFarlane to clear up any notion that the scene had anything to do with Palin or Trigg. Instead, he just reinforces his personal politics.

Yes he does. That was an actual insult too! I could understand George Bush acting like it was.

This was an unambiguous insult, not an "actual" insult. It doesn't mean that MacFarlane's intention in the FG scene wasn't as an insult directed at Palin's offspring.

 

[Cicero]

You still don't get the joke. It's making fun of 'the cause'. Besides that, it's a classic reference joke. The, 'and his/her mother was...' is an old joke.

What "cause" is that exactly?

That sequence was neither a flashback or a flash forward.

********. Look at Chris' hairstyle.

Why won't Beck deny that he raped and killed that girl in 1990?

Not about Family Guy, Sara Palin, and Downs Syndrome jokes.

Grasping at straw just gets your arms itchy.

Which has nothing to do with what you're arguing.

Support your accusations.

MacFarlane has already done that.

 

[JoeTheJuggler]

Cicero--you're claiming now that Ellen really was meant to be Trig in the future and having had a sex change operation? (Yet all of this is back story and not spelled out in the episode?)

And that the story was a flash forward due to Chris' hairstyle?

And that the reason they hired an actress with Down syndrome was to set a trap for Sarah Palin? (I guess that'd be that ol' "gotcha" satire cartoon writing?)

OK, this is officially a CT now! These are all absurd positions.

 

[Cicero]

Cicero--you're claiming now that Ellen really was meant to be Trig in the future and having had a sex change operation? (Yet all of this is back story and not spelled out in the episode?)

And that the story was a flash forward due to Chris' hairstyle?

You finally grasp the concept.

And that the reason they hired an actress with Down syndrome was to set a trap for Sarah Palin? (I guess that'd be that ol' "gotcha" satire cartoon writing?)

OK, this is officially a CT now! These are all absurd positions.

The only thing absurd is your characterization that any of this comes under the heading of CT.

 

[Cynic]

Watch the episode again , Cicero.

 

[Cicero]

Watch the episode again , Cicero.

Why? Does it get any better with subsequent viewings?

Is Stewie's song about Chris's date supposed to be flattering to Down Syndrome folks?

"You must impress that ultra booming, all consuming, poorly grooming, Down Syndrome Girl. You ought to take that little whore and spin her on the dancing floor."

 

[GreNME]

Why? Does it get any better with subsequent viewings?

No, but what you seem to be missing is:

1. The character actually has nothing in common with any political figure or their children.
2. The character is actually depicted as a self-confident, non-helpless, and intelligent (though manipulative) human being regardless the Downs Syndrome.
3. The whole point of the character was to make the show's regular character, Peter, seem like an imbecile.

Each of those three things are exactly the opposite of the ridiculous accusations you keep making about the character, the show's intentions for having the character, and the point of the character in the first place.

Cue more "but, but, Clinton!" or "but, but, Biden!" or "but, but, Pelosi" nonsense as a response.

 

[Cynic]

Why? Does it get any better with subsequent viewings?

Not for enjoyment, but for understanding.

 

[JFrankA]

You finally grasp the concept.

The only thing absurd is your characterization that any of this comes under the heading of CT.

So wait. Let me see if I can get this right, and please, correct me if I'm wrong:

It is your humble opinion that Seth is purposely making a personal verbal attack on Trigg and Sarah Palin via a television show by writing in a character of a down syndrome teen specifically so she can mention that her monther was a governor of Alaska and therefore shoot a poisoned arrow deep in the heart of poor, poor Trigg and Sarah Palin.

But, clever, devious and evil person that Seth is, he hired an actress to voice the character who actually has down syndrome so he has a defense.

And in now way is this a CT.....


Really.....?

Please tell me I'm wrong and you're just throwing Poe's Law at us.