In the event that you can't understand why a cartoon on Fox would be embroiled in a highly quotable media brouhaha with a former vice-presidential candidate, all you have to know is that it's Family Guy and Sarah Palin. But if you need more background, basically: Family Guy airs episode starring character with Down's Syndrome voiced by actress with Down's Syndrome. Vague allusion/"joke" is made about Sarah Palin as character with Down's Syndrome notes that her mother used to be the governor of Alaska, har har. Palin, who has child with Down's Syndrome, gets angry, gets on Facebook, and writes about how hurt she is, as former Vice-Presidential candidates are wont to do.

"I guess former Governor Palin does not have a sense of humor." She added that in her family, "we think laughing is good," and that she was raised by her parents "to have a sense of humor and to live a normal life." Ms. Friedman continued, "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."

Well, basically, yes. Even more astute is the observation from said advocate:

Gail Williamson, executive director of the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles, which, among other services, assists films and television series in casting actors with the disability, and helped Ms. Friedman get hired by "Family Guy," said it did not matter whether she thought the episode was funny. "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."

Also correct! The ends here aren't necessarily bad. Someone got an acting gig, and someone pushed a unarguably "good" cause (equality) forward. There are worse results, and naturally, Friedman and Williamson are happy. Palin and MacFarlane, however, come out of this looking worse for the wear.

Just for a moment, let's consider Seth MacFarlane telling the New York Times that he was proud of what he did, noting that the character's Down Syndrome being played as a secondary element was essentially the point.

Seth MacFarlane's in the TV business, and he didn't do this to advocate a cause. There's an inherent shock factor in having a character with Down's Syndrome make a joke about Sarah Palin, who has a kid with Down's Syndrome. He took an audience by the eyeballs, and exploited a willing actress with Down's Syndrome to do it. And equality, indeed: What working, career actresses trying to make a living—Down's Syndrome or not—can you think of that would turn down a gig as high profile as Family Guy? None of 'em, and this one, like the rest, was more than willing to cash a paycheck. Can't blame her.

On the other side, Sarah Palin has again and again fed into being baited by irreverent people making irreverent jokes at her family's expense. If you have a very large platform, and you say something that can even remotely be perceived as mildly controversial by Palin, it's pretty much a given that she's going to mic up and talk about this, as opposed to just writing guys like David Letterman and Seth MacFarlane off (just like the rest of the people they take on manage to do). She used the moment to step up on a platform and advocate a separate side of the same cause, but moreover, herself as a voice in "the conversation" about "the controversy."

Like clockwork:

1. Seth MacFarlane makes "controversial" episode of thing meant to entertain with Sarah Palin joke.
2. Sarah Palin joke elicits Sarah Palin reaction on internet and TV.
3. Sarah Palin reaction elicits Seth MacFarlane reaction.
5. More "controversy" yields NYT story.
6. Family Guy gets press, Sarah Palin gets soapbox, Fox gets viewers for Palin's argument on Fox News and for Family Guy's ratings, worthy cause gets talked about more. Everybody "wins." But mostly Dave Itzkoff, because he got more money than I did to write about this.

Kind of related: if Robot Chicken made this joke, it'd (A) be funnier and (B) wouldn't be a story.

Source: E! Online (US) - Top Stories | 20 Feb 2010 | 12:27 pm

Will Arnett’s New Sitcom Sounds a Lot Like an Arrested Development Spinoff

Arrested Development alums Will Arnett and Mitch Hurwitz, who created the show, are on the verge of reuniting for a Fox sitcom that sounds suspiciously like a spinoff of the beloved show. In the untitled comedy, Arnett would play "a rich Beverly Hills jackass who falls in love with a charitable tree-hugging woman who can't stand his lifestyle or values." The only thing stopping that jackass from being Gob Bluth is a side job as an magician illusionist. We can't wait. [HR]

Read more posts by Adam K. Raymond

Filed Under: the industry, arrested development, fox, mitch hurwtiz, tv, will arnett

Source: Vulture | 20 Feb 2010 | 11:45 am

Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney Show What Their 2012 Stump Speeches Will Look Like

It's not hard to imagine what a Republican presidential campaign will look like in 2012 ("Obama sux! Spending sux! Taxing sux!"). In case you wanted to stop imagining and actually see what it would look like, Mitt Romney and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty offered previews of their future stump speeches at CPAC last week.

Both men showed that they will go after Obama's spending, his unwillingness to get tough with foreign governments, and his treatment of terrorism suspects. Their speeches shared many themes, but don't make the mistake of thinking these two men are the same person. If you looked hard enough, you could find differences.

Romney, for example, didn't mention gay marriage or abortion, while Pawlenty used code phrases like "the sanctity of life" and "traditional marriages" to make it clear to the base where he stands on social issues.

Okay, so they're not the same person, but they did both make a bad joke about President Obama and the Olympics.

Mr. Romney: “In case you didn’t hear the late-breaking news, the gold medal in the downhill given to American Lindsey Vonn has been stripped. It was determined that President Obama is going downhill faster than she is!”

Mr. Pawlenty: “If government spending were an Olympic sport, he would be a repeat gold medalist.”

Groans.

Conservatives Get a Look at Possible Candidates [NYT]

Read more posts by Adam K. Raymond

Filed Under: it's never too early to start talking about 2012, cpac, gop, mitt romeny, politics, president obama, tim pawlenty

Source: Daily Intel | 20 Feb 2010 | 11:30 am

AMC digging in over Disney's plans for 'Alice in Wonderland' - Los Angeles Times

CBC.ca

AMC digging in over Disney's plans for 'Alice in Wonderland' Los Angeles Times The protest by movie theater companies against Disney's plans to accelerate the DVD release for its upcoming 3-D film "Alice in Wonderland" is rippling across the Atlantic. Disney wants to shorten the window between the movie's theatrical debut and its ... Johnny Depp And Tim Burton Recall Their Worst Decisions TogetherMTV.com Johnny Depp Makes Surprise Appearance At Alice In Wonderland Fan EventRadar Online First Film Clip from ALICE IN WONDERLAND Debuts OnlineIESB.NET DisneyDreaming.com -MovieWeb -BSCreview all 439 news articles »

Source: Entertainment - Google News | 20 Feb 2010 | 11:26 am

AMC Threatens to Boycott Alice in Wonderland

Following the lead of most Dutch and a couple of British movie theaters, AMC, America's second-largest theater chain, is threatening to boycott Alice in Wonderland because of Disney's plan to shorten the film's theatrical run. Disney wants to keep Alice in theaters for twelve weeks rather than seventeen in order to capitalize on the DVD appeal of this family-friendly movie about pigs that serve as footrests. An AMC boycott would seriously harm the box-office returns for Alice, which would lose revenue from the company's more than 4,500 screens worldwide. And because of that, AMC and Disney are expected to work something out before the movie's March 5 release.

AMC digging in over Disney's plans for 'Alice in Wonderland' [LAT]

Read more posts by Adam K. Raymond

Filed Under: release windows, alice in wonderland, amc, disney, movies, the industry

Here's a video of Andrew Breitbart being angry at Salon.

In it, he compares ACORN to Abu Ghraib, and says he now has the ability to "strike back" and "destroy people" in retaliation to other people being destroyed, though he's not entirely clear on who he's talking about besides that time Dan Savage—Dan Savage, who made a career out of writing about why it's okay if you're into getting peed on—contracted the flu and supposedly tried to give it to Christian evangelist Gary Bauer, which yielded "controversy" because people like Breitbart and his Minions are conveniently too stupid to understand satire when they read it despite being expert sensationalists themselves. Oh, and also, James "Teabugger" O'Keefe, who convinced America he'd found something interesting about ACORN by being pretty good at entrapping others, before he got arrested for doing some more dumb, destructive shit. But let's say Breitbart is right (even though he's not) and his assumption that there are people on the left who work at Salon who wake up every morning to see who they can "destroy" is correct (which it isn't).

Breitbart is angry.
People tend to look at shitshows.
And being angry and a shitshow and a scene is obviously a pretty profitable business.

There's nothing progressive or interesting or important about what Breitbart is doing. He's not changing anything. He's not changing the way people think, he's just making angry people angrier. In fact, the angrier he is, and the more shit he breaks, the more attention he gets, and the more money he makes. That's all this is. Really. That's it. Breitbart is a sad clown who is trying to kick up dust and make a buck and here he shows how excited he is to do it. If people like Breitbart were interested in change they'd probably spend less time talking to reporters about destroying people and looking angry and more time trying to figure out how to solve the world's problems, which are complicated and require less shouting and more thinking. This is old news, but oh well. I guess I just wanted to post this video of Andrew Breitbart being his usual angry fuckface'd self to point out the fact that he has yet to come up with a better nickname for Pareene than Appletini Partyboy, which is funny because it's so patently awful and fairly representative of Breitbart's complete inability to produce anything that isn't just, you know, shit.

Also, Talking Points Memo went looking for Aspiring Conservative Rappers at CPAC, who were going to be given a chance 8 Mile style to rise up and become famous among people who, if they aren't already fortified in something they refer as The Compound, one day will be. What they found makes Will Smith look edgy:

We can't promise a longterm gig just yet, but there is something in the works to tide fans over in the meantime. Conan...

Source: E! Online (US) - Top Stories | 20 Feb 2010 | 10:58 am

Tiger’s Mistresses Would Like Apologies, Too

In his apology-laden press conference yesterday, Tiger Woods said he's sorry to his family, his friends, his fans, his wife, and his sponsors. But he left one group out: the ladies he cheated with. Not cool say porn star Joslyn James and Italian model Loredana Jolie Ferriolo. Both would like personal apologies and really, anything else that might help their fifteen minutes last a little longer. [NYP]

Read more posts by Adam K. Raymond

Filed Under: tiger catches flak, joslyn james, loredana jolie ferriolo, the sports section, tiger catches tail, tiger woods

Source: Daily Intel | 20 Feb 2010 | 10:45 am

Tiger Woods' Apology Also Sheds Light on His Buddhist Faith

Disgraced golf superstar Tiger Woods cited the role of Buddhism in his life -- and will look to it to help him recover from serial infidelity

Source: FOXNews.com | 20 Feb 2010 | 10:42 am

Is Kristen Stewart's New Movie Really That New?

In The Yellow Handkerchief, Kristen Stewart does what Kristen Stewart does best: She plays a "troubled and lonely teenager," as the plot synopsis describes it. The flick was shot...

Source: E! Online (US) - Top Stories | 20 Feb 2010 | 10:41 am

Sean Penn Might Go to Jail

A California court charged Sean Penn with battery and vandalism yesterday for going to town on a photographer last fall. A spokesman for the L.A. city attorney's office said Penn is being charged for kicking the photographer and breaking his camera. If convicted for the misdemeanor charges, Penn faces eighteen months in jail. This isn't Penn's first time going after the paparazzi and it wouldn't be his first time to go to jail for it, but this does seem to be the first time Penn has used his feet instead of his fists. That's progress, right? [LAT]

Read more posts by Adam K. Raymond

Filed Under: jurisprudence, arrests, badass, sean penn

Source: Vulture | 20 Feb 2010 | 10:30 am

Can Buddhism Cure Tiger Woods' Sex Addiction?

I just heard Tiger's press conference and am impressed. But how does he think Buddhism can cure his sex addiction? —ForNay, via the Answer B!tch inbox Well, he...

Source: E! Online (US) - Top Stories | 20 Feb 2010 | 10:17 am

Software built by Autodesk was used by studios behind "Avatar", "District 9" and "Star Trek"

No matter which captivating film wins the Oscar for visual effects at next month's Academy Awards ceremony, software savants at Autodesk will be taking a bow.
Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 20 Feb 2010 | 10:10 am

19th century France crashes London Fashion Week (AFP)

AFP - A French woman who defied Napoleon was the inspiration for Kinder Aggugini's show at London Fashion Week Saturday, as sweeping silk gowns and military-style tunics mixed with laser-sharp prints.

Source: Yahoo! News: Fashion News | 20 Feb 2010 | 10:03 am

Week in Review: Tiger Woods Takes Baby Steps on Long Road Back to Respectability

Where were you when you heard Tiger Woods had crashed his own car outside his house and you went, "Hmmm, something about that doesn't sound quite right..."? No matter...

Source: E! Online (US) - Top Stories | 20 Feb 2010 | 10:01 am

Governor Paterson Wants to Be Governor for Another Four Years

In a dimly lit room on Hofstra's campus in Hempstead, New York, Governor David Paterson declared his intention to seek a full four-year term as governor and boldly predicted that he'll win. In a speech to about 300 people, Paterson explained that he would be the best person to lead New York through its economic crisis and began painting himself as the underdog:

"I wanted to come back to here to Hempstead, which is where I was taught to stand up for myself, and to believe in myself," Mr. Paterson said, "in spite of all the voices around me: You can't play sports—you're blind. You can't go to law school—you’re handicapped. You can’t go into public service—you’re disabled."

An incumbent positioning himself as the underdog may seem odd, but in this instance it's totally appropriate. Sure Paterson is the only candidate to declare his intention to run, but as soon as the better-funded and better-liked Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announces his inevitable candidacy, Paterson will have to continue reminding people of his scrappy story if he wants to stand a chance. If he doesn't want to stand a chance, he should remind them of his past two years as governor.

Paterson Declares Intention to Seek Re-election [NYT]

Read more posts by Adam K. Raymond

Filed Under: early and often, andrew cuomo, david pateron, governor paterson, politics

Source: Daily Intel | 20 Feb 2010 | 10:00 am

Brooke Mueller In Rehab to "Get Her Life Back on Track"

Don't expect to hear any rehab woes from Brooke Mueller. Immediately following her Feb. 8 court appearance with embattled hubby Charlie Sheen, Mueller checked herself into the Canyon...

• Adam Lambert made out with Ke$ha at a club. Now, tell me: when HumongoFace-N-Furter and Shift-4 make out in a club for people like us to look at and try to extrapolate some greater knowledge of the cosmos out of, does anything happen? Is some kind of super celebrity bacteria transferred? Do protons freak out somewhere? I'm convinced there has to be some kind of physio-chemical reaction somewhere in some other part of the universe, like a star being aborted in the second term, or something. Anyway. Pedicures on my toes, toes is a really catchy line. I wish I can explain why. [NYDN]
  
  




• Hilary Duff is getting married to a guy from the Edmonton Oilers. He could probably kick my ass so I won't talk any shit. Mazel tov, kids. For what it's worth, you don't have my blessing without a pre-nup. It's just that I care about everyone, here. [NYDN]
  
  
• Someone pointed out the fact that Roman Polanski's new movie is about people "confined" to a "compound" on Martha's Vineyard, and that he's currently on house arrest at a Swiss Chalet. Except the difference is that one's real and one's fake and one involves a guy who's about to be sentenced for raping a girl and the other one involves a guy who's about to be sentenced for raping a girl making money for being a movie director. So, there's that. [Page Six]
  
  
• Audrina Patridge has an accused stalker and he was arrested. To be crazy enough to stalk someone is bad enough, to be that crazy and to know who Audrina Patridge is and have a reason to stalk her is another thing entirely. It sucks to be some people, and it really sucks to be other people. [NYDN]
  
  
• You know what's awesome about Olympic skiier Julia Mancuso? Everything. [People]
  
  
• Mick Jagger was doing his awesome trademark cockeyed dirtybird dance for all the cool kids at Kenmare earlier this week, which is supposed to be the new Beatrice Inn, which you don't give a shit about, and really, you shouldn't. What you should care about, though, is this: What if the cool new dance crazy became Mick Jagger's old-school peacock-on-acid routine? Is this something that would make hipsters or whatever we're calling them these days at least moderately likable to you? This world is set so far apart and it'd be nice to see some of us meet in the middle, so, you know, I'm trying to negotiate something here. You can't knock me for trying. Maybe you can, but whatever. Just do it. I don't care. [Page Six]

Another one in the bin! And yes, I'm leaving, and no, it has nothing to do with anybody else. I love this job and well, I'd deliver a more formal announcement, and maybe I will, but honestly, we've got four more days, let's just have fun and play some really great jams for my departed boss Gabriel, who basically was the man. Truly. I think it goes without saying, but the bottom of a gossip roundup that has a picture of someone representing one of the most disproportionately off living-well-to-good-for-the-universe-ratio doing some dumbass shit sitting atop it is no place or way to eulogize the tenure of someone who did some pretty great things, so we'll save the real deal for later, probably next Sunday. On that note:

Yesterday was Gabriel's last day, and Monday is Remy's first day, which means that technically (or something) I just moved up to Editor-In-Chief of this here website for the next 48 hours. SO, if you have something we can spend lots of money on, like a good story or pictures of George W. Bush sodomizing a Muppet, we'll buy it and make you rich and put it all over this here website, and I'll probably throw some CAN HAZ CHEEZEBURGER nonsense on there for good measure. But seriously, Nick already emailed me last night warning me to "keep the anarchy in the comments," and I'm not sure what that means, but you know, that's all on you guys. Does anybody remember laughter? Business as usual. One, two, you know what to do:

[Photo of Paris Hilton trying to clear out her sinuses via Getty Images]

OK, well, maybe it is, but it's also...

Source: E! Online (US) - Top Stories | 20 Feb 2010 | 8:55 am

The Bachelor Babe's Back for Business, Oprah Builds a Better MILF, More!

The week that was, as only the Soup blog can present it: • First, The Bachelor's Ali chose her job over true fake love with bland dreamboat Jake. Now, she's confused. So...

Source: E! Online (US) - Top Stories | 20 Feb 2010 | 7:03 am

VIDEO: Rome mounts major Caravaggio exhibition. Duration: 01:23

VIDEO - The mastery of Caravaggio and his "chiaro-scuro" -- the contrast of shadow and light -- are brought back to life in a exhibition to mark 400 years since the artist's death. Dozens of works by Michelangelo...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 20 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

Front-row fabulous stars at Fashion Week

Actress Rosario Dawson is all smiles at the Tommy Hilfiger fashion show Thursday. With her are Hayden Panettiere, left, Ashley Olsen and Penn Badgley. An array of stars turned out for New York Fashion Week.

Source: CNN.com - Entertainment | 20 Feb 2010 | 5:26 am

France buys memoirs of great lover Casanova (Reuters)

Reuters - France's national library has bought the memoirs of celebrated Venetian lover Giacomo Casanova, which were initially thought to have perished at the end of World War Two.
Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 20 Feb 2010 | 3:30 am

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