Well, at least the Academy of Arts and Sciences haven't completely lost their minds. I was appalled when I first heard that the TV show, Family Guy, got an Emmy nod for their song, 'Down Syndrome Girl.'
Haven't heard it? Well, here is a sampling of the lyrics:
And though her pretty face may seem a special person's wettest dream. [...]
You must impress that ultra-boomin', all consumin', poorly-groomin', Down Syndrome girl. [...]
You want to take that little whore and spin her on the dancing floor. [...]
My boy between the two of us we'll get her on the shorty bus and then you're gonna take it on a whirl.
Now go impress that super-thrilling, wish-fulfilling, YooHoo-spilling, ultra-swinging, boner-bringing, gayly-singing, dingalinging, stupefying, fortifying, as of Monday shoe lace-tying, stimulating, titillating, kitty-cat impersonating, mega-rocking, pillow talking, just a little crooked walking, poorly-pouting, poopie-sprouting, for some reason always shouting, fascinating, captivating, happiness and joy-creating, Down Syndrome girl.
According to Newsbusters.com, "The Feb. 14 Family Guy episode, which the song appeared in, sparked outrage after its premiere - most notably from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin who has a son with Down syndrome.
At one point in the episode, the character with Down syndrome said that her mom was "the former governor of Alaska," a clear reference to Palin and her son, Trig.
Palin quickly criticized the show for the distasteful jab at her son. "[W]hy make it tougher on the special needs community? When is enough enough? When are we going to be willing to say some things just aren't really funny?" she said on Feb. 16."
Mrs. Palin and I almost never agree on anything, but on this item we most certainly do. The song was not funny - it was offensive. And even though, as New York magazine noted, the Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics award, the category in which this song was nominated, has been "gaining a reputation as Emmy's quiet nod to First Amendment rights", this time things went too far.
Thank goodness the song did not win the Emmy.
3 comments:
and ditto on this one too. I saw it - very disappointing.
I was on tenterhooks when i first watched this episode, translating it at a dizzying speed for my deaf and hh friends who also work with the special needs population and one I thing I will give them is she was just like every other character. She wasn't extra stupid, she had her quirks and personality like all the other characters, and while alot of things family guy does are wrong and vulgar, I think that this episode was handed with certain, well let's say equal opportunity of them. I also was very pleased that the girl who played her actually had down syndrome.
I have never liked that show. I am speechless at the lyrics of that horrible song. Wow. So offensive.
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